Will PFAS-Free Materials Last? Manufacturers Need Fast Answers.

In the United States, the FDA has overseen a voluntary phase-out of PFAS-containing grease-proofing agents in paper food packaging. In Europe, regulators are advancing targeted PFAS restrictions in applications such as firefighting foams and consumer textiles. Behind these policy actions lies a technical challenge: PFAS-enabled properties are not single functions but combinations of repellency, stability, and barrier performance. As companies reformulate, the question is not only whether PFAS-free materials can match performance, but how they behave after environmental stress.

To address those durability questions, manufacturers are turning to accelerated weathering for insight into long-term performance, and can rely on Atlas to provide the exposure conditions required. The global leader in weathering durability testing, Atlas enables comparisons
of PFAS-based and PFAS-free formulations under controlled cycles of full-spectrum light, temperature, humidity, and water. Atlas platforms – including its Weather-Ometers^®, Xenotest^®, and SUNTEST^® instruments – compress stress into weeks of laboratory exposure designed to represent end-use environments, giving R&D teams earlier visibility into long-term performance.

Durability at the Center of PFAS-Free Reformulation
Across sectors, PFAS alternatives are emerging. Yet for applications exposed to the elements, many studies focus on short-term performance, leaving questions about how PFAS-free chemistries respond to prolonged UV, heat, and moisture.

Atlas durability data helps clarify how performance may shift over time, supporting material selection decisions that account for environmental exposure. Many industrial, electronic, and medical applications face tighter performance margins and fewer proven replacements, while research shows that PFAS-based treatments can change under extended UV and moisture exposure. Field and outdoor exposure – including testing at Atlas laboratory sites – can further validate how repellency, appearance, and surface character evolve under natural sun, rain, and heat.

Standards-Based Weathering for Faster Answers
Accelerated weathering provides a pathway to more comparable data. Atlas instruments emulate environmental stressors while supporting internationally recognized methods such as ISO 4892-2 xenon-arc exposure for plastics, ISO 16474-2 for coatings, and ISO 105-B10 for textiles, and related ASTM procedures. These standards help ensure that test conditions are consistent and relevant, critical for decision-making in textiles, Atlas xenon-arc weathering instruments are used to evaluate whether durable water repellents retain performance after UV and humidity cycles. In coatings, weathered panels reveal how appearance and barrier properties change over time. Post-exposure evaluation and chemical analysis then follow, informed by weathering data from Atlas platforms.

“Companies are moving quickly to replace PFAS chemistry, and they need durability data they can trust,” said Dr. Oliver Rahäuser, senior product manager at Atlas Material Testing Technology. “Weathering gives teams a way to compare new and established formulations under realistic stress conditions.”

To learn more about Atlas weathering solutions for PFAS-free formulations, visit atlas-mts.com or contact info@atlas-mts.com.