The European Basic Acrylic Monomers Group (EBAM)

Who we are

Acrylic acid serves as an industrial intermediate product, i.e. it is either processed directly into a polyacrylate or polymerised via the intermediate stage of an acrylate ester. Furthermore, acrylic acid is used as an ingredient and occurs as residual monomer in consumer products like adhesives, paints, binding agents and printing inks.

About half of the crude acrylic acid is processed to purified (glacial) acrylic acid, which is further processed both on-site (captive use) and by external downstream users. The other half of crude acrylic acid is transformed into various acrylate esters at the production sites. Identical to glacial acrylic acid, these acrylic esters serve as commercial products, which are further processed both on-site and by external downstream users.

Acrylic acid and basic alkyl esters (methyl, ethyl, butyl and 2-ethylhexyl esters) are used for the manufacture of polymer dispersions, adhesives, super absorbent polymers, flocculants, detergents, varnishes, fibres and plastics as well as chemical intermediates.

The Group is chaired by Friedrich Martin (BASF) and includes the following companies: Arkema, BASF, Dow, Evonik, Hexion, Rohm & Haas and Sasol.

What we do

As part of its ongoing remit, EBAM is committed to:

• Promoting the standing of the acrylics industry (acrylic acid and basic acrylic esters) in a socially responsible manner
• Responding to the regulatory and environmental pressures on the industry
• Contributing to the activities of industry consortia with US and Japanese producers of acrylic acid and its basic esters for the preparation of the registration dossier within the framework of the REACH legislation.
• Co-ordinating industry's views on health and safety issues, especially those related to the EU risk assessment of acrylic acid and basic acrylic esters
• Encouraging the safe and proper use of basic acrylates by developing and publishing appropriate technical information. To that effect, EBAM released its second edition of the Safe Handling Guidelines for Acrylic Acid and for Acylic Esters. The users of both acrylic acid and acrylic esters should contact their suppliers to receiving these Guidelines.
• Maintaining a high level of technical undertanding by identifying and managing research into health and environmental effects and assessing risks in use
• Presenting a positive image of acrylates to the industry, authorities and the public
• Developing a common position on major issues for presentation to regulators, opinion leaders and other concerned bodies
• Developing product stewardship programmes following the Responsible Care principles
• Producing a recommendation,as well as gudelines for the use of dry disconnect couplings on transportation equipment for acrylic acid, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylates and 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate.
• Producing a recommendation, when using multi-compartment or combination load trucks or barges for the transport of acrylic acid, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylates and 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate.
• Producing a recommendation,when using bulk containers (IBCs) for the transport