February 2019 Spray 25
Aerosol Products Division program
The Aerosol Products Division convened with a
program titled An Afternoon of Aerosols, Economics
& the World in which We Live.
Jim Bloome, R.A Jones, presented Fire & Aerosol.
In 1978, the U.S. banned chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs) for aerosol products; suddenly nearly half
of all aerosol products needed to be reformulated.
The obvious choice for propellant replacement
was hydrocarbons, although many were unaware
or unprepared for the dangers both
in production and storage of hydrocarbon
propelled aerosol products.
After several fires in aerosol facilities,
the CSMA (now the HCPA) Task Group
was formed to write guidelines for safe
use and handling of hydrocarbons and
other flammable propellants. Hydrocarbons,
Dimethyl Ether & Other Propellants:
Considerations for Effective Handling in the
Aerosol Plant & Laboratory was first issued
in 1978.
Key members of the task force played
an important role in developing the
NFPA 30B Code for the Manufacture &
Storage of Aerosol Products. The Task Group
then became the Manufacturing & Storage Standards Committee
and continues today as part of the HCPA Aerosol Products Division.
Work continues with participation in new aerosol product form
fire testing and updating of industry model codes, i.e. those from
the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) and International
Fire Code (IFC).
CSMA, in cooperation with FM Global, launched a major
fire research program beginning in 1980 and lasting for a decade
with costs of over $1 million. Extensive, full scale warehouse fire
testing was conducted at FM Global and new protection plans and
Pamela Lam, VP, Product Development, NA R&D, Laundry Care, Sustainability,
Henkel Consumer Goods Inc. (center), was named the new HCPA
Chair. Pictured: HCPA President & CEO Steve Caldeira (left) and outgoing
HCPA Chair David Campbell welcome Lam aboard.
Robert Fry of Robert Fry
Economics LLC provided
an Economic Update
at the Aerosol Products
Division program.
Bloome