scotchgard
{{short description|Stain- and water-repellent fabric protectant}}
{{redirect-distinguish|Scotch guard|Scots Guards}}
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{{expand lead|reason=more is needed here (or elsewhere, including possibly in a new section, on what the product is and how it is used|date=December 2024}}
Scotchgard is a 3M brand of stain repellent and durable water repellent applied to fabrics, upholstery, and carpets to protect them from stains. Scotchgard products typically are based on organofluorine chemicals dissolved in a petroleum distillate solvent.{{US patent|3574791}}
History
In 1938 Roy J. Plunket, a recent hire at DuPont, discovered polytetrafluoroethylene (or Teflon)—a fluoropolymer that led to the invention of synthetic rubber.{{Cite book |title=High Performance Polymers: Their Origin and Development |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-94-011-7073-4 |date=1986 |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-94-011-7073-4 |isbn=978-94-011-7075-8 |editor-last1=Seymour |editor-last2=Kirshenbaum |editor-first1=Raymond B. |editor-first2=Gerald S. }} His early discovery led 3M scientists to develop the formula for Scotchgard, discovered by accident in 1953 when Joan Mullan—a 3M lab technician—spilled a few drops of a fluorochemical liquid destined for rubber jet fuel hoses onto her tennis shoes. Despite common cleaning methods, the coating resisted removal.{{Cite journal |last1=Audenaert |first1=F. |last2=Lens |first2=H. |last3=Rolly |first3=D. |last4=Vander Elst |first4=P. |date=1999-01-01 |title=Fluorochemical Textile Repellents—Synthesis and Applications: A 3M Perspective |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00405009908659480 |journal=The Journal of the Textile Institute |volume=90 |issue=3 |pages=76–94 |doi=10.1080/00405009908659480 |issn=0040-5000}} 3M chemists, Patsy Sherman and Samuel Smith, continued work on the properties of fluorochemicals, culminating in products that could treat most fabrics with a stain resistant coating.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-15 |title=NIHF Inductee Patsy Sherman Invented Scotchgard Fabric Cleaner |url=https://www.invent.org/inductees/patsy-o-sherman |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=www.invent.org |language=en}} They jointly hold 13 patents regarding fluorochemical polymers and polymerization processes, though Sherman is generally recognized as the scientist who discovered Scotchgard's possibilities.
Sales began in 1956, and in 1973 the two chemists received a patent for the formula.{{Cite web |date=December 17, 2021 |title=Scotchgard vs Scotchguarding |url=https://stainprotect.ca/scotchgard-vs-scotchguarding/ |access-date=June 1, 2023 |website=Stain Protection Services |language=en-US}}
3M reformulated Scotchgard and since June 2003 has replaced perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) with perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS).{{Cite journal |last=Renner R |date=January 2006 |title=The long and the short of perfluorinated replacements |journal=Environ. Sci. Technol. |volume=40 |issue=1 |pages=12–3 |doi=10.1021/es062612a |pmid=16433328 |doi-access=free|bibcode=2006EnST...40...12R }} PFBS has a much shorter half-life in people than PFOS (a little over one month vs. 5.4 years). 3M now states that Scotchgard utilizes a proprietary fluorinated urethane.{{Cite web |date=March 2, 2018 |title=ScotchgardTM Fabric Protector Safety Data Sheet |url=https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?mwsId=SSSSSuUn_zu8l00xMx_14x2GOv70k17zHvu9lxtD7SSSSSS-- |access-date=February 22, 2021 |publisher=3M}}
Environmental concerns
During 1999, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began an investigation into the class of chemicals used in Scotchgard, after receiving information on the global distribution and toxicity of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS),{{cite web |first=Aziz |last=Ullah |url=https://www.restorationindustry.org/buyersguide/FlurochemicalsOct06.pdf |title=The Fluorochemical Dilemma: What the PFOS/PFOA fuss is all about |work=Cleaning & Restoration |publisher=ascr.org |date=October 2006 |access-date=October 25, 2008 }} the "key ingredient"{{cite journal |pmc=1867999 |date=2007 |last1=Betts |first1=Kellyn S. |title=Perfluoroalkyl Acids: What is the Evidence Telling Us? |journal=Environmental Health Perspectives |volume=115 |issue=5 |pages=A250–A256 |doi=10.1289/ehp.115-a250 |pmid=17520044 }} of Scotchgard. The compound perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), a PFOS precursor, was an ingredient{{Cite journal |last1=Boulanger B |last2=Vargo JD |last3=Schnoor JL |last4=Hornbuckle KC |date=August 2005 |title=Evaluation of perfluorooctane surfactants in a wastewater treatment system and in a commercial surface protection product |journal=Environ. Sci. Technol. |volume=39 |issue=15 |pages=5524–30 |doi=10.1021/es050213u |pmid=16124283|bibcode=2005EnST...39.5524B }} [http://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/es050213u/suppl_file/es050213u.pdf Supporting Information] (PDF). and also has been described as the "key ingredient"{{Cite journal |last=Stephen K. Ritter |date=January 2006 |title=Crystal Ball On The Environment: Detective work and expertise are used to evaluate environmental contaminants of emerging concern |url=http://pubs.acs.org/cen/science/84/8405sci1.html |journal=Chemical & Engineering News |volume=84 |issue=5 |pages=37–40 |doi=10.1021/cen-v084n049.p037|doi-access=free }} of Scotchgard. Under US EPA pressure,{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=((Jennifer 8.)) |date=April 15, 2003 |title=E.P.A. Orders Companies to Examine Effects of Chemicals |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/15/science/epa-orders-companies-to-examine-effects-of-chemicals.html |access-date=May 15, 2009 |authorlink=Jennifer 8. Lee}} in May 2000, 3M announced the phaseout of the production of PFOA, PFOS, and PFOS-related products.{{cite web |work=3M |url=http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/PFOS/PFOA/Information/Action/ |title=PFOS-PFOA Information: What is 3M Doing? |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922004724/http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/PFOS/PFOA/Information/Action/ |archive-date=September 22, 2008 |access-date=October 25, 2008 }}{{Cite web |date=May 17, 2000 |title=3M Says It Will Stop Making Scotchgard |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/05/17/us/3m-says-it-will-stop-making-scotchgard.html |access-date=July 30, 2022 |website=The New York Times}} In May 2009, PFOS was determined to be a persistent organic pollutant (POP) by the Stockholm Convention.{{Cite press release |date=May 8, 2008 |title=Governments unite to step-up reduction on global DDT reliance and add nine new chemicals under international treaty |url=https://chm.pops.int/Convention/Pressrelease/COP4Geneva8May2009/tabid/542/language/en-US/Default.aspx |publisher=Stockholm Convention Secretariat |location=Geneva}} Following the EPA's investigation into 3M Contamination of Minnesota Groundwater, in 2018, 3M agreed to pay the state of Minnesota $850 million to settle a $5 billion lawsuit over drinking water contaminated by PFOA and other fluorosurfactants.{{Cite web |last=Reisch |first=Marc S. |date=February 26, 2018 |title=3M to pay $850 million to settle fluorosurfactants lawsuit |url=https://cen.acs.org/articles/96/i9/3M-pay-850-million-settle.html |access-date=August 29, 2018 |website=Chemical & Engineering News |volume=96 |issue=9}}{{Cite news |title=3M must learn from its $850 million mistake |work=Star Tribune |url=https://www.startribune.com/3m-must-learn-from-its-850-million-mistake/474995363/ |access-date=August 29, 2018}}{{Cite web |title=Cancer-linked Chemicals Manufactured by 3M Are Turning Up in Drinking Water |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-3M-groundwater-pollution-problem/ |access-date=January 31, 2019 |date=November 2, 2018 |first1=Tiffany |last1=Kary |first2=Christopher |last2=Cannon |work=Bloomberg News}}