# RoHS Restricted Substances and Exemptions Reference

> Source: https://netray.co/tools/rohs-restricted-substances-and-exemptions-reference
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: Free Tools

## Short answer

Searchable lookup of RoHS 2 substance limits, widely used Annex III exemptions and equipment categories.

## Category

compliance-legal

## Industry

Electronics Manufacturing

## Region

European Union

## Audience

- Compliance engineer
- Design engineer
- Supplier quality

## Tool

**Kind:** worksheet

**Mode:** reference

**Columns:**

#### Reference

**Key:** ref

**Type:** text

#### Type

**Key:** type

**Type:** select

**Options:**

- Substance
- Exemption
- Category

#### Item

**Key:** item

**Type:** text

#### Limit or scope

**Key:** limit

**Type:** text

#### Note

**Key:** note

**Type:** text

**Rows:**

**Ref:** Annex II

**Type:** Substance

**Item:** Lead (Pb)

**Limit:** 0.1% by weight

**Note:** Per homogeneous material

**Ref:** Annex II

**Type:** Substance

**Item:** Mercury (Hg)

**Limit:** 0.1% by weight

**Note:** Per homogeneous material

**Ref:** Annex II

**Type:** Substance

**Item:** Cadmium (Cd)

**Limit:** 0.01% by weight

**Note:** Stricter limit than the others

**Ref:** Annex II

**Type:** Substance

**Item:** Hexavalent chromium (Cr VI)

**Limit:** 0.1% by weight

**Note:** Per homogeneous material

**Ref:** Annex II

**Type:** Substance

**Item:** Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)

**Limit:** 0.1% by weight

**Note:** Flame retardant class

**Ref:** Annex II

**Type:** Substance

**Item:** Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)

**Limit:** 0.1% by weight

**Note:** Flame retardant class

**Ref:** Annex II

**Type:** Substance

**Item:** DEHP (bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate)

**Limit:** 0.1% by weight

**Note:** Added by Delegated Directive (EU) 2015/863

**Ref:** Annex II

**Type:** Substance

**Item:** BBP (butyl benzyl phthalate)

**Limit:** 0.1% by weight

**Note:** Added by Delegated Directive (EU) 2015/863

**Ref:** Annex II

**Type:** Substance

**Item:** DBP (dibutyl phthalate)

**Limit:** 0.1% by weight

**Note:** Added by Delegated Directive (EU) 2015/863

**Ref:** Annex II

**Type:** Substance

**Item:** DIBP (diisobutyl phthalate)

**Limit:** 0.1% by weight

**Note:** Added by Delegated Directive (EU) 2015/863

**Ref:** Annex III 6(a)

**Type:** Exemption

**Item:** Lead in steel for machining and galvanised steel

**Limit:** Up to 0.35% lead by weight

**Note:** Check current expiry before relying on it

**Ref:** Annex III 6(b)

**Type:** Exemption

**Item:** Lead in aluminium alloys

**Limit:** Up to 0.4% lead by weight

**Note:** Check current expiry before relying on it

**Ref:** Annex III 6(c)

**Type:** Exemption

**Item:** Lead in copper alloy

**Limit:** Up to 4% lead by weight

**Note:** Common for brass machined parts

**Ref:** Annex III 7(a)

**Type:** Exemption

**Item:** Lead in high melting temperature solders

**Limit:** Lead-based alloys with 85% lead or more

**Note:** Not for standard tin-lead eutectic solder

**Ref:** Annex III 7(c)-I

**Type:** Exemption

**Item:** Lead in glass or ceramic, other than dielectric ceramic in capacitors

**Limit:** Component specific

**Note:** Example: piezoelectronic devices

**Ref:** Annex III 7(c)-II

**Type:** Exemption

**Item:** Lead in dielectric ceramic of capacitors

**Limit:** Rated 125 V AC or 250 V DC or higher

**Note:** Check scope wording in the annex

**Ref:** Annex III 8(b)

**Type:** Exemption

**Item:** Cadmium and its compounds in electrical contacts

**Limit:** Component specific

**Note:** Check current scope and expiry

**Ref:** Annex III 15

**Type:** Exemption

**Item:** Lead in solders in flip chip packages

**Limit:** Between semiconductor die and carrier

**Note:** Only to complete a viable electrical connection

**Ref:** Annex I

**Type:** Category

**Item:** Category 1

**Limit:** Large household appliances

**Ref:** Annex I

**Type:** Category

**Item:** Category 2

**Limit:** Small household appliances

**Ref:** Annex I

**Type:** Category

**Item:** Category 3

**Limit:** IT and telecommunications equipment

**Ref:** Annex I

**Type:** Category

**Item:** Category 4

**Limit:** Consumer equipment

**Ref:** Annex I

**Type:** Category

**Item:** Category 5

**Limit:** Lighting equipment

**Ref:** Annex I

**Type:** Category

**Item:** Category 6

**Limit:** Electrical and electronic tools

**Note:** Large-scale stationary industrial tools are excluded

**Ref:** Annex I

**Type:** Category

**Item:** Category 7

**Limit:** Toys, leisure and sports equipment

**Ref:** Annex I

**Type:** Category

**Item:** Category 8

**Limit:** Medical devices

**Note:** In scope since 2014 for most devices

**Ref:** Annex I

**Type:** Category

**Item:** Category 9

**Limit:** Monitoring and control instruments including industrial

**Note:** Industrial instruments in scope since 2017

**Ref:** Annex I

**Type:** Category

**Item:** Category 10

**Limit:** Automatic dispensers

**Ref:** Annex I

**Type:** Category

**Item:** Category 11

**Limit:** Other EEE not covered by categories 1 to 10

**Note:** Open scope since 2019

**Notes:** Exemptions are renewed, amended or allowed to expire by the European Commission. Confirm the current wording and validity period in the Official Journal or EUR-Lex before you rely on an exemption in a declaration. This table is a quick lookup, not a legal interpretation.

## Content

**Intro:** RoHS questions come up in every design review and every supplier survey. This reference puts the ten restricted substances, the exemptions most often cited on bills of materials and the eleven equipment categories in one searchable table.

**Sections:**

#### How to use the reference

**Body:** Type a substance, an exemption number or a keyword such as solder or brass into the search box. Use the Type column to filter the three groups. For a part on your BOM, check the substance limits first, then see whether a listed exemption applies to the specific use. Export the rows you need to PDF or Excel to attach to a design review or a supplier declaration request.

**Bullets:**

- Search 7(a) to find the high melting temperature solder exemption
- Search copper to find the 6(c) brass entry
- Filter by Category to confirm whether your product is in scope

#### The rule behind the numbers

**Body:** Directive 2011/65/EU, known as RoHS 2, restricts hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment placed on the EU market. The limits apply to each homogeneous material, meaning a part that cannot be mechanically separated further, not to the whole product. Delegated Directive (EU) 2015/863 added four phthalates, bringing the list to ten substances. Conformity is shown through technical documentation and the CE marking with an EU declaration of conformity.

#### Common mistakes

**Body:** The most frequent errors are applying the limit at product level instead of homogeneous material level, assuming an exemption covers a whole assembly, and using an exemption that has expired or been narrowed. Keep a record of which exemption supports each part, and review them whenever the Commission publishes a change.

**Bullets:**

- Citing an exemption number without checking its scope wording
- Ignoring plasticisers in cable jackets and seals
- Accepting a supplier RoHS statement without test data or a declaration
- Forgetting that spares and repairs have their own rules

**Cta:** If you keep RoHS and material declarations scattered across supplier files and your ERP item master, we can help build a private search over them.

**Faq:**

#### What are the RoHS limits?

**Answer:** Lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE and four phthalates are limited to 0.1% by weight in homogeneous materials. Cadmium is limited to 0.01%. The limits apply to each homogeneous material rather than to the finished product as a whole.

#### What is a homogeneous material?

**Answer:** It is a material of uniform composition throughout, or a material made of a combination that cannot be disjoined or separated into different materials by mechanical actions such as unscrewing, cutting, crushing or grinding.

#### Do RoHS exemptions expire?

**Answer:** Yes. Exemptions in Annex III are granted for limited periods and can be renewed, amended or allowed to lapse. Always check the current validity in EUR-Lex before using one in your declaration of conformity.

#### Is industrial equipment covered?

**Answer:** Industrial monitoring and control instruments entered scope in 2017 under category 9, and category 11 has been open scope since 2019. Large-scale stationary industrial tools remain excluded. Check the scope wording for your product.

## Search terms

RoHS exemption list, RoHS exemption reference, RoHS restricted substances limits, RoHS 2011/65/EU annex III exemptions, RoHS 10 substances, RoHS 7(a) high melting solder, RoHS 6(c) copper alloy lead, RoHS categories 1 to 11

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