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78 The PCB Magazine • March 2016 • Entities and individuals may complain about pollution caused by electronic products • Violators who fail to take corrective action as a result of complaints may have their permits revoked and their identities pub- licized • Products not properly marked will not pass customs Status of China WEEE (rules governing the recycling and disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment). (Source: Analysis of the "China WEEE Directive": Characteristics, breakthroughs and challenges of the new WEEE legislation in China, by Hong Zhang.) "In response to WEEE problems in China, the Chinese government has developed a va- riety of policies since 2000. But none of them issued before 2010 turns out to be a compre- hensive WEEE-specific policy. These policies were not enough to guarantee a sound treat- ment of WEEE and construct an economic, en- vironmental and ethical recycling and disposal system in China. On 1 January 2011, the Regu- lations for the Administration of the Recovery and Disposal of Waste Electrical and Electronic Products (RAW), often referred to as the China WEEE Directive, was finally enacted. It aims to standardize the recovery and disposal of WEEE. Being the most important WEEE legislation in China, how RAW tries to overcome these weak- nesses in earlier policies has not been studied systematically. Particularly, the breakthroughs, concerns and challenges of RAW together with the related reflections from stakeholders have not been analyzed." Directive for Energy-using Products Directive 2005/32/EC of the European Par- liament and of the Council of 6 July 2005 es- tablishing a framework for the setting of eco- design requirements for energy-using products and amending Council Directive 92/42/EEC and Directives 96/57/EC and 2000/55/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, Offi- cial Journal of the European Union L 191/21. B. Effects of Lead-free Legislation on Electronic Materials, Processes, Equipment • Laminate (source: IPC) Manufacturers must work with their lami- nate suppliers to ensure they will be providing materials that will be able to withstand multiple reflows at higher processing temperatures. Two concerns with higher soldering temperatures are the Z-axis expansion and decomposition of the laminate. Higher soldering temperatures result in greater Z-axis expansion, which may affect PTH reliability. Decomposition, or breaking of polymeric bonds, can happen during high-temperature soldering. Although tests are conducted regu- larly for laminate, which call for the materials to survive a steady 288°C temperature for 15–20 minutes, mere seconds during a soldering op- eration could break polymeric bonds within the material. In addition to these issues and the potential for increased warpage of the PCB, higher reflow temperatures can also affect inks, adhesives, and markings. • Finishes (source: IPC) Because it is important to protect the copper conductors on PCBs from degradation, PCBs finishes are applied via hot air solder leveling (HASL), electroless and immersion metal depo- sitions, and organic solderability preservatives (OSPs). Because a fully lead-free electronic as- sembly will call for no lead in the finish, board green legislation and the impaCt on eleCtroniC materials and proCesses " Being the most important Weee legislation in China, how rAW tries to overcome these weaknesses in earlier policies has not been studied systematically. "