ROHS Compliant Metal Plating

What is RoHS?

RoHS is the acronym for Restriction of Hazardous Substances. RoHS, also known as Directive 2002/95/EC, was originated in the European Union and restricts the use of specific hazardous materials found in electrical and electronic products. It became effective on July 1, 2006 that all applicable products must pass RoHS compliance.

On May 14, 2009, The “Environmental Design of Electrical Equipment Act,” H.R. 2420, was introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives, as part of President Obama’s program to align U.S. and European environmental policy. The legislation mirrors the EU directive and will likely become law.

What materials does RoHS regulate?

The substances regulated under RoHS are lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (flame retardants). These substances must make up less than 1000ppm of a finished product (100ppm for cadmium) for that product to be considered compliant.

Who does the RoHS Directive affect?

Any business that sells applicable electronic products, sub-assemblies or components directly to EU countries, or sells to resellers, distributors or integrators that in turn sell products to EU countries, is impacted if it utilizes any of the restricted materials. Many U.S. companies have voluntarily adopted these standards in advance of federal legislation and thus the same categories apply.

Are there RoHS compliant finishes?

RoHS compliant finishes have been under development for several years. Chem Processing, Inc. offers replacements for hexavalent chromium containing conversion coatings that historically were applied over aluminum, plated zinc, and plated zinc-nickel alloy. We offer zinc-nickel plating in conjunction with various topcoats as a replacement for cadmium plating, as well as ROHS compliant electroless nickel plating. Our engineering department can also recommend robust alternatives from our catalogue of spray and powder coatings.