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On July 29, 2022, the Department of Ecology and Environment of Shenzhen issued a notice to solicit public comments on the DB4430 X-XXXX Limit of volatile organic compounds and certain harmful substances of cleaning agents in microelectronic and electronic assembly (Draft) (hereinafter referred to as the Standard). The Standard stipulates application scope, limit requirements, product classification, test methods, test principles, packaging marks, prohibited substances list, etc. Comments are welcome before September 30, 2022.
Background
In line with the goal of reducing VOCs emission by more than 10% by 2025, put forward in the national 14th Five-Year Plan (2021~2025), many provinces and cities in China are implementing and preparing local regulations and standards to strengthen source control (see China VOC). Shenzhen, as a city well-known for the booming electronic industry, organic solvent cleaning agents used for the electronic industry is the primary source of VOCs emission. Data shows that, for some electronic enterprises in Shenzhen, the annual consumption of cleaning agents can reach thousands of tons. Thus, implementing relevant VOCs limit standards in the electronic industry is imperative for Shenzhen.
There are no existing VOCs standards in China for VOCs limits in cleaning agents used for the electronic industry. Although GB 38508-2020 Limit standard for volatile organic compounds content in cleaning agents specifies content limits of VOCs in cleaning agents manufactured/used for industrial production and operation, it doesn’t apply to the electronic industry. As for other standards applying to cleaning agents in the electronic industry (e.g., GB/T 25098-2010 Live washing regulation of insulating live-working washing agent; GB/T 25097-2010 Insulating live-working washing agent), only requirements for cleaning performance, rather than any content limits for VOCs and hazardous substances, are specified.
Therefore, Shenzhen drafted the Standard to fill this regulatory gap, which will be mandatory in the city.
Highlights of the Standard are summarized below.
Application scope
The Standard applies to:
Cleaning agents for microelectronic and electronic assembly that are sold and used in Shenzhen, including chemicals used as cleaning agents;
Cleaning agents for internal components of electronic equipment, such as electronic components, circuit boards, printing plates; and
Cleaning agent for instruments and equipment used in the electronic assembly process.
Product classification
In the Standard, cleaning agents are classified into three types according to their components:
Water-based cleaning agent;
Semi-water-based cleaning agent; and
Organic solvent cleaning agent.
Limit requirements for VOCs and Hazchem
Taking account of the actual situations of the production and application of cleaning agents and the development of industrialization in China, the Standard grants a one-year transition period for complying with the limit requirements for VOCs in cleaning agents used for microelectronics and electronic assembly (see the table below).
Type | Limit (before Dec.31, 2023) | Limit (after Jan.1, 2024) |
VOCs in water-based cleaning agent | ≤ 50 g/L | ≤ 25 g/L |
VOCs in semi-water-based cleaning agent | ≤ 250 g/L | ≤ 100 g/L |
VOCs in organic solvent cleaning agent | ≤ 850 g/L | ≤ 800 g/L |
The Standard also prescribes corresponding limit requirements for 6 certain hazardous substances (formaldehyde, halohydrocarbon, n-hexane, etc.) in each type of cleaning agents. Notably, an annex is affixed to the Standard, which listed 29 substances (provide with chemical name, chemical formula and CAS number) that are prohibited to be added to the cleaning agents used for microelectronics and electronic assembly.
More details of the draft Standard can be accessed here.
