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NikkiLuna
We are OEM's whose products are made with galvanized steel and/or galvalum. Our RoHS compliance issue comes from passivization method to chemically treat our steel because Hexavalent Chromium (Cr(VI)) is present in the treat. The RoHS requirement for hexavalent chromium must be less than 0.01% of the substance, by weight, at the raw homogeneous materials level. Per our steel supplier, a 0.2% chemical treatment, which contains Cr(VI), is used to prevent corrosion (white rust) during storage and transit. The product is applied at the mill and becomes trivalent chromium within a few days of production through oxidation. However, the supplier does not guarantee a RoHS compliant product when we receive it. Therefore, for reporting purposes, we are saying we are not RoHS compliant.
We are getting pressure from some of our customers regarding our treatment, and to be completely honest – I’m a little lost. Based on the information that was provided to us, we are lead to believe that the CR(VI) converts to trivalent chromium (CR(III)) within a few days after leaving the mill. Since the steel we use sits for days with the processor, then for days/weeks at our plant before it’s used then for days/weeks in S&R here then at the customers… a month or two has passed. If the chemical only needs a few days to convert and our product sits for a month - is there a concern? Are we RoHS compliant or not? How do we prove it? Is there a test that can be run to determine compliance? Is there an alternative treatment out there that we can use?
We are getting pressure from some of our customers regarding our treatment, and to be completely honest – I’m a little lost. Based on the information that was provided to us, we are lead to believe that the CR(VI) converts to trivalent chromium (CR(III)) within a few days after leaving the mill. Since the steel we use sits for days with the processor, then for days/weeks at our plant before it’s used then for days/weeks in S&R here then at the customers… a month or two has passed. If the chemical only needs a few days to convert and our product sits for a month - is there a concern? Are we RoHS compliant or not? How do we prove it? Is there a test that can be run to determine compliance? Is there an alternative treatment out there that we can use?