Q. What is RoHS?
A. RoHS stands for Restriction of Hazardous Substances and is the acronym used to identify the EU Directive 2011/65/EC of July 21, 2011, on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS). This directive was amended by EU Directive 2015/863, but any declaration would be to 2011/65/EC of July 21, 2011.
Q. Will all manufacturers maintain both Leaded (Pb) and RoHS/Pb-Free versions as stocked items or will Pb versions become special ordered parts?
A. No. Most manufacturers are transitioning to RoHS/Pb-Free products. Some manufacturers who focus on military and avionic customers will carry both. However, there is no guarantee how long this will last.
Q. Are Lead (Pb)-Free and RoHS the same thing?
A. No. RoHS compliance only requires the Pb to be less than 1,000 PPM in any one homogeneous material. "Pb-Free" is not clearly defined and, therefore, each manufacturer is left to define "Pb-Free" for their products. "Pb-Free" could mean anything from "no Pb at all" to "no Pb on lead finishes". "Pb-Free" also does not include the other five hazardous substances defined in the RoHS Directive. With that said, some manufacturers will call their RoHS compliant product "Pb-Free". You need to understand how a manufacturer defines "Pb-Free" if you plan to rely on it. Mouser has taken all this into consideration when we mark products as RoHS-compliant.
Q. What is Tin Whiskers?
A. Under certain conditions when tin is used as a replacement for lead, small little wisps of tin may occur. These tin wisps look like whiskers, hence the term "Tin Whiskers". Occasionally small parts of these whiskers can break off and float around in electronic devices, causing a product to short out.
To better understand Tin Whiskers, you can review JEDEC and IPC Tin Whisker Acceptance Testing Standard (JESD201) and Mitigation Practices Guideline (JP002). You can find links to these documents below.
Q. When can we expect "everything" to be compliant to amendment EU Directive 2015/863?
A. Mouser sells over 4 million different parts from over 650300 manufacturers. We don´t know when (or if) everything will be compliant. We are working diligently to identify and stock RoHS-compliant product, but we are limited by the manufacturers' level of due diligence that we are required to maintain to assure you the product is compliant. Some manufacturers have not rolled out their compliant product; some are struggling to provide us documentation to the support their claim of compliance. Mouser takes a very conservative approach in declaring a product RoHS-compliant. We feel it is our duty and responsibility to protect our portion of the supply chain.
Q. How will compliant parts affect my manufacturing processes?
A. Generally, soldering is performed at higher temperatures. Depending upon your manufacturing process, you may have to totally revise your soldering procedures. Because manufacturing processes can be so varied, you must research your own requirements. There are numerous organizations that provide helpful information in this regard.
Q. Does Mouser comply with ISPM 15, Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade?
A. Mouser Electronics rarely uses any wood dunnage or pallets when shipping to customers. When we do, it´s limited to the United States. (Shipping has instructions to this effect.) Therefore, we believe implementing ISPM15 is unnecessary in our situation.
Q. What does
mean?
A. This icon is Mouser´s symbol for RoHS compliance. Whenever this icon appears next to a product part number, it means that Mouser has received documentation from the producer (a.k.a. supplier, manufacturer) certifying that part as compliant with the European Union´s RoHS directive. (See Directive 2011/65/EU 2002/95/EC regarding the Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances.)
To learn more about RoHS compliance, to visit the Environmental Section of our website.
Any and all information posted on Mouser´s website supersedes any information appearing in our print catalogs, advertisements or other publication, etc.