Jason Sandefur

Fastener distributors and manufacturers face the daunting challenge of eliminating hexavalent chromium from all products by July 2007.\
The popular coating, also known as Cr+6, has been the preferred method of corrosion resistance in fasteners for years. But efforts in the European Union to eliminate the use of hex chrome, a known carcinogen, in new products has forced OEMs around the world to comply with the mandate.
During a Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) seminar at the joint spring meeting of the Western Association of Fastener Distributors and the Los Angeles Fastener Association, moderator and fastener expert Joe Greenslade said the EU directive prohibits cadmium, mercury, lead and hex chrome in all manufactured products throughout Europe, whether domestically manufactured or imported.
As Curtis Metal Finishing Co. vice president Brian Lowry explained, RoHS was spawned by environmental concerns.
“It’s all driven by ecology. Anything that’s going to tend up in a landfill falls under this movement.”
Europe generates up to 9 million tons of waste annually.
Lowry said extensive design lead times have forced the auto industry to achieve RoHS compliance by the end of 2005, well ahead of the 2007 deadline.
But for electronics OEMs, the deadline for compliance is July 2006, placing increased pressure on their suppliers to eliminate hex chrome much quicker.
However, in many cases electrical appliance and equipment are exposed to a more benign environment than cars, making hex chrome alternatives easier to find, Lowry noted.
The Cost of Conversion
So what will the elimination of hex chrome cost the fastener industry? Lowry told FIN that no industry-wide cost analysis has been conducted, but the burden is falling on suppliers instead of OEMs.
“Alternatives can’t cost any more, and they have to provide the same performance levels,” Lowry said.
And in most cases, alternative treatments can’t look any different from their hex chrome counterparts. Lowry said most OEMs aren’t willing to tolerate cosmetic changes to comply with the EU directive.
Lowry reported that new technologies are bringing the appearance of trivalent chrome finishes up to standard.
Lowry said the coating community is already capable of compliance, but platers are not as far along in the process.
“They’re catching up,” he surmised.
As to when the law will begin applying to a product in the production sequence, Lowry believes that vehicles will have to comply at the “put into commerce” stage instead of the manufacturing point, forcing effective compliance much earlier than mid 2007.
Cost estimates might also include the cost of non-compliance. Lowry said each EU member state will assess fines, but the United Kingdom is considering penalties of 5,000 British pounds (US$9,300) and possibly a two-year prison sentence.
Not First Conversion for Fastener Industry
While efforts to comply with the hex chrome ban may seem unprecedented, Lowry reminded his audience of earlier moves to eliminate certain heavy metals from auto production.
In the 1980s Sweden banned cadmium in all cars, effectively forcing the Big Three automakers to eliminate the substance in order to achieve standardization efficiencies.
“Cadmium was probably the best fastener coating ever used,” Lowry stated.
But by 1993, cadmium was eradicated because it was toxic. Zinc plating was developed to replace it on auto fasteners.
“People thought we couldn’t live without cadmium. But here we are,” Lowry told FIN.
Lowry said the comparison between cadmium and hexavalent chromium is valid.
“It’s not a question of whether (hex chrome) is dangerous. It’s just to what degree will hex chrome leak into the groundwater.”
Greenslade Urges Caution
Other problems remain when dealing with RoHS. For example, when stripping & re-plating stock, Greenslade said it’s crucial to have the parts baked after they’re stripped in order to address another fastener headache – hydrogen embrittlement.
“You won’t be worried about RoHS if parts you shipped around the world start breaking due to hydrogen embrittlement,” he warned.
To ensure compliance, Greenslade recommended that distributors request certificates from suppliers claiming to be hex chrome-free. Even then, he suggested spot testing the product to keep everyone honest.
Jim Riley, COO of Stork Materials Testing & Inspection, said ASTM has developed a simple test to determine if hexavalent chromium is present. But Riley stressed that the $50 test, known as D6482, is qualitative.
“It’s not going to tell you how much hexavalent chromium is there. It’s simply going to tell you if (hex chrome) is present,” Riley noted.
A positive test result indicates the presence of at least .5 parts per million of hex chrome. But precisely how much more is difficult to gauge. Riley said his facility has six different machines that test composition, but none differentiate between hex chrome & trivalents.
Riley said D6482 could be performed at individual facilities, but distributors face the logistical challenges of short chemical shelf life and hazardous material handling issues.
A RoHS Success Story
State Industrial Supply general manager Mark Larson said his company supplies IBM, which recently required immediate elimination of all hex chrome from its products.
Fortunately his Midwest suppliers were aware of RoHS and could provide compliant product to meet IBM’s demand.
However, organizing importers was more difficult, and required non-compliant stock to be stripped and re-plated. The process has added costs to State Industrial’s production process, including a new warehouse system, additional paperwork and the hassle of maintaining separate inventories.
Unfortunately some traces of hex chrome can appear on hex chrome-free products because the substance is all over the warehouse.
Larson also noted that cosmetic problems loom from OEMs who demand compliance without realizing that other corrosion inhibitors don’t necessarily produce the same yellow hue as hex chrome.
But Larson highlighted the benefit to “being ahead of the curve.” Companies scrambling to achieve RoHS compliance are reassured by State Industrial’s experience.
“It’s worked as a great selling tool,” he added. �2005 FastenerNews.com