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Tin Technology Leads Project on Halogen-free, Flame-Retardant Systems in PCBs, Electronic Components
October 21, 2002 |Estimated reading time: 1 minute
UK -- Tin Technology will be leading a project to develop halogen-free, flame-retardant systems in printed circuit boards (PCBs) and encapsulated electronic components.
The UK government's Department of Trade and Industry is funding this project under its "Sustainable Technologies Initiative." This project is extremely relevant to the proposed EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (RoHS / WEEE) Directive that will phase out certain bromine-containing flame retardants by January 1, 2006, provided that alternative flame retardants can meet the minimum fire safety standards. Current bromine-containing flame retardants are to be phased out due to their toxicity and their reported generation of highly toxic dioxin species during incineration processes.Tin Technology will act as project leader, in charge of a six-strong industrial partner consortium. Tin Technology will be drawing on its extensive experience and knowledge of tin-based fire retardants. The consortium aims to produce flame-retardant and smoke-suppressant systems, which will be more environmentally acceptable than current brominated compounds. In order to achieve this, the project aims to develop formulations that show markedly reduced emissions of smoke and toxic gases during combustion.Other environmental benefits of the HALFREE technology include; improved recyclability of electronic products, minimization of waste production, reduction of hydrocarbon use and lowering of emission of greenhouse gases. As the HALFREE products will also exhibit significantly improved smoke-suppressant properties fatalities and injuries linked to fires are also likely to be reduced. This project will be divided into separate work programs. These will cover the development of advanced fire- retardant additives, polymer compounding and processing, initial testing, identification of optimized formulations, strategic assessments, prototype production and evaluation, and exploitation of the novel technology. A final report will then be written detailing all test data and giving assessment conclusions including a comprehensive implementation plan for the new technology. The project consortium comprises companies from each stage of the electronics supply chain, with Tin Technology undertaking a major part of the practical work in the initial stages. The industrial partners, Celestica, Merlin Circuit Technology, Prestwick Circuits, R.F. Bright Enterprises, Joseph Storey, and Keeling & Walker, will primarily be involved in the latter project tasks with particular focus on prototype production and testing. Tin Technology is an organization representing major tin producers, smelters and consuming industries. For more information, visit www.tintechnology.com.