IEC PAS 63015:2016

IEC PAS 63015 ®
Edition 1.0 2016-06
PUBLICLY AVAILABLE
SPECIFICATION
PRE-STANDARD
Definition of “Low-Halogen” for electronic products

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IEC PAS 63015 ®
Edition 1.0 2016-06
PUBLICLY AVAILABLE
SPECIFICATION
PRE-STANDARD
Definition of “Low-Halogen” for electronic products

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
ICS 01.040.71; 13.030.10 ISBN 978-2-8322-3471-6

– 2 – IEC PAS 63015:2016 © IEC 2016

CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 3

INTRODUCTION . 5

1 Scope . 6

2 Normative references. 6

3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms . 7

4 Requirements for low-halogen electronic products . 8

5 Compliance process for low-halogen electronic materials and components . 9
6 Marking and labeling for “low-halogen” electronic products . 9
6.1 Marking of printed boards . 9
6.2 Marking of mechanical plastics . 9
6.3 Marking of passive and solid-state devices, cables, and other components of
an electronic product . 9
6.4 Marking of electronic products . 10
Annex A (informative)  Where BFRs, CFRs, and PVC are used in electronic or
electrical products . 11
Annex B (informative)  Suggested test protocols – Low-halogen process flow . 12
B.1 Low halogen process flow . 12
B.2 Low halogen process flow verbiage . 13
Annex C (informative) Clarification for including only bromine and chlorine in the
definition of low-halogen materials . 14
Annex D (informative) Differences between JS709B and JS709A . 15
Bibliography . 16

Table A.1 – General presence of bromine and chlorine in BFRs, CFRs, and PVC in
electronics and electrical products . 11

INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION

____________
DEFINITION OF “LOW-HALOGEN” FOR ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS

FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising

all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote
international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
this end and in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications,

Technical Reports, Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as “IEC
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8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of
patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
A PAS is a technical specification not fulfilling the requirements for a standard, but made
available to the public.
IEC PAS 63015, submitted by JEDEC/ECA has been processed by IEC technical
committee 111: Environmental standardization for electrical and electronic products and
systems. It is based on Joint JEDEC/ECA Standard No. 709B. The structure and editorial
rules used in this PAS reflect the practice of the organization which submitted it.
The text of this PAS is based on the This PAS was approved for
following document: publication by the P-members of the
committee concerned as indicated in
the following document
Draft PAS Report on voting
111/382/PAS 111/417/RVD
Following publication of this PAS, the technical committee or subcommittee concerned may
transform it into an International Standard.
This PAS shall remain valid for an initial maximum period of 3 years starting from the
publication date. The validity may be extended for a single period up to a maximum of

– 4 – IEC PAS 63015:2016 © IEC 2016

3 years, at the end of which it shall be published as another type of normative document, or

shall be withdrawn.
IMPORTANT – The 'colour inside' logo on the cover page of this publication indicates

that it contains colours which are considered to be useful for the correct

understanding of its contents. Users should therefore print this document using a

colour printer.
INTRODUCTION
Halogenated polymeric materials and compounds are used in various engineering

applications, including flame retardation. Several decades of use have proven these materials

and compounds to be reliable and cost-effective. The electronic industry seeks to reduce the

overall environmental impact of our products by working to develop reliable and cost-effective

alternatives to these materials and compounds. However, the timetable for broad-scale

adoption of low-halogen materials is difficult to predict, because applications such as complex

multilayer PCBs and large molded integrated circuits will require further investigation and

qualification of new materials.

The halogen group contains fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astatine; however, this
document will use the term “low-halogen” to refer only to bromine and chlorine to be
consistent with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and IPC definitions of
“halogen-free” (see Clause 2). Refer to Annex C for further explanation for exclusion of
astatine, iodine and fluorine. In this document, the term “low-halogen” is used to identify a
material that contains low concentrations of bromine and chlorine from brominated and
chlorinated flame retardants (BFRs, CFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

– 6 – IEC PAS 63015:2016 © IEC 2016

DEFINITION OF “LOW-HALOGEN” FOR ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS

1 Scope
This document provides terms and definitions for “low-halogen” electronic products that have

the potential to contain the halogens bromine (Br) and chlorine (Cl) from the use of BFRs,

CFRs, and PVC, and recommends methods for marking and labeling. This standard may be

applied to all nonmetallic and nonceramic materials within electronic products including, but

not limited to, materials in the following components commonly found in electronic products:
1) transistors, integrated circuits, modules consisting mainly of integrated circuits (e.g.
multichip, hybrid), and memory modules;
2) resistors, capacitors, relays, inductors, and connectors;
3) printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) including components;
4) plastic in cables, sockets, switches and external wiring;
5) mechanical plastics (enclosures, fans, etc.);
6) films, tapes, inks, and adhesives;
7) soldering flux residues (when present);
8) sound, shock, and vibration dampeners (foams, resins, etc.).
This document establishes the maximum concentration level for the halogens bromine (Br)
and chlorine (Cl) from the use of BFRs, CFRs, and PVC. While the halogen group contains
fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astatine, this document will use the term “low-halogen”
to refer only to bromine and chlorine. Refer to Annex C for further explanation for exclusion of
astatine, iodine and fluorine.
NOTE The definition of “low-halogen” is different from the term “halogen-free” as described in IEC 61249-2
sectional standard related to non-halogenated base material and as defined in the J-STD-609A marking and
labeling standard; standards that pertain only to printed boards and are currently in use in the electronics and
solid-state industries.
BFRs, CFRs, and PVC in materials that may be used during processing, in product delivery
systems, or in packaging, but do not remain within the final product are not included in the
scope of this document.
...