Flame retardants in Arduino & Arduino modules ect

Imim:
Is it common that the Chinese manufactures add flame retardants?

Why are you interested if its 'common' ?

Hi!
A newbie question.
I absolutely LOVE Arduino! I own a few Arduinos, both real and Chinese editions. But I feel worried about the flame retardants. If I touch a circuit board, like an Arduino or Arduino module, then touch my desk, computer mouse and keyboard, does the flame retardants also get stuck on the stuff I touch with my hands? Later when I'm working on my computer and eating a sandwich, will the flame retardants go from my computer or desk to the sandwich and then get inside my body??? :fearful:
How dangerous is that? Can I get cancer of it? Am I living in flame retardants?

Br Imim

Why start a new topic?

At least you won't spontaneously combust :smiley:

My last topic was about flame retardants in electronics. This more one is about health. Just wanted a more relevant title...

FR-4 pcb material is used in the majority of all electronics in the planet. FR-4 - Wikipedia

You are probably thinking the bromine compound in it can be spread by contact as with spray-on flame retardant, but its not sprayed on, its integral with the fibre-glass resin and thus fixed in place.

TheMemberFormerlyKnownAsAWOL:
Why don't you ask the Chinese manufacturers?

Maybe because this is a forum, and he's asking the forum members if they have any knowledge/experience with this matter. It is simpler than having discourse with a Chinese manufacturer (believe me, I've tried)!

Steve

Keep the dust levels down by regularly vacuuming your work area; and use a HEPA filter in the vaccum cleaner.

Always wash your hands before you eat anything.
Wash your hands before you touch yourself, or before putting your fingers in your mouth or ears etc.
Maybe consider putting a newspaper down on the desk top and change it regularly.
Wear gloves if you can.
Wash your hands after working at the desktop.
Avoid touching anything as you go to wash your hands or gloves.
Also consider wearing a face mask to avoid inhaling contaminated dust particles.

Most of the things in your home have flame retardants (sofas, bedding etc), so be careful near those things.

You are your own health officer.

Stay safe out there.

Steve

Hi,
If harmful flame retardants were used in Arduino components, there would be less of us around to answer your question.

What makes you think that flame retardant chemicals are use and not just non-flammable materials.

If you think that the PCBs are covered in flame retardant, why are you not afraid to go outside where the proliferation of retardants would be a higher risk. Cars, trains, buses, buildings.

Sorry but I think you are over-thinking the situation.

Tom.. :slight_smile:

Thanks!

Thanks

I think what you eat from the supermarket would be far more of a worry! :astonished:

Let alone the burger shop (of whatever name).

Your printed circuit boards are made of many very thin layers of fiberglass that are impregnated with epoxy and then cured under high pressure and heat. The flame retardent is in the epoxy material. There is NO standard as to what that retardent might be. It only has to pass test the qualify for a FR4 designation. And who knows if the Chinese circuit boards you get even pass the test.

Paul

For your concern, I suggest you search for the MSDS for FR4 circuit board material.

The world is full of flame retardants and other things that contain arguably hazardous chemicals. PCBs (printed circuit boards - not to be confused with the class of chemicals called PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), which are quite toxic and subject to stringent controls in most countries) are not particularly hazardous.

If you're worried about exposure to traces of hazardous chemicals, worry about BPA (and the similarly toxic analogs used in some "BPA-free" plastics) in water bottles and receipt paper.

steve1001:
Maybe because this is a forum ABOUT ARDUINO BASED PROJECTS!

fixed that for you.
While the talent here has a knowledge base..... ultimately this is still an Arduino based forum.
You 'may' get lucky enough to have someone chime in.. but the question is still best asked and served by asking the vendors or the manufacturer directly.....

IT is actually more complex than asking the manufacturer of the Arduino boards. They most likely buy the completed board from an assembly house. The assembly house in turn, buys the etched/plated circuit board panel from a board manufacturer and added all the components and breaks up the panel into individual circuit boards for the vendor you got the board from.

The business that makes the original panel of circuit boards will have one or more suppliers of board material with copper on one or both sides. That last supplier will be the only one to know what chemical they added to the epoxy to give it the FR4 properties.

Hopeless.

Paul

Added: if you are that concerned, then you need a different hobby.

Paul_KD7HB:
Added: if you are that concerned, then you need a different hobby.

And a house far from modern society and free of modern materials.

The flame retardants in circuit boards are nothing to worry about as a source of traces of hazardous chemicals, when you've got flame retardants in your furniture (required by law) and bedding, BPA in your water bottles, liners of canned food, and receipt paper (and the "BPA-free" stuff usually uses BPS or other closely related analog with the same concerns), lead in the water, pesticide residues on produce, etc.

@Imim

Topics merged.
Please read this first.

Further infractions may lead to a timeout.

Bob.

The RoHS legislation banned certain flame retardants

So you can ask if the PCB is RoSH compliant.