The industry initiative launched by LASER COMPONENTS to extend the exemption for lead salt detectors has almost reached its goal: The expert panel commissioned by the European Commission recommends that components containing PbS and PbSe continue to be used in industrial applications and medical technology. Among other things, they are regarded as important key elements in the control of CO2 levels in respiratory gas analysis. In their final report, the experts state that a replacement for PbX detectors will not be available in the next few years. Industry experts expect that the European Commission will follow this recommendation.
EU Directive 2011/65/EU on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS 2) includes a list of chemical elements and compounds that may no longer be used in electronic products. This includes lead in concentrations above 0.1%. This is primarily intended to prevent the use of solder containing lead. However, since compounds of this heavy metal are also used for important electronic components such as PbS and PbSe detectors, an exemption is necessary for these components. This is usually valid for seven years. After that, the applicant must prove that an equivalent technical alternative is still not available.
“The international detector market is dominated by small and medium-sized companies,” says Sven Schreiber, who coordinated RoHS regulation activities at LASER COMPONENTS. “Most of them are interested in continuing the exemption but do not have the capacity to deal with the complex world of EU law. We leveraged our network in the industry and were able to engage many partners and customers to support our application. The results show that this commitment was worthwhile.”
