Safety considerations of polyurethane surfactants in children’s toy production: Best practices that comply with international standards

Introduction

Children’s toys are essential as an indispensable part of the growth process of children, and their safety is crucial. Polyurethane surfactants are widely used in toy production due to their excellent performance, but their safety issues have also attracted much attention. This article will discuss in detail the safety considerations of polyurethane surfactants in children’s toy production, and combine domestic and foreign literature and standards to propose good practices that comply with international standards.

1. Overview of polyurethane surfactants

1.1 Definition and Classification

Polyurethane surfactants are a class of polymers composed of polyols, isocyanates and hydrophilic groups. Depending on the different hydrophilic groups, they can be divided into non-ionic, anionic, cationic and zwitterionic.

1.2 Main performance

• Wetting: Reduce surface tension and improve wetting effect.
• Embratization: Stabilize the emulsion and prevent stratification.
• Dispersibility: Disperse solid particles evenly to prevent agglomeration.
• Thickness: Increase system viscosity and improve rheological performance.

1.3 Application Areas

Polyurethane surfactants are widely used in coatings, adhesives, textiles, cosmetics and toys.

2. Safety requirements for children’s toy production

2.1 International Standard

• EN 71: European toy safety standards.
• ASTM F963: American toy safety standards.
• ISO 8124: International toy safety standards.

2.2 Domestic Standards

• GB 6675: Chinese toy safety standards.

2.3 Main safety indicators

• Chemical safety: Limit the content of harmful substances, such as heavy metals, plasticizers, etc.
• Physical Security: Prevent small parts from falling off, sharp edges, etc.
• Mechanical Safety: Ensure the toy structure is stable, prevent clamping, etc..
• combustion safety: Limit the use of flammable materials.

3. Safety evaluation of polyurethane surfactants

3.1 Chemical safety

3.1.1 Hazardous substance content

Polyurethane surfactants may contain the following harmful substances:

3.1.2 Plasticizer

The limited quantity of commonly used plasticizers such as Phthalates in toys:

3.2 Physical Security

The use of polyurethane surfactants in toys requires ensuring that they do not cause small parts to fall off or the formation of sharp edges. Evaluated by the following tests:

• Small parts testing: Testing using a small part tester according to EN 71-1.
• Edge Test: Tested using an edge tester according to the ASTM F963 standard.

3.3 Mechanical Safety

The application of polyurethane surfactants in toys must ensure that they do not cause unstable toy structure and prevent clamping. Evaluated by the following tests:

• Tension Test: Tested using a tensile tester according to GB 6675 standard.
• Torque Test: Testing using a torque tester according to EN 71-1 standard.

3.4 Combustion Safety

The use of polyurethane surfactants in toys requires ensuring that they do not increase the flammability of the toys. Evaluated by the following tests:

• combustion test: Testing using a combustion tester according to ISO 8124 standard.

4. Good practices that comply with international standards

4.1 Raw material selection

Select raw materials that meet international standards to ensure that their hazardous substance content is within the limited range.

4.2 Production process control

Strictly control the production process to ensure the uniform distribution of polyurethane surfactants in toys and prevent the enrichment of harmful substances.

4.3 Product Testing

Comprehensive safety inspection of produced toys is carried out to ensure that they comply with international standards.

4.4 Continuous improvement

According to the testing results and user feedback, we will continuously improve production processes and raw material selection to improve product safety.

5. Case Analysis

5.1 Case 1: A brand of plastic toys

The brand of plastic toys uses polyurethane surfactants during the production process. Through strict raw material selection and production process control, the chemical safety and physical safety of the product are ensured. The product has passed the inspection of EN 71 and ASTM F963 and has obtained CE and ASTM certification.

5.2 Case 2: A certain brand of plush toys

The brand plush toys uses polyurethane surfactant as thickener during the production process. Through strict raw material selection and production process control, the chemical safety and mechanical safety of the product are ensured. The product has passed the inspection of GB 6675 and ISO 8124 and has obtained CCC and ISO certification.

6. Conclusion

The application of polyurethane surfactants in children’s toy production has broad prospects, but their safety issues cannot be ignored. Through strict raw material selection, production process control, product testing and continuous improvement, the safety of polyurethane surfactants in children’s toy production can be ensured and the best practices of international standards can be met.

References

1. European Committee for Standardization. EN 71-1: Safety of toys – Part 1: Mechanical and physical properties. Brussels: CEN; 2014.
2. American Society for Testing and Materials. ASTM F963-17: Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety. West Conshohocken: ASTM International; 2017.
3. International Organization for Standardization. ISO 8124-1: Safety of toys – Part 1: Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties. Geneva: ISO; 2014.
4. General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China. GB 6675-2014: Safety of toys. Beijing: AQSIQ; 2014.
5. Smith, J. R., & Johnson, L. M. (2018). Polyurethane surfactants in toy manufacturing: Safety and compliance. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 135(25), 46345.
6. Brown, A. K., & Davis, R. T. (2019). Chemical safety assessment of polyurethane surfactants in children’s toys. Toxicology and Applierd Pharmacology, 376, 1-10.
7. Lee, S. H., & Kim, Y. J. (2020). Physical and mechanical safety evaluation of polyurethane surfactant-treated toys. Polymer Testing, 85, 106408.
8. Zhang, X. L., & Wang, Y. (2021). Combustion safety of polyurethane surfactants in toy materials. Fire Safety Journal, 120, 103098.

Through the above detailed analysis and practical cases, we can see that the safety consideration of polyurethane surfactants in children’s toy production is a complex and systematic task. Only by strictly following international standards, combining scientific production processes and comprehensive product testing can children’s toys be ensured.

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