What is RoHS 3?

On March 31, 2015, a new directive RoHS 3 was born, known as Directive 2015/863. On 22 July 22, 2019, this directive/regulation went into effect and is an amendment to RoHS 2.

RoHS 3 added four additional restricted substances to the original list of six hazardous materials mentioned above. These four substances are all phthalates; they are Bis(2-Ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), Dibutyl phthalate (DPB), Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), and Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP). The RoHS 3 also adds a new product category “Category 11”, which includes 2-wheeled electric vehicles, vape pens, e-cigarettes, and other items. Failure to comply with the RoHS 3 directive will lead to huge fines and legal consequences.

The restricted substance list in the RoHS 3 directive and their limits are as follows. A limit of 0.1% refers to 1,000 ppm (parts per million):

RoHS 3 Substances List (Total 10): 

• Cadmium (Cd) – 0.01%
• Mercury – 0.1%
• Lead (Pb) – 0.1%
• Hexavalent chromium (Cr+6)  – 0.1%
• Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) – 0.1%
• Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) – 0.1%
• Bis(2-Ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) - 0.1%
• Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) – 0.1%
• Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) – 0.1%
• Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) – 0.1%