Eco-Info & Lead-free (Pb-free): China RoHS and Chasing Arrow Information

China RoHS Information for TI Customers

China has released 3 documents for electronic information products to define their requirements concerning the 6 banned Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) of Lead (Pb), Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6+), Mercury (Hg), Cadmium (Cd), Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBBs) and Polybrominated Diphenyl ethers (PBDEs).These documents are commonly referenced as China RoHS.

1. "Management Methods for Controlling Pollution by Electronic Information Products (Ministry of Information Order #39)" released February 28, 2006.
2. The second document, "Requirements for Concentration Limits for Certain Hazardous Substances in Electronic Information Products SJ/%11363-2006" released 11-06-2006 focuses on the maximum concentration values (MCVs) of the banned substances that will be allowed.
3. "People's Republic of China Electronic Industry Standard SJ/T11364-2006" released 11-06-2006 which is concerned with the marking of products for the control of pollution cause by electronic information products (EIP).

China RoHS is very similar to the European Union (EU) RoHS requirements since both documents ban the use of 6 substances, Pb, Cd, Hg, Cr6+, PBBs and PBDEs. Both share the same MCVs of 1000ppm for all substances except Cd whose MCV is 100ppm.

Phase I implementation started Mar 1, 2007. It requires the labeling of product to communicate the content of the RoHS materials. Phase II will require all products listed in the yet to be released catalogue to be fully China RoHS compliant. Expectations is for the initial list of catalogue products being released as early as 3Q 2007 or possibly sometime in 2008.

For TI customers, the Phase I release of the China RoHS requirements does not require components like TI's IC products to be labeled. Even though TI products do not require labeling, the information concerning material content must be available to the supply chain for their reporting use. Of most interest is understanding if product contains China RoHS materials.

For those containing China RoHS materials above MCVs, China requires the Environmentally Friendly Use Period (EFUP) which may also be called the Environmental Protection Use Period (EPUP) to be declared in years. The number reflects how long the banned substance will not leak from the product while it is in use. The EFUP starts at the time of manufacture and ends when the product has been removed from service.

What China RoHS means for TI IC products

All TI finished IC products labeled as "Pb-free" or "Green" are fully RoHS compliant in China and the EU. The only substance that may be contained in TI finished IC products above the 1000ppm threshold is lead (Pb). Any TI product containing lead (Pb) above 1000ppm will not have the Pb-free symbol on the label of TI products. The Pb-free and Green status of TI products can be verified through the substance content reports located at the www.ti.com/productcontent website. These products containing no RoHS materials above MCVs would share the China RoHS chasing arrow symbol with an "e" in it.

TI products labeled without the "Pb-free" symbol contain one or more of the China RoHS materials above the allowed MCV. China RoHS does not require special labeling for components, though communications with the Ministry of Information Industry (MII) have stated, "In the case of components or raw materials purchased abroad for completing the production, in principle labeling with related environmental information is required. However, if the component or raw material supplier has an agreement with the downstream producer, it may not label the components or raw materials, but pass the relevant environmental information to the downstream producer." The relevant environmental information concerning Environmentally Friendly Use Period (EFUP) for these types of products is:

See Chasing Arrows PCN 20070518001 Details for further information.

For TI, the EFUP determination and statement is as follows:

Currently there is no testing or industry standard for determining the Environmentally Friendly Use Period (EFUP) under the China Marking for Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products Standard SJ/T11364-2006 (China RoHS). However, to assist your company in meeting the China RoHS March 1, 2007 deadline, TI provides that of the 6 regulated substances, only lead (Pb) above the 1000 ppm MCV is contained in certain designated finished integrated circuit products (BGA and leadframe devices).

Per the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 56th edition, Editor Robert Weast, Pb is defined as insoluble in the 0'C to 100'C range in water (see Table of Physical Constants of Inorganic Compounds). Based on this information, even if water is condensed from the atmosphere, TI believes that its finished integrated circuit products, including those that contain Pb, can support a customer product EFUP of up to 50 years for uses in a typical office/workplace temperature and humidity environment.

Please note that new information may become available or testing or industry standards accepted in the future that could alter TI's current understanding of EFUP.

Other information customers may ask

Customers of finished products being sold to consumers may ask for information concerning the China RoHS "tic tac toe" table. For TI products, this can be communicated to the supply chain as: