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RoHS and Hexavalent Chromium plating

My company uses fasteners that are coated with black Hexavalent Chromium plating.

1. Are items such as fasteners that have Hexavalent Chromium plating prohibited under the RoHS directive?

2. If the Hexavalent Chromium plated fasteners are prohibited, is Trivalent Chromium plating the acceptable substitute that complies with RoHS? Trivalent Chromium is expensive and it seems that there are not many suppliers in the world who can plate with black Trivalent Chromium. It also seems that Hexavalent Chromium platers are not rushing to change, so I am having doubts that the Hexavalent Chromium plated fasteners will be prohibited. Please help.

Thanks.

Paul Kassalen
manufacturer/assembler - Buford, Georgia, USA
2005

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Hi!

The answers to your questions are 1) No and 2) Yes

The RoHS directive covers electrical devices from 1 July 2006 and the automotiveindustry from 1 July 2007 and therfore not fastners as long as they aren't a part of/in products in theses categories.

However there is a reason for the ban of hxavalent chromium and you could find good substitutes on the market today!

Erik Forslund
- Gothenburg, Sweden
2005