System Development
testing electronic products. In addition, most methods are not recognized internationally, and not all are accepted by every country in the EU (Table 2). Manufacturers of bench-top and handheld x-ray fluorescence (XRF) equipment have gained attention by claiming their systems can detect restricted materials without destructive testing. While XRF can play a vital role in RoHS compliance testing, its main strength is as a screening tool to identify concentrations of restricted substances that are significantly above regulated limits. X-ray fluorescence testing can be used to quickly determine whether a particular substance is present. However, it falls short where precise information concerning concentrations is needed. Caution must be taken when relying on the accuracy of values generated using XRF because measurement errors of +/-30% to +/-50% in electronic components are not uncommon. These large margins of error are due in part to depth of penetration, beam size, spectral interference, matrix interference, lack of comparative standards and the availability of sufficient uniform surface area. Thus, while XRF is useful for screen testing because of its speed and efficiency, it has limited use and applicability. A variety of test methods are more reliable for making accurate determinations. These include gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (GC/ MS) testing, which provides a reliable indication of the presence of restricted materials. However, not all GC/MS equipment can detect the higher brominated forms of PBDE (Figure 1). NSL Analytical Services Cleveland, OH. (216) 447-1550. [www.nslanaytical.com].
“Manufacturers of bench-top and handheld x-ray fluorescence (XRF) equipment have gained attention by claiming their systems can detect restricted materials without destructive testing.�
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