XRF for Detecting Mercury in Products
Mercury has no legitimate use in most modern electronics, but it doesn't disappear from the supply chain just because regulations restrict it.
Older components, legacy inventory, and supply chain substitutions all represent pathways for mercury to show up in products that are supposed to be clean.
RoHS restricts mercury at 0.1% by weight in homogeneous materials. Mercury is used or was historically used in fluorescent backlights, certain types of switches and relays, batteries, and some sensor components. As these components age out of supply chains, the risk shifts toward legacy stock and non-compliant substitutes sourced through secondary suppliers.
Handheld XRF detects mercury effectively at RoHS threshold concentrations.
The characteristic X-ray fluorescence (XRF) signature of mercury is distinct and measurable, and modern XRF instruments with high-resolution silicon drift detectors deliver reliable mercury readings at the concentrations that matter for RoHS compliance screening.
The most practical application is incoming inspection of component types with historical mercury use-
- Fluorescent lamp assemblies
- Older switch types
- Battery chemistries
These are some of the components where mercury content is a known historical risk. Screening these categories at receiving, before they enter production or inventory, is far less costly than identifying a mercury compliance issue in a finished product already staged for shipment.
Mercury detection by XRF has higher detection limits than some other RoHS restricted metals, and for applications requiring ultra-low detection limits, laboratory confirmation provides the definitive quantification. XRF functions as the primary screening tool that directs which samples warrant laboratory follow-up. And that keeps laboratory costs focused on samples where they actually matter.
Knowing which components to test and testing them at the point where catching a problem is still inexpensive, is the practical value XRF brings to mercury compliance in a production environment.
Screen for mercury at the component level before it becomes a compliance problem.
Shop handheld RoHS XRF analyzers at Alloy Geek
More RoHS XRF Resources
There are a lot of ways to save money and time with XRF analysis, especially when it comes to RoHS and other legal compliances. Learn more about the uses and benefits of XRF analysis for your business from an XRF professional.