RoHS Compliance Testing

What does RoHS compliance testing cover?

RoHS compliance testing establishes whether electrical and electronic products stay below the limits of EU Directive 2011/65/EU: 0.1 per cent for lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE and four phthalates, 0.01 per cent for cadmium. TCR's materials testing laboratory screens by XRF and verifies by ICP and wet chemistry, to the IEC 62321 series.

• Restricted substances: ten under Annex II: lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), plus the phthalates DEHP, BBP, DBP and DIBP added by Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2015/863. The phthalates are outside TCR's NABL scope.
• Screening: portable XRF, non-destructive, for the restricted elements and chlorine.
• Verification: ICP spectrometry and wet chemistry where a screen reads high.
• Standards: the IEC 62321 series and IS 16197, against EU Directive 2011/65/EU.
• Products: consumer electronics and electrical equipment, IT and telecommunication equipment, lighting and electrical wiring, metallic materials, paints and inks, and plastics, resins, rubbers and glues.

Lead (Pb) exposure is a growing concern worldwide. TCR's lead inspection service serves manufacturers of consumer electronics, children's toys and jewellery, cooking and edible materials, packaging and other products in India, and supports lead-free landfills and the clean-up of hazardous sites.

Portable XRF instruments classify each lead reading as a definitive positive or negative.

TCR’s XRF instrument can detect the presence of lead in paints & coatings, as well as in oils & liquids. The tests are done in-situ and it can help in establishing area contamination boundaries and depth profiles, including assisting in site investigations, delineation and contamination patterns.

The RoHS Directive states that certain non-exempt products, as well as electrical and electronic products available in the market within the EU, must contain less than 0.1 per cent lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), and less than 0.01 per cent cadmium (Cd). Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2015/863 added four phthalates, DEHP, BBP, DBP and DIBP, at less than 0.1 per cent each, applied from 22 July 2019 and, for medical devices and monitoring and control instruments, from 22 July 2021, so the restricted list now runs to ten substances. Product manufacturers including computer hardware, IT equipment, clock radios and toasters could find themselves banned from selling their product in the European market if they fail to comply with the directive.

TCR Engineering Services runs RoHS testing programmes with specialised equipment for the six substances it determines (lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB and PBDE), measured down to the directive limits, so a client knows where each product stands while it keeps its full functionality.

• Restriction of (certain) Hazardous Substances (RoHS) is the companion of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, which addresses end-of-life issues on electrical components
• The WEEE Directive is essentially concerned with the introduction of hazardous materials into the environment, during recycling or disposal

The RoHS Testing Team at TCR analyses concentrations of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in electrical and electronic components, down to the directive limits. TCR Engineering Services undertakes RoHS and WEEE-related compliance testing for electronic products and accessories using both:

Non-destructive RoHS screening (XRF method)

The screening provides indications about the presence of hazardous substances in the product according to RoHS. It suits a quick goods-receipt check or a preliminary inspection. Using a custom-tailored portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) spectrometer, the inspection team from TCR can simultaneously screen for all five restricted RoHS elements and chlorine (Cl), in a matter of a few seconds. Using a Portable XRF is non-destructive and an in-situ point-and-shoot screening method for PVC, PE, alloys, metals, solders, ceramics and packaging materials.

Chemical Analysis by ICP (Verification method)

RoHS testing is carried out using an initial screening test by XRF; if high levels of restricted substances are found, additional tests may be performed using Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) Spectrometer and wet chemistry. The Chemical Analysis Department reports the total level of each RoHS element and compound it determines, and whether the product meets the RoHS requirements.

Standards. IEC 62321 series (determination of restricted substances), EU Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS).