thyssenkrupp Rasselstein is taking the next step towards a complete chromium(VI)-free production and is investing in the conversion of another tinning line. Once the conversion has been completed, two tinning lines will produce chromium-free passivated tinplate. In future, the German company will be able to offer its customers up to 50 percent of its tinplate with the modern chromium-free passivation rasselstein® CFPA.
The use of chromium(VI) in the manufacturing process of tinplate is no longer permitted in the EU/EEA under the REACH regulation; however, thyssenkrupp Rasselstein has a temporary authorization until October 2027. Until then, the company is also gradually converting its other tinning lines, which means that the availability of tinplate with chromium passivation will decrease accordingly. The next conversion is already planned for the beginning of 2026.
“We are very pleased that we will soon be converting another line in order to get closer to our goal of chromium(VI)-free production by autumn 2027,” says Dr. Heiner Schäfgen, Head of Technical Customer Service at thyssenkrupp Rasselstein. “It is a significant step towards greater safety and health protection for employees in production. Our tinplate product has always been chromium(VI)-free, but the process has not been until now. rasselstein® CFPA therefore meets the requirements of the 21st century in every way.”
CFPA complies with regulations, standards and quality requirements
rasselstein® CFPA is based on a protective titanium and zirconium oxide layer embedded in a polymer matrix and is 100 percent chromium-free. The protective layer effectively limits tin oxide growth during storage and thus ensures the desired product performance. CFPA was developed jointly by the European manufacturers of packaging steel, who are organized in the Steel for Packaging Europe association (formerly APEAL). The chromium-free passivation is fully compliant with EU and FDA regulations and approved for contact with food. CFPA is included in the European standard EN10202:2022 as the new passivation standard. “rasselstein® CFPA is a modern and equivalent passivation that complies with all regulations, standards and quality requirements,” Dr. Schäfgen puts it in a nutshell
In recent years, customers of thyssenkrupp Rasselstein have extensively tested CFPA on hundreds of packages in all product categories, e.g. food cans, general line, aerosol cans and other packages including closures and crown corks. “We started the qualification process many years ago,” confirms Jorge Aranguren, Technical Director of the South American company Fadesa. “We carried out pack tests with different vegetables and tuna to validate the behavior of the food in the can over time. The performance of CFPA was similar to that of the 311 standard. Our evaluation of the pack tests led to good results, so we started the ramp-up on this basis. We have now successfully established CFPA in our market.”
Martti Lemendik, CEO of Metaprint, comes to a similar conclusion. “One of Metaprint’s fundamental values is responsibility. Our definition of responsibility is focusing on the people around us, their well-being, safety and self-development. People around Metaprint are not only our employees, but the wider circle, including our customers and suppliers staff. Therefore, when our partners – the packaging steel suppliers – addressed the topic of chromium(VI) passivation and asked for our help to switch to CFPA material, we were ready to react. Today, Metaprint is an aerosol can maker who is using 100% CFPA material already the last couple of years. We are proud to do our part to make the industry more safe, more sustainable, more future oriented.”
Chromium-free passivation is also of interest to many customers globally
“From the very beginning, our goal was to offer our customers a product that can meet all future challenges – for example, compatibility with BPA-ni lacquers – but at the same time offers the familiar and safe handling that our customers are used to in the previous application process,” says Anika Szesni, Manager Surface Technology and Chemistry. “However, chemical resistance and performance also depend on the performance of the entire system. Due to the limited time remaining, we therefore recommend that our customers qualify and test specific systems immediately to ensure the expected results.”
“As more and more countries outside the EU are planning restrictions or their own REACHlike regulations, European chromium-free passivation is also very interesting for many customers globally,” says Dr. Schäfgen. “The increasing global demand for chromium-free passivated tinplate and the decreasing availability of tinplate with the previous chromium passivation due to our plant conversion make it all the more clear how important the prompt conversion is. We offer our customers our full support to make the transition to this innovative and sustainable passivation process easier for them. Let's work together for our sustainable future. We are ready, join us!”