Halogen-free challenges exist on all sides of the industry.
As consumer electronics manufacturers embrace the push to "go green," they've begun placing demands on their supply chains to go halogen-free in order to meet their own publicly stated goals for environmental friendliness.
Apple and Intel, for instance, have pledged to eliminate all polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) by the end of this year. While these goals may make environmental-advocacy non-governmental organizations (NGOs) happy, manufacturers are scrambling to meet tight production deadlines while still providing quality products.
Halogen-free isn't a new concept, but it is one that has gained steam in today's green environment. In June 2003, IPC published a white paper, WP/TR-584, and then further developed its position and released WP/TR-584A in August 2007. These papers outline IPC's position on halogen-free laminates. One of the main conclusions presented in the papers is that despite the industry trend toward halogen-free, the environmental benefits of such a switch have yet to be identified.
Setting the Standard
Though IPC hasn't necessarily changed its position on the environmental effects of halogens, its new draft standard is a response to industry demand. With seven of 10 of the world's largest PC manufacturers converting to halogen-free production (more than 50 percent of the worldwide PC market), the demands for these parts and components are trickling down the supply chain. "A standard is needed to support this overall industry transition," says Scott O'Connell, environmental program manager at Dell in Round Rock, Texas. O'Connell, along with Steve Tisdale from Intel, are the co-chairmen of the committee that's developing a new IPC standard for low-halogen electronics.
The committee developing IPC J-STD-709—an industry-wide standard that will define the maximum limits on bromine and chlorine used in low-halogen components—began meeting in early 2007. Its goal is to publish the standard by the end of this year. "We have a large committee with diverse interests tackling a technically challenging topic," says O'Connell. "We have made progress to develop a 'class-based' standard that will allow us to develop a standard that will hopefully satisfy the industry needs."
Clearing the Air
The challenges in developing the standard come from some of the confusion—and discrepancies—about what "halogen-free" actually means. O'Connell says these misconceptions are a reason for the formation of the IPC J-STD-709 and the continued work of the group. Tisdale concurs: "There are differing opinions and positions amongst participating companies on the desired definition of 'halogen-free' or 'low-halogen.' This situation is not uncommon when dealing with companies across the supply chain coming together to define the right problem statement, identify response plans and ensure it is feasible to implement."
For example, currently only polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and Penta- and Octa-Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether (penta- and octa-PBDE) have been restricted by regulations. Deca-BDE will be banned under RoHS starting next month. Less data is available on the environmental effects of other halogenated flame retardants, or halogen-free substitutes, which is a concern as the committee tries to create a comprehensive industry standard.
Quick Switch
"A general trend we're seeing is a move away from scientifically based criteria for determining what is safe," says Laura Ruiz, the corporate director consumer advocacy at Albemarle's Richmond, Va., office. Albemarle produces both halogenated and non-halogenated flame-retardants for use in electronics. While meeting industry demands for low and no halogen, the company must also ensure it's protecting the public from fires. "There's not an obvious replacement today for everything that's halogenated," says Ruiz.
Currently, the biggest challenge facing manufacturers may not even be the development of halogen-free components, but the tight timeframe in which they've been given to develop such parts. In addition to the challenges in developing products, "there [hasn't been] sufficient dialogue throughout the supply chain," says Ruiz. The combination of inconsistent definitions and a lack of top-down direction contributes to the challenges for OEMs seeking to meet halogen-free deadlines.
