Evonik Coating Additives Raises the Bar for Regulatory Compliance & Sustainability

Evonik Coating Additives is raising the bar for regulatory compliance and sustainability in the coatings and inks industry.

Through continuous process optimization and the use of high-quality raw materials, Evonik ensures the highest purity of its siloxane-based coating and ink additives, verified through extensive analytical testing. 

Considering recent regulatory developments in the European Union (EU), certain low–molecular-weight siloxanes have been classified as SVHCs because they meet the REACH criteria for persistence and bioaccumulation. In addition, the new EU hazard classes, PBT (persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic) and vPvB (very persistent and very bioaccumulative), require products to be classified and labeled when these substances are present at concentrations of 0.1% or higher.

As a result, more than 95 % of the active siloxane-based Coating Additives portfolio contains less than 0.1 % of SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern), maintaining suitability for use in paints and inks with Ecolabel certification.

Evonik’s proactive approach ensures the absence – or low levels – of these moieties in more than 95 % of Evonik’s active siloxane additive portfolio. It enables customers to continue using siloxane-based TEGO grades without reformulation or switching to high-cost “purified” alternatives. This ensures uninterrupted compliance, consistent performance, and reliable supply.

“Our customers can rely on Evonik Coating Additives to anticipate regulatory changes and deliver solutions that combine compliance with performance,” says Kristina Meier, Global Head of Product Line Silicone & Acetylenics at Evonik Coating Additives. “This achievement underscores our commitment to sustainability, regulatory excellence, and making life easier for our customers and partners.”

Evonik’s analytical assessment shows that >95 % of its active TEGO® siloxane additive portfolio contains no levels of the following SVHC substances, which would trigger classification as vPvB (very persistent, very bioaccumulative) and/or PBT (persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic):

New ECHA Classification

After the latest CLP revision, the new EU hazard classes vPvB (very persistent and very bioaccumulative) and PBT (persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic) with labeling obligations since May 2025 for substances and from May 2026 for mixtures:

Any product containing more than 0.1% or more each of substances classified as vPvB and/or PBT must be classified and labelled as vPvB (EUH441) and/or PBT (EUH440).

While cyclic siloxanes D4, D5, D6 have been listed as SVHCs since 2018 for their concern of vPvB and PBT, ECHA recently expanded its SVHC list by including the short-chain linear and branched siloxanes:

• L3 (Octamethyltrisiloxane, CAS 107-51-7),
• L4 (Decamethyltetrasiloxane, CAS 141-62-8) and
• M3T (1,1,1,3,5,5,5-heptamethyl-3-[(trimethylsilyl)oxy]trisiloxane, CAS 17928-28-89)

These substances were added to the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) due to their vPvB properties.