The IPC material declaration handbook

Abstract

The environment, health, and safety committee of the IPC (the trade organization for the electronic interconnect industry) launched a team in April 2003 to assist its member companies in completing material declaration requests. The team was focused on developing guidelines on how to calculate the composition of a printed circuit board and how to analyze raw materials or products for composition data. There was a steering team that oversaw the work, which occurred in two sub teams - an analysis subteam and a calculation subteam. Originally, there was another team focused on the appropriate format for material declaration reporting. However, it was decided early in the project to follow the joint industry material composition declaration guide (JIG) recommendations on both the substances to be reported and the format of those reports. The analysis subteam's tasks were to identify as completely as possible the individual chemicals that make up the substance categories in the JIG, and identify analytical techniques for those chemicals. The team focused on the analytical techniques that are published in EPA SW-846, test methods for evaluating solid waste, physical/chemical methods, which is the EPA Office of solid waste's official compendium of analytical and sampling methods that have been evaluated and for use in complying with the RCRA regulations. These analytical techniques seem the most suited to the analysis of solid materials such as electronic products. The analysis subteam evaluated the list of available analyses in SW-846 and included all relevant analytical techniques. However, there are no analytical techniques in SW-846 for many of the substance categories in the joint industry guide. The team also actively pursued other approved methods (e.g., DIN methods from Germany, ANSI methods, Japanese methods, etc.). As the handbook will be updated on a regular basis, any new analytical techniques or information can be incorporated into subsequent revisions. The analysis subteam also worked to identify laboratories that can perform the required analyses. The subteam did not qualify or approve laboratories, but just gathered potential laboratory contact information for use by members. As the handbook is updated laboratories can be added and removed from the list. The calculation subteam developed a method for calculating the material composition of a printed circuit board. The calculation method essentially follows the production process, using material composition data, process knowledge, and data files used to manufacture the product in order to add and subtract materials. An example calculation of the develop, etch, and strip process is provided in the paper. The calculation method is easily amenable to use in a spreadsheet program.