Halogen-Free.  Low-Halogen.  BFR-free.  PVC-Free.  BFR/CFR/PVC-Free.  What?

The electronics industry is all abuzz about removing certain substances – that aren’t even (currently) regulated in any country!  What’s the big deal?  Why are we spending so much money to change products to other, more-expensive, materials, when the original materials ‘work’ just fine?  Let’s first look at the concerns with these groups of substances, then talk about alternatives and what Molex is doing.

Brominated and Chlorinated Flame Retardants (BFR/CFR)

Flame retardants are used in plastics to reduce fire from spreading (bet you couldn’t figure that out from their name!).  If the plastic component can’t burn well, then the fire can’t burn as quickly.  If a fire starts in your home television and spreads to the rest of your home, you’ll want to get out as quickly as possible.  These flame retardants in Molex connectors slow the spread of fire, potentially preventing the fire from spreading to the rest of your home, or allowing you those crucial extra moments to escape safely.  So what could possibly be bad about these helpful substances?

Well, many consumer electronics have a short life-span, and none of us want electronics to end up in landfills.  When electronics are recycled, the materials need to be segregated by type – this allows the materials to be recycled and reused more efficiently.  Plastics go with similar plastics; metals go with similar metals.  Many plastics are burned, and if this process is not performed properly, hazardous dioxins and furans could form from the brominated or chlorinated flame retardant.  Get rid of the brominated or chlorinated flame retardant, and get rid of that problem, right?

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

PVC is a polymer that is used primarily in cables, but also other components.  Phthalates are a group of substances added to PVC to make the cables flexible.  Plugging a rigid power cable from your mobile phone to the wall outlet wouldn’t work well!  Flexible PVC allows the cable to bend.  So what’s the big deal?

Well, disposal or burning of cables can also generate hazardous dioxins and furans.  In addition, phthalates have been found to be dangerous, and some countries regulate phthalates in toys and medical devices.  Replacing PVC with an alternative will remove both of these potential hazards.

What are the alternatives?  What is Molex doing?  We’ll discuss this in a future environmental blog post.