RoHS guide
RoHS restricted substances
Use this page as a source-backed summary of the core restricted substances under the RoHS Directive when screening electronics, components, cables, plastics, and related material portfolios.
What to screen for
Core RoHS restricted substances
| Substance or group | Scope | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | restricted in homogeneous materials | Core RoHS restricted substance relevant to solders, alloys, glass, and electronic components. |
| Mercury | restricted in homogeneous materials | RoHS restriction with exemption-heavy use cases in selected lamps and legacy applications. |
| Cadmium | restricted in homogeneous materials | Restricted under RoHS with a lower threshold than most of the other listed substances. |
| Hexavalent chromium | restricted in homogeneous materials | Relevant for coatings, corrosion protection, and plating workflows. |
| Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) | restricted in homogeneous materials | Legacy brominated flame retardant class restricted under RoHS. |
| Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | restricted in homogeneous materials | Includes legacy brominated flame retardants such as DecaBDE in electronics-related screening conversations. |
| Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) | restricted in homogeneous materials | One of the four phthalates added later to the RoHS restricted-substance list. |
| Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) | restricted in homogeneous materials | Phthalate restriction relevant to plastics and flexible materials. |
| Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) | restricted in homogeneous materials | Phthalate restriction relevant to polymers, coatings, and cable-adjacent material reviews. |
| Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) | restricted in homogeneous materials | Fourth RoHS phthalate, often discussed together with DEHP, BBP, and DBP. |
Related routes
Where to go next in chem-data
Use case
Flame retardant substance cluster
Open the flame-retardant route when the question is broader than one restricted substance and tied to electronics or plastics screening.
LookupSearch the chemical database
Use the registry when you want to move from a RoHS substance family into one chemical page with CAS, sources, and EU status routes.
Official sourceOpen the Commission RoHS source page
Use the source route when policy wording, exemptions, or directive-level interpretation matter more than a quick summary.