Are Lead (Pb)-Free and RoHS the same thing?
A. No. RoHS compliance only requires the Pb to be less than 1,000 PPM in any one homogeneous material. “Pb-Free” is not clearly defined and, therefore, each manufacturer is left to define “Pb-Free” for their products. “Pb-Free” could mean anything from “no Pb at all” to “no Pb on lead finishes”. “Pb-Free” also does not include the other five hazardous substances defined in the RoHS Directive. With that said, some manufacturers will call their RoHS compliant product “Pb-Free”. You need to understand how a manufacturer defines “Pb-Free” if you plan to rely on it. Mouser has taken all this into consideration when we mark products as RoHS-compliant.
