Halogen Test

Halogen refers to four elements in Group VIIA of the periodic table: fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), and iodine (I). In the field of electrical and electronic products and consumer goods, halogen testing primarily focuses on chlorine (Cl) and bromine (Br) and their compounds, especially halogenated flame retardants (such as polybrominated biphenyls PBB and polybrominated diphenyl ethers PBDE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Halogen compounds release toxic corrosive gases (such as dioxins, furans, etc.) during combustion or improper disposal. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has established the IEC 61249-2-21 standard, which stipulates the halogen content in halogen-free printed circuit board base materials. Major electronic product brands and industry organizations (such as JPCA, IPC) have also introduced halogen-free requirements (Halogen-Free).

Halogen testing is applicable to the following products: electrical and electronic products (printed circuit boards PCB/PCBA, electronic components, wire and cable insulation materials, plastic housings, solder flux, etc.), plastic and rubber products (especially plastic parts containing flame retardants), packaging materials (foam cushioning materials, plastic films, labels, etc.), textiles (products with flame-retardant coatings), and building materials (thermal insulation materials, flooring materials, etc.). Some international brands (such as Apple, Dell, HP, etc.) impose halogen-free requirements for all plastic parts in their supplier requirements. EU RoHS has restricted the use of polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers, but has not comprehensively banned all halogen compounds.

For the accurate determination of polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), the GC-MS method is used (in accordance with IEC 62321-7-2 standard).