Facts About Copper Beryllium - Materion

The Facts About the
Use of Copper
Beryllium Alloy in the
Electronics Industry
October 2011

Facts You Need to Know
• There are no current or proposed regulations that ban,
restrict or otherwise limit the use of copper beryllium alloy
in electronic applications.
• The Joint Industry Guide does not list beryllium, and
therefore copper beryllium alloys, as declarable.
• Copper beryllium alloy does not impact end of life
management of products since copper beryllium alloy
does not threaten the environment and is recyclable.
• Microelectronic designers, engineers, and manufacturers can
be confident that copper beryllium alloys will continue to
provide unique and reliable design solutions without
legislative restrictions and with no special health risks.

Regulatory Review
• Copper beryllium alloys are NOT included in any special
end-of-life requirements or restrictions in the European
Union (EU) regulations including:
– Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances
in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS)
– Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
– End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV).
• Beryllium, and therefore copper beryllium alloys, was
NOT included as a restricted substance in the RoHS Recast
formally adopted by the European Council on May 27, 2011.

REACH Regulation
• To comply with the EU Registration, Evaluation and
Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) regulation, all
substances in copper beryllium alloy, including beryllium,
have been registered and tested in accordance with
guidance provided by European Chemical Agency (ECHA).
• None of the substances contained in copper beryllium
alloy have been listed on the Candidate List of Substances of
Very High Concern (SVHC) and therefore not under
consideration for use restriction.
• Most copper beryllium alloy products imported into the EU
are considered articles and are not subject to use
authorization.
• The use of copper beryllium alloys are unlikely to be
restricted in electronics under the REACH regulation based
on the low potential risk to downstream processors,
consumers, the general public, the environment or to those
processing electronic scrap.

Electronic Industry Guideline
• The Joint Industry Guide for Material Composition
Declaration for Electrotechnical Products (“JIG”)
– Developed by industry representatives ti from Europe,
Japan and the United States
– Adopted as a JEDEC standard in April 2005
– The JIG is endorsed by the majority of the worlds
electronic companies and organizations representing the
electronics industry.
• Beryllium, and therefore copper beryllium alloys, is not
listed in the most recent version of the JIG available at
www.ce.org/JIG.

Scrap Recycling
• Copper beryllium alloy scrap and by-products can be, and
are, recycled safely by many recycling operations all over the
world
• Copper beryllium alloy does not impact end of life
management of products since copper beryllium alloy
does not threaten the environment and is recyclable.
• Copper beryllium alloy is a valuable resource that is
actively recycled.
• Brush Wellman will purchase Copper beryllium alloy scrap
(call 1-800-BUY-BECU)

Conclusion
Copper beryllium alloys are not banned, restricted, or
otherwise limited in electronics applications anywhere in the
world.
The Joint Industry Guide does not list beryllium, and
therefore copper beryllium alloys, as declarable.
Copper beryllium alloy does not impact end of life
management of products since copper beryllium alloy
does not threaten the environment and is recyclable.
Microelectronic designers, engineers, and manufacturers can
be confident that copper beryllium alloys will continue to
provide unique and reliable design solutions without
legislative restrictions and with no special health risks.

Contact Information
For additional information please contact:
Jimmy Johnson
Director, Application Engineering & Technology
jimmy.johnson@materion.com
Phone: +1.216.383.4014
Or visit www.cubefacts.com