Reducing chemical risks in electronics factories, ChemForward and Apple unveil a free tool that helps manufacturers replace toxic solvents in cleaners and degreasers with safer alternatives.
Apple has partnered with ChemForward, a US-based company focused on safer chemistry, to improve workplace safety in electronics manufacturing.
The nonprofit has launched a free web-based tool that helps manufacturers replace hazardous substances in cleaners and degreasers with safer alternatives. The platform, called the ‘Ingredient Optimisation Application’, enables users to search for chemicals by function, ranging from antimicrobials to surfactants.
It provides detailed information on hazard levels, regulatory warnings and physical properties. By identifying lower-risk substitutes, the tool aims to reduce worker exposure to harmful solvents widely used in semiconductor and electronics production.
Industrial cleaning processes often involve chemicals such as benzene, methanol, xylene and trichloroethylene. These substances are known to cause cancer, respiratory irritation and other health problems.
Apple, a member of the Clean Electronics Production Network, supported the creation of the tool by contributing its archive of chemical hazard assessments. This resource allows smaller companies and individual formulators to access data they would otherwise struggle to obtain.
According to reports, development costs ran into several hundred thousand dollars, with funding used to build a comprehensive toxicology database. While Apple’s exact financial contribution was not disclosed, its involvement reflects a broader strategy to reduce risks across its supply chain.
The initiative has been designed to ensure that hazard data remains openly available, rather than being hidden behind expensive licensing models. Other ChemForward members, including IBM, also contributed expertise.
IBM applied artificial intelligence (AI) methods to study chemical structures and has separately advanced tools to help screen and replace PFAS, the persistent ‘forever chemicals’ under global scrutiny.
The application connects users to ingredients that meet recognised certification standards, including GreenScreen and the US EPA’s Safer Choice.
Over the next year, ChemForward aims to encourage adoption, reduce barriers to use and monitor how effectively safer substitutions spread across supply chains.
