RoHS Guideline

General

The Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment 2011-65-EC  (commonly referred to as RoHS) was adopted by the European Union. The RoHS directive restricts the use of six hazardous materials in the manufacture of various types of electronic and electrical equipment.

An list of RoHS conform products is placed on page Approvals.

Substances and limits

By RoHS affected substances:

1. Lead
2. Mercury
3. Cadmium
4. Hexavalent chromium (Cr⁶⁺)
5. Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
6. Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE)

Concrete limiting values for the homogeneous materials, have been fixed in an alteration of the guideline dating from 18th august 2005.

• maximum 0,01 % Cadmium
• maximum 0,1 % lead, mercury, Cr⁶⁺, PBB or PBDE.

Legal regulations

Inside the European Union

The guidelines of the EU have been passed  on 27th July 2003.

Germany:
On 16 th march 2005 the "Elektro- und Elektronikgesetz" {i. e., a German law concerning electrical and electronical appliances} came into force, transferring into German law both the RoHS and the directive EU's directive WEEE concerning both the reduction and the disposal of electronic scrap).

Outside the European Union

USA:
California has passed SB 20: Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003, or EWRA. This law prohibits the sale of electronic devices after January 1, 2007, that are prohibited from being sold under the EU RoHS directive, but across a much narrower scope that includes LCDs, CRTs, and the like and only covers the four heavy metals restricted by RoHS.

China
Order No. 39: Final Measures for the Administration of the Pollution Control and Electronic Information Products(often referred to as China RoHS) has the stated intent to establish similar restrictions, but in fact takes a very different approach.

Switzerland:
Passed the ChemRRV (Chemikalien-Risikoreduktions-Verordnung)

Unleaded soldered joints

The guideline is not applicable to some safety applications and  to spare parts designed for repairs or reemployment of electric or electronic appliances which have been introduced to the market before 1st July 2006 (EC - guideline  2002-95-EC , article 2, sect. 3, respectively 2011-65-EG article 4, sect. 4).

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