Overview
ISO/TR 21275:2017 - Rubber - Comprehensive review of the composition and nature of process fumes in the rubber industry is a technical report that compiles and critically reviews published data (95 publications) on the chemical composition of fumes emitted during rubber manufacturing. The report evaluates whether “rubber fumes” can be treated as a single homogeneous chemical entity and highlights the complexity and variability of emissions generated during processing and vulcanization. Its findings support the need for international methods to identify, qualify and quantify hazardous chemicals to which rubber industry workers may be exposed.
Key topics covered
- Scope and objectives: literature-based assessment focused on chemical composition of rubber process fumes (not toxicology or epidemiology).
- Overview of the rubber industry: rubber types (natural and synthetic), component production processes and typical end‑use products.
- Chemistry of vulcanization and processing: mechanisms (sulfur-accelerated, peroxide systems, metal oxides, etc.) and how reactions generate volatile compounds.
- Definition and nature of rubber fumes: characterization of fumes as a complex, variable mixture with multiple sources (additives, polymer degradation, curing reactions).
- Major chemical groups of concern: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrosamines, volatile organic compounds and other process-derived species - and how additive choice and processing conditions affect emissions.
- Sampling and analytical approaches: methods used in factory and laboratory studies to trap, analyze and quantify process fumes.
- Factors affecting variability: compound formulation, manufacturing process, processing temperature and technology changes.
- Literature synthesis and conclusions: comprehensive review of in-house and external studies, trends in worker exposure and implications for standardization.
Practical applications and users
ISO/TR 21275:2017 is useful for:
- Occupational hygienists and health & safety managers - to inform exposure assessment, monitoring strategy and control measures in rubber manufacturing workplaces.
- Rubber manufacturers and process engineers - to understand how formulation and process choices influence fume composition and to guide substitution or engineering controls.
- Standards developers and regulators - to support development of quantitative methods, exposure limits and regulatory guidance (the report notes relevance to initiatives such as the EU Carcinogens Directive).
- Analytical laboratories and researchers - to select sampling and analytical protocols and to prioritize chemical targets (PAHs, nitrosamines, VOCs) for measurement.
- Chemical suppliers and product stewards - to evaluate additive-related emission risks and product stewardship requirements.
Related standards and context
- Prepared by ISO/TC 45 (Rubber and rubber products).
- Complements regulatory assessments and workplace exposure standards; it informs the need for harmonized measurement and control standards for rubber fumes, occupational exposure, and process emissions in the rubber industry.
Keywords: ISO/TR 21275:2017, rubber fumes, rubber industry, vulcanization, process fumes composition, occupational exposure, sampling and analysis, PAHs, nitrosamines.