\1f
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Industrial Environmental Research ~
Laboratory
Cincinnati OH 45268
Research and Development
EPA-600/S2-83-033 July 1983
Project Summary
Industrial Process Profiles for
Environmental Use: Chapter 30,
The Electronic Component
Manufacturing Industry
John 0. Burckle and Tom Corwin
In recent decades electronic equip-
ment has become an integral part of
modern technological society.
Computers, sophisticated communica-
tions systems, and industrial and
military hardware, entertainment
equipment, and other electronic
devices are in widespread usage. This
equipment is assembled from many
individual electronic components
which utilize a large number of raw
materials, including many toxic
chemicals, in their manufacture. This
report is a preliminary assessment of
the potential environmental emissions
associated with the production of these
components in the United States. This
report was prepared as an aid in
planning an in-depth study of the
industrial hygiene and control
technology in the electronic
components manufacturing industry
sponsored jointly by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and
the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health. For the purposes of
this program, the following segments
were addressed: semiconductors (SIC
3674). capacitors (SIC 3675), resistors
(SIC 3676). transformers and inductors
(SIC 3677), printed circuit boards (SIC
3679052), electron tubes (SIC 36711,
36713) and cathode ray tubes (SIC
36712. 3671385).
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Industrial Environmental Re-
search Laboratory. Cincinnati. OH, to
announce key findings of the research
project that is fully documented in a
separate report of the same title (see
Project Report ordering information at
back).
Introduction
In recent decades electronic equipment
has become an integral part of modern
technological society. Computers, sophis-
ticated communications systems, and
industrial and military hardware, enter-
tainment equipment, and other electronic
devices are in widespread usage. This
equipment is assembled from many
individual electronic components, which
in turn involve the use of a large variety of
substances in their manufacture. This
report to the U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency (EPA) is a preliminary
assessment of the potential environmen-
tal impacts associated with the
production of these components in the
United States.
The IPPEU Report Format
The analyses in this report are in the
format of the Industrial Process Profiles
for Environmental Use (IPPEU).1 The
format was developed by EPA's Industrial
Environmental Research Laboratory for
the purpose of cataloging relevant
information concerning air, water, and
solid waste emissions from industries
which employ similar technologies, have
common types of environmenta1 impacts,
and supply their products for further
processing or consumption to the same
general population of customers. Each
industrial process is examined from the
standpoint of its function, feed materials,
operating conditions, utility require-
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ments, and waste streams. A completed
IPPEU report constitutes a multimedia
data base on the environmental impacts
of an industry's production operations
based upon information available in the
open literature. As such, it is preliminary
in nature and should be viewed as the
first step in the development of a
comprehensive analysis of environ-
mental impacts.
Each section of the IPPEU analysis of
various industry segments is divided into
two parts: an Industry Description, which
presents an overview of the raw
materials, products, and companies
associated with each component type;
and an Industry Analysis, which presents
specific information on production
processes and discharges. An appendix
presents additional information on
wastewater control and treatment in the
industry.
Findings
The electronic components industry is
large and complex, and many segments
are experiencing rapid changes in
technology. Hundreds of individual
component types are manufactured.
Table 1 presents statistical data on the
industry.2 Total sales of primary products
in 1977 were over $14 billion, and
overall, the industry has been growing at
a fast pace. The largest single segment of
the industry, with $4.5 billion in sales, is
semiconductors and related devices. This
is also a rapidly growing category; the
value of shipments increased 92 percent
between 1972 and 1977. However, some
segments of the industry face a much
different outlook. Older product types are
being replaced in many applications by
newer solid-state technologies. This is
illustrated in Figure 1, which shows
comparative data on the value of total
shipments for the semiconductor and
electron tube industries from 1963 to
1977.2
Although changes are taking place in
the types and quantities of specific
components being manufactured, strong
growth for the industry should continue
in the future. This will be especially true
of microelectronic components, already
one of the most rapidly growing industries
in the United States. Although the micro-
processor was invented only ten years
ago, these chips are now used in an
incredible variety of manufactured goods.
Microelectronic devices that were no
more than an expensive curiosity a few
years ago are now commonplace. In
1977, there were nearly 4,500 manufac-
turing establishments spread through-
out the country, an increase of 50 percent
over a five year period.2'3 In addition,
nearly 400,000 persons were directly
employed in these facilities in 1977; this
represents 1.9 percent of the total U.S.
manufacturing work force.2'4 There will
be increasing use of these components
for applications in our homes, industries,
schools, and transportation equipment in
the future.
Rapid technological changes are taking
place in the industry with some sectors
Table 1. Electronic Components Industry - 1977 Statistics (from Ref. 2)
Product
Employment
Number of —
establish- Number of 1972-1977 Leading
ments employees increase, % states
Primary Shipments
1972-1977
$ million increase, %
Electron tubes, all
types
146
Semiconductors and 545
related devices
36.700
114,000
12
17
NY. PA.
CA
NY, TX.
AZ.CA
1,257
4.532
92
Capacitors
Resistors
Coils and
transformers
Connectors
Others*
Total
118
101
294
133
3.119
4.456
28.900
21.300
20.700
26,000
126,000
373.600
5
4
-13
44
25
11
PA. NC.
SC.CA
PA, IN,
CA
NY. IL.
CA
NY. PA.
IL. CA
MA. NY.
IL. CA
736
583
606
986
5.574
14.274
62
33
57
88
74
67
growing rapidly and some shrinking.
Many operations are very proprietary in
nature, especially those relating to new
technology in the advancing sectors.
Because the IPPEU report is based only
upon information found in the open
literature, few details were found
concerning many aspects of some
production processes. Therefore, this
report can only be considered preliminary
as there are a number of gaps in the data
base. However, for the segments studied
in this report, it can be concluded that
semiconductor device manufacture
presents the greatest potential impacts
upon air and water because of the nature
of the organic and inorganic pollutants
generated in the processes, the large
volume of wastewater generated, and the
size of this segment of the industry.
Printed circuit board manufacture is a
distant second. It has been estimated that
the total process water flow from these
manufacturing facilities to POTWs
(publicly owned treatment works) on a
national basis is 628 and 23 million liters
per day for the semiconductor and printed
circuit sectors respectively. The
potentially hazardous and toxic nature of
some substances used to make electronic
components, coupled with the continued
growth forecast for the industry, suggests
that such emissions from these emitting
production processes be controlled to
achieve continuous compliance with
established standards.
References
1. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. Industrial Process Profiles
for Environmental Use. Chapter 1:
Introduction, Initial Rpt. Aug. 1975-
Nov. 1977, EPA-600/2-77-023a,
(NTIS PB-266 274) January 1977,
21 pp.
2. U.S. Department of Commerce. 1977
Census of Manufactures: Electrical
Components and Accessories. June
1980.
3. U.S. Department of Commerce. 1972
Census of Manufactures: Electrical
Components and Accessories.
4. U.S. Department of Commerce. 1977
County Business Patterns: U.S.
Summary.
*Printed circuit boards, modular components, magnetic recording media, antennas, microwave
devices, filters, crystals, etc.
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6000
5000
4000
3000
to
•5
s
2000
1000
1 I I I I
—•— Electron Tubes
-— Semiconductors
A/
! V
r
\ \ \ \
\ I
1963 1965 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977
Year
Figure 1. Value of total shipments {primary, secondary, and miscellaneous)—electron tube and
semiconductor industries (from fief. 2).
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The EPA author John O. Burckle (also the EPA Project Officer, see below) is with
the Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory, Cincinnati. OH 45268; Tom
Corwin is with PEDCo Environmental, Inc., Cincinnati. OH 45246.
The complete report, entitled "Industrial Process Profiles for Environmental Use:
Chapter 30, The Electronic Component Manufacturing Industry," (Order No. PB
83-199 190; Cost: $20.50, subject to change) will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield. VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, OH 45268
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Center for Environmental Research
Information
Cincinnati OH 45268
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