When the European Union implemented RoHS, they understood the industry was not ready for a full restriction. As part of the RoHS implementation, exemptions were created for defined specific permitted uses for these substances. Each exemption was assigned an expiry date by which time these specific use cases for restricted substances would no longer be permitted.
Below are the exemptions that are getting expired in 2019.
| Exemption | Applicable category * | End date |
| 6(a) – Lead as an alloying element in steel for machining purposes and in galvanized steel containing up to 0.35 % lead by weight | 1 to 7 and 10 | 30 – June – 2019 |
| 6(b) – Lead as an alloying element in aluminum containing up to 0.4 % lead by weight | 1 to 7 and 10 | 30 – June – 2019 |
| 9(b)-(I) – Lead in bearing shells and bushes for refrigerant-containing hermetic scroll compressors with a stated electrical power input equal or below 9 kW for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) applications | 1 to 7 and 10 | 21 – July – 2019 |
| 21 – Cadmium in phosphor coatings in image intensifiers for X-ray images until 31 December 2019 and in spare parts for X-ray systems placed on the EU market before 1 January 2020. | 8 and 9 | 31 – Dec – 2019 |
| 24 – Lead enabling vacuum tight connections between aluminum and steel in X-ray image intensifiers. | 8 and 9 | 31 – Dec – 2019 |
| 30 – Hexavalent chromium in alkali dispensers used to create photocathodes in X-ray image intensifiers until 31 December 2019 and in spare parts for X-ray systems placed on the EU market before 1 January 2020. | 8 and 9 | 31 – Dec – 2019 |
| 32 – Lead in solders on printed circuit boards of detectors and data acquisition units for Positron Emission Tomographs which are integrated into Magnetic Resonance Imaging equipment. | 8 and 9 | 31 – Dec – 2019 |
| 38 – Lead in solder in one interface of large area stacked die elements with more than 500 interconnects per interface which are used in X-ray detectors of computed tomography and X-ray systems. Expires on 31 December 2019. May be used after that date in spare parts for CT and X-ray systems placed on the market before 1 January 2020. | 8 and 9 | 31 – Dec – 2019 |
*EU RoHS Categories:
| Category 1 | Large household appliances: refrigerators, washers, stoves, air conditioners |
| Category 2 | Small household appliances: vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, coffee makers, irons |
| Category 3 | Computing and communications equipment: computers, printers, copiers, phones |
| Category 4 | Consumer electronics: TVs, DVD players, stereos, video cameras |
| Category 5 | Lighting: lamps, lighting fixtures, light bulbs |
| Category 6 | Power tools: drills, saws, nail guns, sprayers, lathes, trimmers, blowers |
| Category 7 | Toys and sports equipment: videogames, electric trains, treadmills |
| Category 8 | Medical devices and equipment |
| Category 9 | Control and monitoring equipment |
| Category 10 | Automatic dispensers: vending machines, ATM machines |
| Category 11 | All other electrical and electronic equipment |
Here is the list of Industries that needs to comply before the stipulated deadline.
| Exemption | Material | End date | Large household appliances | Small household appliances | Computing and communications equipment | Consumer electronics | Lighting | Power tools | Toys and sports equipment | Medical devices and equipment | Control and monitoring equipment | Automatic dispensers | All other electrical and electronic equipment |
| 6(a) | Lead as an alloying element in steel for machining purposes and in galvanized steel containing up to 0,35 % lead by weight | 30-06-2019 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | – | – | Yes | – |
| 6(b) | Lead as an alloying element in aluminum containing up to 0,4 % lead by weight | 30-06-2019 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | – | – | Yes | – |
| 9(b)-(I) | Lead in bearing shells and bushes for refrigerant-containing hermetic scroll compressors with a stated electrical power input equal or below 9 kW for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) applications | 21-07-2019 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | – | – | Yes | – |
| 21 | Cadmium in phosphor coatings in image intensifiers for X-ray images until 31 December 2019 and in spare parts for X-ray systems placed on the EU market before 1 January 2020. | 31-12-2019 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Yes | Yes | – | – |
| 24 | Lead enabling vacuum tight connections between aluminum and steel in X-ray image intensifiers. Expires on 31 December 2019. | 31-12-2019 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Yes | Yes | – | – |
| 30 | Hexavalent chromium in alkali dispensers used to create photocathodes in X-ray image intensifiers until 31 December 2019 and in spare parts for X-ray systems placed on the EU market before 1 January 2020. | 31-12-2019 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Yes | Yes | – | – |
| 32 | Lead in solders on printed circuit boards of detectors and data acquisition units for Positron Emission Tomographs which are integrated into Magnetic Resonance Imaging equipment. Expires on 31 December 2019. | 31-12-2019 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Yes | Yes | – | – |
| 38 | Lead in solder in one interface of large area stacked die elements with more than 500 interconnects per interfaces which are used in X-ray detectors of computed tomography and X-ray systems. Expires on 31 December 2019. May be used after that date in spare parts for CT and X-ray systems placed on the market before 1 January 2020. | 31-12-2019 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Yes | Yes | – | – |
| 8(b) | Cadmium and its compounds in electrical contacts | 29-02-2020 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | – | – | Yes | – |
| 15 | Lead in solders to complete a viable electrical connection between semiconductor die and carrier within integrated circuit flip chip packages | 29-02-2020 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | – | – | Yes | – |
| 21 | Lead and cadmium in printing inks for the application of enamels on glasses, such as borosilicate and soda lime glasses | 29-02-2020 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | – | – | Yes | – |
| 27 | Lead in — solders, — termination coatings of electrical and electronic components and printed circuit boards, — connections of electrical wires, shields and enclosed connectors, which are used in (a) magnetic fields within the sphere of 1 m radius around the isocentre of the magnet in medical magnetic resonance imaging equipment, including patient monitors designed to be used within this sphere, or (b) magnetic fields within 1 m distance from the external surfaces of cyclotron magnets, magnets for beam transport and beam direction control applied for particle therapy. Expires on 30 June 2020. |
30-06-2020 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Yes | – | – |
| 33 IIb | Lead in solders on populated printed circuit boards used in Directive 93/42/EEC class IIa and IIb mobile medical devices other than portable emergency defibrillators. Expires on 30 June 2016 for class IIa and on 31 December 2020 for class IIb. | 31-12-2020 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Yes | Yes | – | – |
| 36 | Lead used in other than C-press compliant pin connector systems for industrial monitoring and control instruments. Expires on 31 December 2020. May be used after that date in spare parts for industrial monitoring and control instruments placed on the market before 1 January 2021. |
31-12-2020 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Yes | – | – |
| 40 | Â Lead in dielectric ceramic in capacitors for a rated voltage of less than 125 V AC or 250 V DC for industrial monitoring and control instruments. Expires on 31 December 2020. May be used after that date in spare parts for industrial monitoring and control instruments placed on the market before 1 January 2021. |
31-12-2020 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Yes | – | – |
Are you affected by this upcoming deadline? Talk to one of our Compliance Experts to learn more and be compliant to RoHS.
