Frequently asked questions

At Tri-Sure®, we believe this change is part of our drive to acting responsibly, reinforcing our brand values of protecting the environment and creating a safe workplace. We will endeavor to offset the higher costs with operational improvements, so the customer will not be penalized with higher costs.

New data sheets will be available shortly.

Following extensive performance tests, we have concluded that our CR3 products perform equal or better than its CR6 counterpart.

As there are no mechanical or material changes to the product construction, new homologation / UN approvals are NOT needed.

Protecting the environment worldwide is a central brand value for Tri-Sure® and we applied our full technical expertise in order to implement this positive change ahead of the coming legislations.

With the improved CR3 passivation, the platinum finish provides better corrosion resistance than the gold finish. The color variation also helps to differentiate CR3 product from the CR6 product. However, it is important to note that not every platinum or silvery finish employs the advanced CR3 process, as some competitor products apply a similar appearance without the advanced CR3 process.

Adding a yellow colorant to the new Cr3 to give it a “gold look” is not an option. Since the passivation layer is a very thin layer over the zinc, adding colorant to this layer would make it porous. This would then have a negative effect on the corrosion resistance of the product.

This color change is due to reflection; the reflection of Cr6 is a gold color and that of Cr3 is platinum.

As we roll out globally with this transition, CR6 product with yellow passivation will no longer be available. We decided against the option of adding a colorant to the CR3 process to retain the gold finish, as this would reduce the corrosion resistance performance.

Regulations banning CR6 already exist in the United States and European Union, and will come into full effect in the coming years (2015 through 2017).

Starting with our plant in Amsterdam, Netherlands, this new process will be implemented throughout our sites in Brazil, India, and China during the 2014 calendar year.

During implementation at each Tri-Sure® plant, the transition will take place within a matter of days. However, there will be carried over inventory of yellow passivation products, and these will continued to be shipped. Mixing of products cannot be prevented during the changeover period, which is expected to take several months.

During implementation at each Tri-Sure® plant, the transition will take place within a matter of days. However, there will be carried over inventory of yellow passivation products, and these will continued to be shipped. Mixing of products cannot be prevented during the changeover period, which is expected to take several months.

The Chromium passivation is a thin protective layer on top of the zinc plating, which prevents early oxidation of zinc in the form of white rust.

Besides the minor color variation, they will feel no difference in structural integrity or corrosion protection.

Length of time for mixed shipments will depend on the source factory and the total supply chain, but we expect the process to be completed during year 2014. Tri-Sure® will adhere to strict FIFO principles in order to shorten this transition period.

With prolonged exposure, CR6 is proven to be carcinogenic and harmful to human health.The shift to CR3 ensures a cleaner production process and less end-of-life impact on the earth.

Our development team spent considerable time to fine-tune the total plating process, as CR3 passivation requires a high level of process control. The resulting layer of protection on the closure offers superior anti-rust performance

Drop test performance remains the same as our yellow passivation products since this is not a design change.

The corrosion resistance for our CR3 product exceeds Tri-Sure® standards and offers industry leading protection.

Tri-Sure® CR3 products have a new platinum finish, which looks different from the gold finish of our CR6 products. In addition, CR3 products feature a green label on the box to clearly differentiate from the white label of CR6 products.

New homologation / UN approvals are only required for change of product design or input material, which does not apply in this case.

The lacquered products will result in a smooth uniform appearance, most notably with the transparent lacquers.

Our recommendation is to maintain the same settings in the insertion process using the same die parts, as there is no change to the design. In case of any questions, please contact our service department for support.

Your delivery lead times will not be impacted by our transition to CR3 passivation on the zinc plating process.

In our laboratory tests, the chemical resistance and compatibility of CR3 products are identical to CR6 products.

Both Cr6 and/or Cr3 Zinc plated components are NOT food grade compliant. Please refer to our product data sheet, available from your local Tri-Sure® representative.

Currently, we are not aware of any other steel closure manufacturers pursuing this improvement. However, we do expect them to follow in time due to coming regulatory requirements.

Two main types of drum closure lacquers (linings) are generally used; Epoxy Phenolic and pure Phenolic.

In pure Phenolic lacquers the binder is a phenolic resin. In Epoxy Phenolic Lacquers it is usually a blend of 70% epoxy and 30% phenolic resin. Blending with Epoxy the flexibility of the lacquer and results in an optimal balance of mechanical and chemical performance.

The RDL®, Regular Drum Lining, System offers a range of standard lacquers that adequately covers 80% of all customer needs. For the remaining 20% the system offers specialized and certified solutions. Choosing the best Lacquer for the closure/package is for specialists, through our worldwide database you may benefit from our vast experience in the field of specialized drum linings. Our engineers and researchers will ensure that the most suitable closure is recommended for a product. Read more here in our guide for Packaging Advise.

The United Nations Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods provide a basis for the development of harmonized regulations for all modes of transport, in order to facilitate trade and the safe, efficient transport of hazardous materials.

Responsibility for Classification:
The shipper is responsible for correct classification, packing, marking and declaration of the dangerous goods in accordance with the prevailing national and international regulations.

Responsibility – User:
It is the responsibility of the user, not the container manufacturer, to determine the proper package specification for each shipment. The user may request a certificate of compliance from the manufacturer to demonstrate that each container conforms to the UN performance testing provisions.

The UN Model Regulations cover all aspects of transportation necessary to provide international uniformity. They include a comprehensive criteria based classification system for substances that pose a significant hazard in transportation. Hazards addressed include explosiveness, flammability, toxicity (oral, dermal and inhalation), corrosivity to human tissue and metal, reactivity (e.g., oxidizing materials, self reactive materials, pyrophoric substances, substances that react with water), radioactivity, infectious substance hazards and environmental hazards. They prescribe standards for packagings and multimodal tanks used to transport hazardous materials. They also include a system of communicating the hazards of substances in transport through hazard communication requirements which cover labelling and marking of packages, placarding of tanks, freight containers and vehicles, and documentation and emergency response information that is required to accompany each shipment.

Legislation in the EU:
ADR, European Agreement regarding the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road. RID, European Agreement regarding the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail. AND, European Agreement regarding the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Inland waterways.

Legislation in the USA:
Hazardous Materials Regulation of the Department of Transportation (DOT), the only packaging legislation in existence for air, road, rail and waterways.

Legislations Worldwide:
IMDG Code, for Transport of Dangerous Goods by Sea. ICAO, the packaging legislation by air Annex 18 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation ("Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air"). This legislation is used by different airlines to add their specific requirements, resulting in the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations.

The basic objective of the protocol is to protect the ozone layer by taking measures leading to total elimination of global emissions of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) on the basis of developments in scientific knowledge; taking into account technical and economic considerations and the needs of developing countries. Each Party shall ensure that for fixed periods its calculated level of consumption of the controlled substances in the Groups of the Annexes does not exceed a certain percentage of its calculated level of consumption in 1986.

Azodicarbonamide is widely used in the production of foamed plastics and the manufacture of gaskets. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) publishes further evaluation on semicarbazide in food. A new opinioun has been adopted on the occurrence and risks associated with the chemical substance semicarbazide(SEM/ADC) in food. This follows earlier advice issued in 2003.

On June 1st, 2007 the European Union’s Regulation EC 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals (“REACH”) came into force. This EC Regulation applies to the whole value chain of the industry.

As Tri-Sure^® we do not add substances or use manufacturing processes in our business that requires us to pre-register nor to register any of our products under the REACH legislation. If any, the registration requirement is imposed on our suppliers.

We assure that the chemical substances we use to manufacture our closures and packaging accessories are dealt with in accordance with the legislation. As part of our procedure we approach our suppliers, enquiring about their REACH compliance.

For more detailed information regarding our compliance to “REACH” we would like to refer to our Declaration on REACH – regulation EC 1907/2006 (Article 33) which can be made available from your local sales representative.

More info at: http://echa.europa.eu/regulations/reach