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Analyses of hazardous metals and substances |
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With the European Union ELV Directive (End-of-Life Vehicle Directive) already in effect since July 2003, automobiles, automotive parts or materials subject to the directive cannot be exported to the EU unless they contain no Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg) or Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6+) . |
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Similarly, with the RoHS Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment), which is expected to go into effect from July 2006, the use of electric and electronic equipment containing any of six specified hazardous substances that are two kinds of Brominated Flame Retardants - PolyBrominated Biphenyl (PBB) and PolyBrominated Diphenyl Ether (PBDE) . In addition, Cd, Pb, Hg, and Cr6+ will be prohibited . Both automobiles and electric/electronic equipment include a very large number of parts, which are made using a wide variety of materials and substances. Therefore, it becomes the responsibility of part manufacturers across the entire supply chain to control the content of hazardous substances in a product.
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Regulated Substances and Maximum Allowable Concentration Levels (Threshold Values) |
ELV |
RoHS |
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Cadmium (Cd) |
100 ppm |
100 ppm |
Lead (Pb) |
1000 ppm |
1000 ppm |
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Mercury (Hg) |
1000 ppm |
1000 ppm |
Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6+) |
1000 ppm |
1000 ppm |
Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBB) |
Exempt |
1000 ppm |
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE) |
Exempt |
1000 ppm |
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In order to control the six hazardous substances specified in the RoHS directive, the most common way is to rely on the certificate and test report provided by the manufacturer. In fact, the supplier usually provides the test report for every six months. However, the corresponding test report might not comply with each purchasing order and thus the product still has a risk to exceed the threshold value. Therefore, there is a growing trend for the SMEs to establish a self-monitoring system to
1. screen the incoming raw materials,
2. monitor any contamination during the production processes and
3. develop an in-house testing for the final products.
Comfort Technology (Asia) Limited provides a range of instruments and application supports for the analyses of the hazardous metals and substances controlled by the European Union WEEE/RoHS and ELV directives. We also helps customers to comply with these regulations by providing them the analytical testing methods, installation of the analytical instrument, sample preparation techniques, on-site training, data analysis and report generation. |
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