Restricted Elements and Their Typical Uses

Elements	Examples and Uses
Lead Pb
Solder Paint Glass material Ceramic materials Steel, Aluminium, Copper Plastics Batteries	Pigments and driers Pb allowed in fluorescent lamps Pb allowed in ceramic form Certain amount is allowed PVC stabilizer & pigment Pb/acid batteries are allowed in vehicles
Cadmium Cd
Plastics Solder Ceramics Contacts Batteries Semiconductors	Stabilizer & pigment Rarely used Rarely used Relays and switches NiCd are allowed Light sensors and solar panels
Mercury Hg
Batteries Contacts Fluorescent lamps	Restricted by battery directive Relays, microswitches Certain amount is allowed
Chrome 6+, Cr VI+
Passivation layers Anti-corrosive coatings Chrome coatings Plasticizers	Used for bare metals to enhance coating adhesion Paints or coatings Chrome coating is metallic chrome and not restricted Used in plastic coating process not in end product
PBB & PBDE
Plastics/polymers	Fire retardant
RoHS restricted elements and their proposed limits in homogenous material Cadmium, Cd < 0.01% (100ppm) Mercury, Hg < 0.1% (1000ppm) Lead, Pb < 0.1% (1000ppm) Hexavalent Chrome, Cr VI < 0.1% (1000ppm) Polybrominated biphenyl, PBB < 0.1% (1000ppm) Polybrominated diphenyl ether, PBDE < 0.1% (1000ppm) Guideline: A homogeneous material is a single substance such as plastic, for example the PVC insulation on insulated copper wire. Components such as semiconductor packages are not materials but will contain several different materials