BANNOCKBURN, IL – Nearly half the votes registered on a controversial standard limiting halogens in electronics were negative, and the lack of consensus will force a second ballot. 

The standard, J-STD-709, calls for limits on each plastic within a component of <1000 ppm (0.1%) bromine (if the bromine source is from brominated flame-retardants] and <1000 ppm (0.1%) of chlorine (if the chlorine source is from CFRs or PVC). Higher concentrations are permitted in plastics of components other than board laminates and substrates provided their sources are not BFRs, CFRs or PVC.

Critics argued that the proposed limits lack supporting data, and the test methods are either vague or nonexistent. 

Others assert the draft standard, which is being pushed by Dell and Intel, could in fact lead to another lead-free situation, costing the industry billions in product redesigns and testing.

The IPC task group ballot, which was completed last month, returned 28 yes votes (approving the standard) and 23 no votes of the 81 persons registered to vote.

A total of 71 pages of comments were presented, seven pages specifically questioning the title (Limits for Bromine and Chlorine in Flame Retardants and Polyvinyl Chloride in “Low-Halogen” Electronic Products) and another 21 pages taking issue with the Forward. 

At a task group meeting earlier this month following the close of the voting, the document was divided up and given to subgroup chairs to try to generate verbiage that would be acceptable to the membership.

The document did pass the JEDEC ballot. As a “J” standard – a designation meaning the document is codeveloped with JEDEC – J-STD-709 underwent a separate vote in the JEDEC committee.

The final results of the JEDEC ballot were 15 yes votes, 2 no votes and 3 abstains.

The two organizations have different policies for approving a standard or specification.