American Made Advocacy: Rebuilding America’s Military Stockpiles Begins With Microelectronics
The Right Approach: The End of an Era—DoD Proposes MIL-PRF-31032 Cancellation
Defense Speak Interpreted: Hypersonics Report Back After Six Years of Silence
Balanced Approach Needed to Regulate PFAS in Electronics
March 25, 2026 | Diana Radovan, Global Electronics AssociationEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The very broad per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) group has widespread use in both consumer and highly specialized applications, including, perhaps surprisingly, green technologies. Among these, the fluoropolymers subgroup plays a complex and critical role in electronics. To date, there are hardly any technically comparable alternatives.
The electronics industry is facing a major regulatory and business challenge as inconsistent policies on potential PFAS restrictions in electronics are emerging across regions worldwide, and, in the U.S., in different states. Some states and regions exclude specific types of fluoropolymers from broad bans (for instance, policies in New Mexico or Canada), while others don’t. The Draft Background Document developed by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) proposes time-limited derogations for specific PFAS applications, but these are insufficient when no technically comparable alternative exists today.
Given other ongoing and upcoming chemical bans for critical uses in electronics and the global nature of manufacturing and operations in our industry, broad PFAS bans that do not account for their function-critical properties risk creating significant technical and socio-economic challenges for our industry. It also creates a disruptive impact on businesses, which we aim to avoid. This is why PFAS advocacy work is crucial and a priority for the Association.
ECHA will release its final Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) opinion and Committee for Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC) draft opinion at the end of March, and a consultation window on the SEAC draft opinion will be open for two months. Please consult our blog here, and the information in this article on how to prepare for the consultation.
To continue reading this article, which originally appeared in the March 2026 edition of SMT007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Our marketing partnership with I-Connect007 is already delivering. Just a day after our press release went live, we received a direct inquiry about our updated products!"
Rachael Temple - AlltematedSuggested Items
MacDermid Alpha to Debut Zero-PFAS Die Attach Paste ATROX CD 560-1 at SEMICON Southeast Asia 2026
04/27/2026 | MacDermid Alpha Electronics SolutionsMacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions will debut ATROX® CD 560-1, a zero-PFAS conductive die attach paste, at SEMICON Southeast Asia 2026, May 5–7, in Kuala Lumpur, Booth 2423.
Nordson Electronics Solutions Enables Seamless Integration of Actnano PFAS-Free Coatings With Asymtek Select Coat Conformal Coating Systems
09/23/2025 | Nordson Electronics SolutionsNordson Electronics Solutions, a global leader in reliable electronics manufacturing technologies, announces full compatibility of its industry-leading ASYMTEK conformal coating systems with actnano’s next-generation, PFAS-free materials.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
05/10/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineSpring is a renewal each year as dormant flora bloom, and baby ducklings and geese are ever present in local bodies of water. Even though it is beginning to get hot, I love this time of year in Arizona, with the sun waking me around 5 a.m. It fills me with an energy that I often lose in the dark winter months. Wherever you find yourself in the world, I hope you are enjoying Spring and that you are filled with energy and enthusiasm for all the great work part of our daily lives in this industry.
Dragonfly Energy Announces Breakthrough in Lithium Battery Production: Eliminating Harmful 'Forever Chemicals'
05/09/2024 | Globe NewswireDragonfly Energy Holdings Corp., an industry leader in green energy storage, has made a significant breakthrough in battery manufacturing with the successful production of PFAS-free electrodes in lithium battery cells.
The Many Complexities of PFAS
03/26/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineIn its simplest definition, PFAS is a group of chemicals used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. Fluoropolymer coatings can be in a variety of products. Though this definition is not inaccurate, it can be misleading. Depending on who you ask, there are upward of 10,000 PFAS chemistries that can meet various definitions.