The European Chemical Agency (ECHA), on June 27, 2018 added ten additional substances to the EU REACH Candidate List. The new SVHC entries are listed in Table 1. The IEC 62474 Validation Team has reviewed the substances for potential uses in EEE. The typical EEE applications (where applicable) are included in the table as are general uses (provided by ECHA). There are now a total of 191 SVHCs on the REACH Candidate List.
Table 1: Ten SVHCs Added to REACH Candidate List
| Name | Description | EC no. | CAS no. | General Uses | Typical EEE Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benzene-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid 1,2 anhydride | trimellitic anhydride; TMA | 209-008-0 | 552-30-7 | Used in the manufacture of esters and polymers. | |
| Benzo[ghi]perylene | 205-883-8 | 191-24-2 | Not registered under REACH. Normally not produced intentionally but rather occurs as a constituent or impurity in other substances. | Impurities in carbon black, which is used as coloring agent in plastics and softener in rubbers | |
| Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane | D5 | 208-764-9 | 541-02-6 | Used in washing and cleaning products, polishes and waxes and cosmetics and personal care products. | Siloxanes are monomers used to manufacture silicones. Residuals may remain in silicone polymers and copolymers. |
| Dicyclohexyl phthalate | DCHP | 201-545-9 | 84-61-7 | Used in plastisol, PVC, rubber and plastic articles. A further use is also as a phlegmatiser and dispersing agent for formulations of organic peroxides. | Plasticizer, dye, pigment, paint, ink, manufacture of adhesive, lubricant |
| Disodium octaborate | 234-541-0 | 12008-41-2 | Used in anti-freeze products, heat transfer fluids, lubricants and greases, and washing and cleaning products. | Wooden veneer sheets and pressed wooden panels (as a constituent within the starch adhesive), as a flame retardant, as stabilizer in aminoplastic resins, and as a biocide in professional and industrial wood preservation. | |
| Dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane | D6 | 208-762-8 | 540-97-6 | Used in washing and cleaning products, polishes and waxes, cosmetics and personal care products. | Siloxanes are monomers used to manufacture silicones. They may remain as unreacted in silicone polymers and copolymers, used in many electrotechnical equipment product categories. |
| Ethylenediamine | EDA | 203-468-6 | 107-15-3 | Used in adhesives and sealants, coating products, fillers, putties, plasters, modelling clay, pH regulators and water treatment products. | |
| Lead | 231-100-4 | 7439-92-1 | Used in metals, welding and soldering products, metal surface treatment products, and polymers. | Steel, aluminum and copper alloys, lead acid batteries, solder and other applications | |
| Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane | D4 | 209-136-7 | 556-67-2 | Used in washing and cleaning products, polishes and waxes and cosmetics and personal care products. | Siloxanes are monomers used to manufacture silicones. They may remain as unreacted in silicone polymers and copolymers, used in many electrotechnical equipment product categories. |
| Terphenyl, hydrogenated | 262-967-7 | 61788-32-7 | Used as a plastic additive, solvent, in coatings/inks, in adhesives and sealants, and heat transfer fluids. | Plasticizers, sealants, epoxy adhesives, paints and heat sinks |
Impact on EEE manufacturers
The REACH communication obligations take effect immediately for the newly added SVHCs. Unfortunately, Given that the substance “Lead” was added, the update creates a particularly difficult challenge for EEE manufacturers who now need to disclose Lead as an SVHC. Lead (as an element) is used in many EEE products (allowed under RoHS exemptions). Note: this specific SVHC entry is applicable to lead as a stand-alone element and not as compound and is relevant to lead in several RoHS exemptions.
The EEE Industry declarable substances list was updated on July 7, 2018 to reflect the new SVHCs that are relevant to the EEE products. Please see the article on the IEC 62474 update in IEC62474 blog http://rohs.ca/iec62474 .