Understanding Halogen
What are halogens?
Halogens are a family of chemical elements that include:
| Name | Symbol | Found in... |
Fluorine | F | toothpaste |
Chlorine | Cl | disinfectants |
Bromine | Br | film for photography |
Iodine | I | table salt |
Astatine | At | treatments for cancer |
Why is it important to understand halogens?
Halogenated compounds are the materials of choice today for cabling insulation and electric components due to:
- Abundance of raw materials on the market
- Relatively low material costs
- Desirable product properties
Environmental groups are pushing to remove potentially toxic compounds from products, driving the electronics industry to exclude halogens from electronics manufacturing.
Items used in electronics manufacturing that may be labeled with barcodes include:
- Films
- Connectors
- Adhesives
- Electronic components
- Poly vinyl chloride (PVC)
- Cables (data & communication)
- Mechanical plastic parts
- Vibration dampening parts
- Printed circuit boards
Why is halogen-free important?
While halogens do not cause harm to humans or the environment in the form contained in electronics, they can be harmful during a fire involving electronics or after disposal of electronic equipment.
Fire
- Releases toxins that can be harmful to people
- Releases corrosives that can damage electronics
Disposal (incineration at the end of a product's life)
- Releases dioxins and furans (highly toxic compounds that are environmental pollutants & carcinogenic) into the atmosphere
- Dioxins and furans have been shown to be present in increasing levels in soil, ground water, and humans
- Uncontrolled disposal in developing countries
DNP Understands
DNP understands the impact halogen-containing products have on the electronics industry and, therefore, the thermal transfer ribbon industry. We continue to modify our formulations so they stay current with market demands. The latest star in our halogen-free lineup is V200 Versatile Wax/Resin.
