Lead Bearing Solder is Banned

I read just recently that modern camera lenses are no longer made with leaded glass and are the worse for it according to some.

There is an exemption to the EU Directive on lead relating to optical glass which reads, "lead in white glasses used for optical applications," (13(a) in EU 2017/1011 of July 2017).

Russell

Edited By Russell Eberhardt on 11/11/2018 11:36:41

I thought studies relating to lead and violence interesting. Here's a link:

**LINK**

Certainly, all the lead from leaded petrol/gasoline had to go somewhere, as does all the bits of "rubber" from tyres, and bits of asphalt.

My granny used to say "everything in moderation"; certainly lead as an element has been with us for ever, but it's the balance that's maybe the issue.

Who knows? I certainly don't!

Your not supposed to eat it.

I had this response from HSE. I have to say the distinction between solder and free cutting bars seems highly dubious:

Dear Neil,

There are restrictions on the placing on the market of metallic lead (as a substance), of mixtures containing lead (e.g., alloys) and to articles containing lead.

Restriction 30 in Annex XVII of REACH prohibits the supply to the general public of substances that could cause reproductive harm. This also applies to any mixtures containing these substances when they are present at or above certain concentration limits. For metallic lead a harmonised classification was agreed and published in 2016 [Regulation (EU) 2016/1179] and this came into effect on the 1st March 2018. This classification included reproductive harm. As a consequence, the sale to the general public of metallic lead (as a substance) or mixtures containing lead is prohibited. The concentration at which this kicks in depends on the form of the substance/mixture: for powders with a size of < 1mm the limit is 0.03%, for particles or other larger forms where the size is >= 1mm the limit is 0.3%. Such products can still be supplied to professional users, however, they are required to be marked visibly, legibly and indelibly with ‘Restricted to professional users.’

Restriction 63 applies to articles containing lead. Part of this restriction applies to items of jewellery and part applies more generally to items that could be placed into the mouth by children. There are certain exemptions and derogations for both parts. Examples of items covered by this restriction are given in the associated guidance at **LINK**.

For solder wire one can try to make an argument that the wire is what REACH calls an ‘article’ (in which case Restriction 30 would not apply , but Restriction 63 potentially would). An article is an object that during its production has been given a specific shape surface or design that is more important to its use than its chemical composition is. Examples of a metal article are a spoon, a pipe, a cable/rope, etc. In our view, the shape of solder wire is entirely irrelevant to its function. Solder wire is deliberately melted during its use and the form of a wire is purely for convenience. As such, soldering alloys containing lead are mixtures and Restriction 30 applies. The same would apply to casting alloys containing lead (at > 0.3%).

Where metals or alloys are supplied in the form of sheets, bars, rods, etc, then it may be possible to argue that they are articles. The ECHA guidance on substances in articles contains a flow diagram that considers the boundary between metals and alloys being substances/mixtures (see Appendix 4 and pages 78-82). Items such as lead sheets or lead bearing phosphor bronzes and steels may be being supplied in the form of articles. Whilst these may subsequently be cut or deformed to some degree, the basic shape is usually retained or remains important. Depending on the subsequent use Restriction 63 may apply to the items being produced. If the suppliers decides that the items are articles, then Restriction 30 wouldn’t apply.

Kind regards

REACH & CLP Helpdesk

Chemicals Regulation Division

HSE, Redgrave Court, Bootle, Merseyside L20 7HS

Absolute! Bloody! Insanity. Sophistry also. EN1A (leaded) contains between 0.15% and 0.35% lead and the swarf definitely won't be an 'article'...

Edited By Mark Rand on 13/11/2018 19:48:39

Here's a piece of lead/pewter, an apostle cap, a dinky spout for pouring gunpowder into your matchlock musq't.

It must have been lost c1640 then waited for a metal detectorist to visit the battlefield, recover it and sell it on eBay.

The lead has hardly degraded, even the little loops for the strings are stil there. I don't think lead in landfill is half the problem it is made out to be.

This was on the BBC news-feed this morning: **LINK**

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/stories-46196469/fighting-the-international-fly-tippers

MichaelG.

Hi there, all,

I've recently replaced three electrolytic capacitors on one of the printed boards in my computer monitor. (It didn't cure the fault so trouble-shooting continues! )

The boards were manufactured using lead-free solder. In order to free the joints to enable the old capacitors to be removed, I first had to flood them with 60/40 solder. I know I wouldn't have had anything like the same struggle if the boards had been assembled using 60/40.

As a microscopist of my acquaintance says 'if lead-free solder were any good, the Romans would have used it!'!

My reel of fine-gauge 60/40 Ersin Multicore is down to the last layer on the spool. I have several wooden reels of 60/40 Ersin Multicore in stock which would 'see me out' except that it is of the gauge we used to use to solder the tags on Octal valve-holders!!!!!

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!

I make my own using old tankards and lead pipes.

With respect Robin, that's not evidence! Big jump from a photo of an interesting survival to 'I don't think lead in landfill is half the problem it is made out to be.' There's plenty of evidence that Lead is poisonous.

Personal experience can be highly misleading. "I tried that a few times and got away with it" isn't helpful when it comes to appreciating risk. You need at least a thousand samples to get a reliable understanding of just how dangerous or safe something is. In my youth I accidentally gave myself several electric shocks. As I survived with no ill-effects, it's obvious that 250VAC mains isn't dangerous, right? No. Given unlucky circumstances, any of those shocks could have killed me. Whatever my personal experience of surviving shocks, trust me, it's much safer to turn the power off before messing with electricity! Ditto Lead poisoning - it's not safe.

The legislation is designed to reduce large scale use of Lead by industry. That's a good thing. Unfortunately, it looks as if it's also going to wallop us as well, which is a pain, even though the risk posed by hobbyists using Lead on a small scale is minimal.

Dave

There is, fortunately, no ban on me using it and I have more than adequate stocks for the rest of my time in this hobby world.

As breathing polluted air is also bad for us, we should all stop breathing!!

If you sup your ale from a pewter tankard, apparently you should drink it quickly so it's not in contact with the metal for too long

I wouldn't suggest lead acetate, the so called Sugar of Lead ,as a sweetener. That's been tried in the past with terrible consequences. I have a pot of it for making slow match, it burns without the hard coal you get with saltpetre.

Anyway, how is the lead in the solder going to poison me? Not by inhalation, I do a lot of soldering and it is always the tin that boils off leaving a pasty lead crust behind. I suppose not washing my hands before eating a sandwich might be my downfall.

I remember some workman showing us a terrible cut across the palm side of his fingers he had got from lead flashing. He had a decorative hankie knotted over it and everyone was muttering about lead poisoning. This was the 1950's and I was already expert on skinned knees, I reckoned it just looked like it needed drying out.

Anyway, I appreciate your concern, I will take more care around the dreaded Plum bum and strongly suggest nobody looks to me for Health and Safety advice.

What's the panic? Suppliers like CPC are still selling 60/40 tin/lead solder up to 500g reels. I know legislation has required that it is not used in currently produce equipment, to protect landfill etc. but so far this has not been applied to selling this type of solder. Not having bothered to read the full thread I am willing to stand corrected

.

I can only suggest that you read the opening post ... or even just the opening paragraph.

MichaelG.

Thanks Michael but it would appear that even the big companies are not restricting the sale of tin/lead solder yet nor have they indicated that they intend to or that they have been asked to look into stopping the sale. So while this status quo exists I am happy. That said I have enough tin/lead solder to keep me going for a long time yet and I am not adverse to using the lead free version as I have not, as yet, had any problems with using this.

Cheers

Martin W

Can I suggest that the comment by SOD about electric shocks is not really relevant? A belt from the mains either kills or it doesn't. Lead is cumulative: it builds up in the body with increasing effects on the system until something gives way. Rather like alcohol effects on liver - getting thoroughly pissed might do you no subsequent harm, but a bottle of wine a day very well might.

And the comparison between a field of ordinary earth and a modern rubbish tip is equally questionable. Spring Water - so popular that it sells for more than petrol - filters through the earth. There is no sale for water that drains through land-fill, in fact you can be charged to get rid of it.

Just trying to keep the discussion balanced in scientific terms.

Tim

PS how much does my wife need to pay me before I count as 'professional' so I can use up my stock of lead solder?

Edited By Tim Stevens on 15/11/2018 15:32:05

I'm no expert on landfill sites but such acquaintance as I did have told me that the modern sites are separated from groundwater by impermeable membranes.

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!

I suspect this is another scare story. The regulation is clearly aimed at stuff you will possibly put in your mouth or ingest by some other means. Not many people are given to chewing circuit boards, but the HSE will never tell you something is OK in case some daft judge deems it to be not OK in future. In the meantime ebay has loads of it for sale, and I'm about to buy some lead sheet to mend my roof. OK the contractor will buy it on my behalf, but I'll be paying for it eventually. Even if they do manage to stop sale in the UK I'll still be able to get it from China, and they don't seem to be making buying or possession an offence.