United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Pollution Prevention
and Toxics
(7406)
EPA 744^-98-006
June 19&8
&EPA
Design for the Environment
Printed Wiring Board Project
U.S.EPA
What Is Design for the
Environment?
EPA's Design for the Environment
(DfE) Program is a voluntary initia-
tive that forms partnerships with
a variety of stakeholder groups in
an effort to:
» Encourage businesses to incor-
porate environmental concerns,
in addition to the traditional cri-
teria of cost and performance,
into their decisions.
• Effect behavior change to facili-
tate continuous environmental
improvement.
To accomplish these goals, the
program uses EPA's expertise and
leadership to evaluate the human
health and environmental risks,
performance, and cost of tradi-
tional and alternative
technologies, materials, and
processes. DfE disseminates infor-
mation on its work to all
interested parties and helps busi-
nesses implement cleaner
technologies identified through the
program.
The program has formed coopera-
tive partnerships with the
following industries: .
• Printed wiring board
• Computer display
• Printing
• Garment and textile care
• Auto refmishing
• Industrial/institutional laundry
Making the Connection
Why Is EPA
Working With the
PWB Industry?
Printed wiring boards (PWBs), the
underlying link between semicon-
ductors, computer chips, and other
electronic components, are an irre-
placeable part of many high-tech
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products in the electronics, defense, communications, and automotive indus-
tries. The wet chemical processes used in PWB manufacturing, however,
generate a significant amount of hazardous waste, require a substantial
amount of water and energy, and use chemicals that pose potential environ-
mental and health risks. In addition, the most commonly used PWB finishing
technologies, hot air solder leveling (HASL) and electroplated tin-lead, pose
potential health and environmental risks due to their use of lead. These
processes also generate excess quantities of solder that must be recycled.
The industry is committed to making pollution prevention a priority,- how-
ever, many PWB manufacturers are small- to medium-sized businesses that
cannot afford to develop independently the data needed to redesign their
processes. To facilitate the evaluation and implementation of alternative
technologies that reduce health and environmental risks and production
costs, EPA's Design for the Environment (DfE) Program entered into a volun-
tary partnership with the PWB industry and other interested parties.
What Are the
Project's Goals?
The .DfE PWB Project encourages companies to imple-
ment technologies that will improve their
environmental performance and competitiveness. The
project team, in close cooperation with the Institute
for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits (IPC), is developing
and analyzing technical information on pollution prevention technologies
that reduce human and environmental risks, hazardous waste generation,
compliance costs, and chemical and natural resource use.
PWB Project work is focused in three main areas: gather-
ing, generating, and analyzing technical data,-
communicating project and technical information,- and
promoting the implementation of cleaner technologies
through education and assistance.
What Work Is
Being
Conducted?
Technical Studies
In 1995, the DfE PWB Project Technical Workgroup chose one major step in
PWB manufacturing—making drilled through-holes conductive (MHC)—for
detailed analysis in a Cleaner Technologies Substitutes Assessment (CTSA).
A CTSA is a comprehensive analytical tool used to evaluate health and
environmental risks, performance, and costs of alternative materials',
processes, and technologies. The draft MHC CTSA was completed in 1997
(see bottom of back page to order).
As part of the MHC CTSA, seven MHC technologies (including the standard
nonconveyorized electroless copper technology and six alternative direct
metallization technologies) were tested for performance characteristics in
real-world settings. EPA recruited 16 facilities in the United States and
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Europe for testing purposes. Each company processed
three standard boards through its MHC process line.
The boards were then sent to one site to complete the
final manufacturing steps and were tested for electrical
and mechanical reliability.
The results demonstrate that when implemented correct-
ly the alternative technologies perform as well or better
than the nonconveyorized electroless copper. The alter-
native technologies also are more economical and use
less energy and water. Risk characterization studies con-
ducted as part of the CTSA suggest that the alternative
technologies also pose lower occupational risk. Risks
could not be assessed, however, for all of the chemicals
used in each MHC technology because some suppliers
would not provide proprietary formulation data.
In 1997, the project team began a second CTSA to eval-
uate lead-free alternatives to the most commonly used
surface finishing technologies: HASL and electroplated
tin-lead. Using HASL as the baseline technology, the
second CTSA is evaluating the performance, risk, and
cost of HASL and several other technologies, including
thick and thin organic solder protectorates, immersion
tin, immersion silver, electroless palladium directly
over copper, and electroless nickel/immersion gold.
To gauge performance, the alternative surface finishes
are applied to test boards containing a variety of cir-
cuitry. Next, the board circuit performance is assessed
under applicable environmental stresses. The boards
also are evaluated through a series of reliability tests
including thermal shock, thermal cycle, mechanical
shock, and vibration. EPA expects that the study
results (scheduled for release in 1999) will generate
interest in the implementation of cleaner, cost-effective
surface finish technologies by PWB manufacturers.
In addition to the CTSA work, industry partners con-
ducted a surve^to obtain information about the use of
pollution prevention technologies in the PWB industry
(Printed Wiring Board Pollution Prevention and
Control: Analysis of Survey Results, EPA744-R-95-006).
A 1998 survey update report will contain data on waste
and chemical use reduction achieved through imple-
menting these technologies. The project team has also
compiled information on PWB markets, products, tech-
nology trends, and current manufacturing methods
(Printed Wiring Board Industry and Use Cluster
Profile, EPA744-R-95-005) as well as information on
federal environmental regulations pertaining to the
electronics industry (Federal Environmental
Regulations Affecting the Electronics Industry,
EPA744-B-95-001). All project documents can be
obtained by contacting the Pollution Prevention
Information Clearinghouse (see below, at right).
Communication Efforts
Throughout the PWB Project, EPA and the project stake-
holders have conducted outreach activities to promote
awareness of the project and to generate interest in the
project's technical and information products. These com-
munication efforts also have helped to identify other
pollution prevention opportunities within the industry,
in addition to the alternative technologies evaluated in
the CTSAs. Stakeholders have given presentations at
PWB trade shows, written articles for the PWB, trade
press, distributed DfE information products at booth
exhibits, developed project fact sheets, and created a web
site for the project. In addition, the Communication
Workgroup has produced eight case studies on pollution
prevention and environmental management initiatives
undertaken by PWB manufacturers. The case studies
provide practical information on workplace practices,
equipment, technologies, and management systems that
result in risk reduction and cost savings. The studies are
available from the Pollution Prevention Information
Clearinghouse (see below).
Implementation Efforts
The PWB Project Implementation Workgroup provides
education and assistance to individual PWB manufac-
turers and encourages" them to consider implementing
the cleaner technologies identified in the project. The
workgroup has accomplished the following:
• Developed and published a guidance document to
help PWB manufacturers implement alternative
MHC technologies (Implementing Cleaner
Technologies in the Printed Wiring Board Industry:
Making Holes Conductive, EPA744-R-9 7-001). The
document contains first-hand information about
manufacturers' experiences with these technologies.
• Conducted seminars in seven cities nationwide to
present the results of the MHC CTSA.
• Developed a web site that contains all documents
generated by the project and links to other related
industry sites.
The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition has helped to
involve local community and government organiza-
tions in the project. In addition, total cost assessment
software is being developed to help companies analyze
the financial benefits of switching to cleaner technolo-
gies. The National Institute for Standards and
Technology provided funding to develop the software,
.which is undergoing beta testing.
How Can I
Get More
Information?
To obtain project documents or learn more about
EPA's DfE Program or DfE PWB Project, contact:
Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW. (7409)
Washington, DC 20460
Telephone: 202 260-1023
Fax: 202 260-4659
E-mail: ppic@epa.gov
You may also visit the DfE web site at
or the DfE PWB Project web
site at .
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