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Due to up-coming world-wide regulations regarding the use of lead in the electronics industry, including tin/lead solder and tin/lead wire and pin platings, manufacturers are introducing and moving over to lead-free processes.
The leads coming out of the IC package are generally coated with a tin/lead alloy, to improve solderability.
Because from 1 July 2006 all electronic assembly in the EU must be done without lead holding materials, manufacturers are now using alloys without lead contents.
This is called "Pb-free" or "lead-free".
There are many sites that explain this in much more detail. See for example:
why are they worried about those teeny weeny amounts of lead. a great number of cars in the world still smoke out huge amounts of lead. they should turn their attention towards such issues first
I somewhat agree - there are many things worse than the lead on electronics. It's a start though. (Note to self: stay off politics!)
Everyone seems to forget (or ignore or not know) that the black diesel smoke coming from the lorry in front is carcinogenic. The governments certainly don't mention this, they just talk about the publics' cars. (Note to self: stay off politics!!!)
The problem with the lead in electronics really stems from the vast quantities of consumer equipment which is now not realistically (that is, economically for the consumer) repairable. Most consumer gear seems designed to live just longer than its guarentee (sp?) and is nearly as expensive to repair as to replace.
I recently had a TV fail - I'm not a TV guy so I called some repair shops. The cheapest price I could get was only about 30% cheaper than a new, better TV! Stupid! I almost decided to learn TV repairs, but I'm too lazy.
The problem is compounded by the manufacturers' policy of "planned obsolesence" so that they can sell more and more. Natural, I suppose, for a big company run by profiteers (and what company isn't?). Mobile 'phones are the current big player here - if you don't have the latest 'phone, you are seen as not 'trendy'. Mine is a seriously old brick!
The end result of this is many tonnes of PCB's, each with it's little bit of lead, being dumped in landfill sites. Some countries I believe actually levy an extra tax on consumer electronics to pay for proper disposal at the end of its life.
Did anyone mention arsenic, cadmium etc etc? No? I wonder why: Maybe because the general public understand lead - it's well known to be hazardous. Therefore, it makes good public relations for governments to do something about it. (Note to self: oop's, getting a bit political again)
Personally, I do my bit for recycling. I have far too many boxes of old gear, and can't help grabbing the odd decent-looking PC from the local tip when I visit, much to my wife's annoyance.
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