The European Union (EU) has recently enacted two Directives aimed at limiting the entry of toxic metals into the waste stream. EU Directive 2002/95/EC, "Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)," restricts the amounts of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers allowable in electrical and electronic equipment. The current proposal limits Cd concentration to 100 ppm, and each of the other metals and compounds to 1000 ppm. This directive is slated to take effect July 2006.

EU Directive 2002/96/EC, the "Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE)" directive, regulates these toxic metals in electrical and electronic equipment in the waste and recycling streams.

The End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) Directive (2000/53/EC) passed into European law in October 2000. Concerned with cars, vans and certain three-wheeled vehicles, the Directive's main requirements are focused on limiting the use of certain hazardous substances in the manufacture of new vehicles and components, and in promoting the recyclability of these materials. Implicit in this directive is the restriction of Pb, Hg, Cd, and hexavalent Cr from January 2003 and forward. Producers must, along with increasing recyclability of their products, take responsibility for the toxicity of vehicles and ensure that the concentrations of these toxic metals are absolutely minimized. In the end, the producers are the parties liable for covering the costs of treating ELV problems at treatment facilities.

European Union legislation (e.g. RoHS) along with California’s Proposition 65, continue to add pressure to manufacturing industries to eliminate lead in electronic interconnections. In response, and for competitive reasons, manufacturers have begun promoting the use of lead-free solder in purchased components and elimination of all lead (Pb) solder from products. New alloys and conductive adhesives are being developed for lead replacement. Also, manufacturers have found a way of using lead-free manufacturing to increase market share by placing stickers on products indicating that they are lead-free.

The simplest solution to the problems described above is obvious - an easy to use instrument that will provide fast, non-destructive, direct chemical analysis of electronic components, plastic parts, and metal alloys – including solder pot and dross. The products of years of development, the NITON XLt 794 & 797 analysers offer the absolute best in portable XRF analysis.

XLt 797

Niton UK Limited  |  Unit 19 The Calvert Centre, SO21 3BN  |  Tel: 01256 397860  |  Fax: 01256 397861