EU-Ban on Cadmium in Brazing Alloys
From 10th December 2011, the use and marketing of brazing alloys (brazing fillers) with cadmium (Cd) contents greater than 0.01 % by weight in the EU will no longer be permitted. For you, this means that any Cd-containing brazing alloys you are currently using or still have in stock, e.g. BrazeTec 4003, 3003, 2002 etc., may no longer be used in your respective brazing processes. Furthermore, the production of such Cd-containing brazing alloys is no longer allowed in the EU from that time onwards.
In this newsletter, SAXONIA BrazeTec would like to inform you about the facts and circumstances and at the same time make you aware that we will discontinue the production of Cd-containing brazing alloys in the EU in the coming months.
Starting on 10th December, users are forbidden from storing and using these brazing alloys. As a consequence, conversion to Cd-free brazing alloys should be made as soon as possible. To assist you some examples of Cd-free brazing alloys are listed in the charts below. You may of course also contact us personally, and we will support you with the conversion to Cd-free brazing alloys and will offer appropriate disposal services for any remaining material, where necessary.
Recommended Cd-free alternatives with similar working temperature:
Cd-containing brazing alloys | Cd-free alternatives with | ||||
Description | Ag content | Work temp. [°C] | Description | Ag content | Work |
BrazeTec 2002 | 20 | 750 | 25 | 740 | |
BrazeTec 2201 | 22 | 710 | 34 | 710 | |
BrazeTec 2575 | 25 | 710 | 34 | 710 | |
BrazeTec 3003 | 30 | 680 | 40 | 690 | |
BrazeTec 3464 | 34 | 640 | 56 | 650 | |
BrazeTec 4003 | 40 | 610 | 56 | 650 | |
BrazeTec 4505 | 45 | 620 | 56 | 650 | |
BrazeTec 4509 | 45 | 620 | 56 | 650 | |
BrazeTec 5009 | 50 | 660 | 49 | 690 |
Recommended Cd-free alternatives with similar sliver content:
Cd-containing brazing alloys | Cd-free alternatives with | ||||
Description | Ag content | Work | Description | Ag content | Work |
BrazeTec 2002 | 20 | 750 | 20 | 810 | |
BrazeTec 2201 | 22 | 710 | 20 | 810 | |
BrazeTec 2575 | 25 | 710 | 25 | 780 | |
BrazeTec 3003 | 30 | 680 | 30 | 740 | |
BrazeTec 3464 | 34 | 640 | 34 | 710 | |
BrazeTec 4003 | 40 | 610 | 40 | 690 | |
BrazeTec 4505 | 45 | 620 | 45 | 670 | |
BrazeTec 4509 | 45 | 620 | 45 | 670 | |
BrazeTec 5009 | 50 | 660 | 49 | 690 |
The following paragraphs refer to the documents published by the European Commission as well as their wording, which motivated us to compile the above synopsis.
The European Commission on 20th May 2011 published the directive (EU) No 494/2011 amending Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards Annex XVII (Cadmium)
In the annex to directive (EU) No 494/2011, reference is made to annex XVII of directive (EC) No 1907/2006, in which item 23 (on page 414 under the link stated below) goes into detail on cadmium and cadmium compounds. The new sections 8 and 9 of item 23 govern the use of cadmium in brazing alloys and have the following wording:
8. Shall not be used in brazing fillers in concentration equal to or greater than 0.01 % by weight. Brazing fillers shall not be placed on the market if the concentration of cadmium (expressed as Cd metal) is equal to or greater than 0.01 % by weight. For the purpose of this paragraph brazing shall mean a joining technique using alloys and undertaken at temperatures above 450 °C.
9. By way of derogation, paragraph 8 shall not apply to brazing fillers used in defence and aerospace applications and to brazing fillers used for safety reasons.
Use in regulation (EC) 1907/2006 chapter 2 article 3 under item 24 (page 58 in link stated below) is defined as follows:
"Use: means any processing, formulation, consumption, storage, keeping, treatment, filling into containers, transfer from one container to another, mixing, production of an article or any other utilisation."
Directive (EU) No 494/2011 will come into effect throughout the EU on 10th December 2011. The date initially stated (10th January 2012) has subsequently been brought forward (see link "Correction").
Other links:
Comission Regulation (EU) No 494/2011
Corrigendum to Commission Regulation (EU) No 494/2011 from 24.05.2011