On May 15, 2001, the European
Parliament accepted and passed on to the Council of Nations
a “Proposal for a… Directive on the restriction
of the use of certain hazardous substance in electrical
and electronic equipment”.
This proposal bans use
of lead after July 1, 2006 in most electronic products. |
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0.5% of total world lead
is used in electronic solder to connect electronic products. |
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In January 2000, EPA co-sponsored an ‘Experts
Workshop’ during which numerous scientific experts
explained why application of PBT methodology to metals is
not consistent with sound science. |
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There is an abundance of proof that
lead in electronic solder has no measurable negative impact
on the environment or human health at any stage of its life
cycle. |
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EPA’s Design
for the Environment analysis application to lead in electronic
solder resulted in the following conclusion:
“The
results of the impact assessment can be stated
simply: the status quo, lead solder, is preferable
to substantial substitution of alloys containing
significant amounts of bismuth or tin or by
epoxies containing significant amounts of silver.
When the relatively minor component of overall
lead demand attributable to printed wiring board
assembly applications is contrasted with the
significantly expanded mining and processing
the other options would entail, lead-based solders
are the least environmentally harmful choice.
Thus a systematic analysis has led to what, for
many people, is a counterintuitive result.” |
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Articles |
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Feature: Lead-Free
Electronic Solder,Why? by Harvey Miller |
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Impact
of Lead-Free on PCB Design by Joe Fjelstad |
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G.E.
Medical
White Paper (White Paper Sac Fragility) |
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Phasing
out Lead in Solders (Kindej-PWV-EOL) |
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Survey
on Lead-free Solder from the Danish EPA |
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Lead
in Gasoline by Magda Lovei |
Links |
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As
lead deadline looms, industry seeks substitute. by
Nicolas Mokhoff, EETimes |
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Problems seen ahead for supply chain from lead-free directive By John Walko, EETimes
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Lead
Bans Spreading Like Wildfire by
Fern Abrams, CircuiTree |
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IPC's SPVC Releases Data on Lead-free Alloy Comparison CircuiTree
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The Lead-Free Solder Project
The
Lead-free Solder Project (LFSP) is a voluntary, cooperative
project that has been initiated by the Design for the
Environment (DfE) Program of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics,
the University of Tennessee (UT) Center for Clean Products
and Clean Technologies, the Electronic Industries Alliance
(EIA), the IPC–Association
Connecting Electronics Industries (IPC), individual electronics
industry companies, and a high-tech research group (SEMATECH).
The purpose is to objectively assess the environmental
life-cycle impacts of selected lead-free solders as alternatives
to tin-lead solder. The DfE LFSP analysis also intends
to provide an assessment of recyclability and leachability
of the solders, as well as a baseline life-cycle assessment
(LCA) of the tin-lead and lead-free alternative solders. |
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IPC’s Lead
Free Website
While all available scientific evidence indicates that the lead used in printed
circuit board (PCB) manufacturing and electronic assembly produces no significant
environmental or health hazards, IPC believes the pressure to eliminate lead
in electronic interconnections will continue in the future from both the legislative
and competitive sides. |
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Lead Free and Green Electronics Forum
The CALCE Electronic Products
and Systems Center's Lead Free Forum is dedicated to the
collection, generation, organization, and dissemination of
information related in the manufacture, assembly, and fielding
of lead free and "green" electronic products and
systems. |
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NEMI
Lead-Free & Environmental Initiatives
NEMI has several projects and initiatives related to lead-free
electronics. This page contains presentations, papers and
other materials on topics and issues surrounding lead-free
electronics. |
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Tin
Technology |
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The Real Cost of Lead-Free |
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Lead
ban's impact on EMS - Jim Carbone's article explores
how the European Union's (EU) impending ban on the use
of lead in electronics equipment will affect all links
in the supply chain. But the biggest impact will be on
the electronics manufacturing services (EMS). |
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National Center for Manufacturing Sciences |
Contacts |
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