Is 18-8 Stainless Steel inherently RoHS compliant? 1

[RACook]

I am responsible for my company's RoHS compliance process and the question of 18-8 stainless steel came up. We buy lots of 18-8 stainless hardware (screws, etc.) through distributors with no real knowledge of the actual manufacturer, but we do get a material C of C stating that they are made of 18-8 stainless steel.

Here is the quandary...

My limited knowledge of metallurgy tell me that during the Argon/Oxygen Decarburization (AOD) process of refining 18-8 stainless any cadmium or mercury should vaporize and be carried away with the gasses flowing through the crucible. Add to this the tight control of lead in 18-8 stainless (>.005%)to assure the material meets the ductility requirements and the material should be inherently RoHS compliant.

Is this the case? Will the AOD process limit mercury to below 1000 ppm and cadmium below 100 ppm?

Has anyone used a similar method?

 

[ornerynorsk]

In this day and age, any distributor unwilling, unable, or unknowledgeable about how to go about providing their customer with proper RoHS certs is a veritable dinosaur that will not be on the business landscape for long. It's an incredibly easy process for them to simply submit a request from their source, and so on, to obtain the necessary cert. SGS and other reputable companies are accessibly worldwide, so even if the mfr hasn't had the foresight to obtain material certs, which is unlikely, the mfr can still have batch lots certified for their customers.

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

 

[EdStainless]

Sure, since it isn't an electronic component RoHS does not apply.
But even then since it is a solid with all metals in a solid solution it does meet all of the requirements.
That isn't to say that you couldn't surface treat or coat it with something that is non-compliant.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

 

[MintJulep]

cadmium or mercury should vaporize and be carried away with the gasses flowing through the crucible.

Not sure that this complies with the spirit and intent of RoHS.[flush]

 

[ornerynorsk]

RoHS is actually beginning to grab hold of other industries besides electronics/electrics. As a medical equipment manufacturer, we are having to retain documentation for RoHS compliancy on base metals, welding fillers, polymers, fabrics and upholstery, hardware, and plating/coatings. The only exception is some aluminums exceed the threshold of lead, which is permissible per the standard. We do not get a pass claiming solid solution, because Europe and EU requires end-of-life and waste management assessment as a producer responsibility. RoHS is a piece of cake, REACH is quite another story.

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

 

[EdStainless]

But the scope of RoHS says that it applies to electronics.
Sticking it other places may make you feel like you are being environmentally sensitive, but a number of the criteria just don't apply.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube