IKEA Chemical Substance Standards
IKEA Chemical Substance Standards
no: IOS-MAT-0010
Date: 2005-05-27
Version no: AA-10911-7
Chemical Compounds and Substances
Contents
This specification describes IKEA bans and restrictions on certain chemical compounds and
substances due to national or international regulations and/or health- and environmental
concerns.
This specification concerns chemical substances in all materials and components in IKEA
articles, except:
− Surface coatings and coverings that are all included in the scope of IOS-MAT-0066.
− Leather (see instead IOS-MAT-0011)
− Candle raw materials (see instead IOS-MAT-0049).
Further chemical requirements for the product or constituent materials can be specified in the
individual technical description or in other IKEA specifications (for instance toys and food-
contact products).
Exceptions to the scope may be made in the technical description (TED) for a particular article
or in other, material-specific IoS specifications. The IOS-MAT-0010 demands for the complete
product (section 11) and the general requirements for all materials (section 2) that apply also
for constituent materials not listed specifically in this specification.
Note that the requirements apply to materials in products. This means that it is not sufficient
to secure compliance for a material as it is used in production; avoiding contamination during
the manufacturing process and during storage and transport is also necessary. Example: gluing
together of two materials when VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) from the glue can
influence the materials.
Note! Self declaration forms are available for all material stated in this specification.
These forms are located under IKEA Intranet / Support units / TQE / TQE document
library / Specifications.
The forms are located directly after the specification IOS-MAT-0010,
contact your local IKEA Trading Area (TA) for these forms.
Table of Contents
Verifying tests shall only be made at test laboratories approved by IKEA of Sweden AB. Contact
your local IKEA Trading Area (TA) for a list of approved laboratories.
The validity of a test report shall be stated for a production date or a production
batch/consignment, etc.
Test reports and self-declarations shall not be older than twelve months. The IKEA supplier
shall within the next working day be able to present upon request the required documentation
(translated into English) if not otherwise stated in this document or in the individual technical
description.
Test reports and self-declarations are to be retained by the supplier for at least 15 years from
the date of delivery to IKEA.
The documentation demands (test reports and self-declarations) indicated in this specification
are the minimum demands. When appropriate, the IKEA Trading Area (TA) may require a
higher frequency of verifying testing, or testing when verifying test is not the minimum
requirement. Furthermore, IKEA reserves the right to carry out or request random tests
outside regular testing schedule, IKEA pays the cost if the result is a pass, and the supplier
pays if it is fail, unless otherwise agreed.
The IKEA supplier shall have Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) available for all chemicals
used. By chemicals we mean chemical substances and products, e.g. glue, lacquer, solvents,
paints, dyes, additives etc. MSDS’s do not have to be available in English, though upon request,
an English translation of the composition part of the MSDS shall be made available to IKEA.
2 Definitions
Test report (TR): a report of one or several tests performed by an IKEA-approved laboratory.
Self-declaration (SD): a declaration issued by supplier to confirm that a requirement is
fulfilled. This declaration can be supported by declaration by sub-supplier (e.g. chemical
supplier).
Contamination limit value: Most requirements in this specification are that certain
substances should not be used. However, when following up compliance by testing, there is
always a level of uncertainty in the testing, and moreover there may occur a low level of
contamination in materials and process chemicals used in manufacturing - therefore the
contamination limit value sets the level for what is allowed in the test result. Note: the
contamination limit value, does not mean that it is OK to consciously use the substance up to
this limit - the striving should always be to minimise usage of banned substances.
Wood based materials: Materials made from wooden particles or layers, e.g. particle boards,
fibreboards, plywood, layer glued materials. It does not include paper or cardboard in this
specification.
Solid wood: Pure natural wood and glued solid wood.
Natural materials: In this specification, this includes materials such as rattan, bamboo, straw,
water hyacinth, willow as well as natural fibres (excluding textile applications) such as banana
fibres, cactus fibres, maize fibres, palm leaves and sea grass.
Textile: Fibers, filaments and yarns and materials made of these such as woven, knitted and
non-woven fabrics. Filling materials made of non-woven, fibre fillings, fibre wadding are also
included in the requirements listed under the heading textile in this specification.
Synthetic textile materials: Textile materials made of fibre material, which is man-made,
and not based on natural, renewable materials, these fibres are called regenerated fibres, e.g.
viscose, lyocell and acetate fibres. Most synthetic fibres are based on petroleum as a raw
material - the most well known ones are polyester, nylon (polyamide) and polyacrylic fibres.
- others X
- others X
5 Textile Materials
(Incl. fabrics, non-woven and fibre wadding)
Substance Requirements Test method SD TR
Pentachloro- Not allowed to be used. Extraction and GC-MS X
phenol (PCP) Contamination limit value: (Official German test method)
incl. salts and 3 mg/kg.
esters of PCP
6 Plastics
(Incl. Thermoplastic elastomers)
Substance Requirements Test method SD TR
Tinorganic Not allowed to be used. Extraction and GC-MS. X
compounds Maximum contamination limit
value for individual compounds DBT
and TBT: 0.1 mg/kg each (100
micrograms/kg). Sum of all
compounds listed in Appendix C,
maximum 2.5 mg/kg (2500
micrograms/kg).
Lead & lead Lead and its compounds are not Test method: AAS, ICP or X
compounds allowed to be used e.g. to give colour INAA (Instrumental
or as an additive e.g. stabiliser, Neutron Activation
Maximum contamination limit Analysis).
value: 100 mg/kg.
7 Polyurethane foam
Substance Requirements Test method SD TR
Tinorganic Not allowed to be used Extraction and GC-MS. X
compounds Contamination limit value for
individual compounds DBT and
TBT: 0.100 mg/kg each. (100
microgram/kg) Total of all
compounds (see Appendix C):
maximum 2.5 mg/kg (2500
microgram/kg).
CFCs and Not allowed to be used. X
HCFCs.
See Appendix B for list of
compounds.
Arylamines: Limit value: max 5 ppm (mg/kg) for Reference method: Lund X
2,4-Toluene- each substance relevant for foam University method.
diamine made of TDI- or MDI –isocyanate (Extraction and HPLC or
(2,4-TDA); respectively. For compression- GC-MS; Analytica
4,4'-Diamino- moulded foam products, deviations Chemical Acta 510 (2004)
diphenyl- from stated limit might be indicated 109-119). Alternatively,
methane in the respective TED Europur method is
(4,4'-MDA) allowed to be used
provided correlation-
factor to reference method
is taken into account.
Note: In cases when the same supplier manufactures a range of different densities of foam, it is
sufficient that testing is performed of a representative selection of densities - to be agreed upon
between supplier and IKEA Trading Area. As a guideline, the lowest and highest density in the
range should be included in the selection.
8 Latex/Rubber
(For latex used as filling material in mattresses: see IOS-MAT-0012).
Substance Requirements Test method SD TR
Pentachlorophenol Not allowed to be used. Extraction and GC-MS X
(PCP) incl. salts Maximum contamination limit (official German test
and esters of PCP. value is 3 mg/kg. The requirement method).
only applies to materials
consisting wholly or partly of
natural latex/rubber.
Flame retardants The following flame retardants are When verifying by test: X
not allowed to be used: Extraction with acetone
organic brominated compounds followed by GC-MS.
antimony compounds
Chlorinated paraffins (alkanes)
with 10-13 Carbon atoms and a
degree of chlorination exceeding
48% by weight.
Contamination limit value:
20 mg/kg (in case there is a need
for verifying by testing). It is not
allowed to use any other flame
retardant in IKEA products unless
specified in the TED.
9 Metals
Substance Requirements Test method SD TR
Cadmium & Not allowed to be used. Test method: AAS (Atomic X
cadmium (example of typical use: soldering) Absorption Spectroscopy)
compounds Contamination limit value: or ICP (Inductively
50 mg/kg. Coupled Plasma).
Lead & lead Not allowed to be used as basic Test method: AAS (Atomic X
compounds metal material in any type of IKEA Absorption Spectroscopy )
product, neither in pure nor in ICP (Inductively Coupled
alloyed form. Plasma) or INAA
(Instrumental Neutron
Contamination limit value is Activation Analysis).
100 mg/kg.
Note: For metals and alloys - whenever a specific material standard is quoted in the TED, the limit
stated in the respective standard quoted applies (e.g. concerning lead content permitted). Self-
declaration of compliance to this material standard is in such cases sufficient and replaces the general
and specific material documentation requirements of this specification.
10 Complete Product
Please note that the requirements below are valid for the final IKEA product as a whole.
Substance Requirements Test method SD TR
Emissions If any shipment of goods deviates No general test
(TVOC = Total from earlier shipments and/or from requirement for each
Volatile reference sample in terms of product required.
Organic emissions/odour, which by IKEA is
Compounds) deemed to involve a risk for When verifying by test: (X)
discomfort or negative health effects RAL-UZ-38 (German
for customers, this is to be standard test method).
considered a valid cause for claim of When sampling: the taking
said shipment. of a sample from
Evaluation to be made by IoS test by production should reflect a
panel of at least three persons. realistic worst case in
comparison to when the
In cases of dispute, emission testing product could reach a
(reference laboratory, WKI- customer (i.e. normal
Braunschweig). handling in factory,
Minimum requirements: storage time and
1. TVOC<1200 micrograms/m3 after packaging).
48h. Default realistic worst-case
2. TVOC< 600 micrograms/m3 after time (counted from leaving
28 days. the factory): 3 weeks.
3. Additional assessment based on
toxicity of individual substances
emitted. In particular,
carcinogenicity to be taken into
account (see general requirements
for all materials).