If you are a business that either manufactures, imports or exports products intended for consumers, there are a number of regulations that affect the composition of the product, depending on what it is and where it will be sold. These regulations are intended to protect people and the environment from exposure to high levels of toxic substances. See: CPSIA and/or RoHS-WEEE
If you are a direct seller or distributor of manufactured goods you are also responsible for taking reasonable steps to ensure the products are safe and comply with regulations.
Screening with an XRF analyzer can be used as part of a QA/QC program to comply with regulations. This may be used at any point in the supply chain by manufacturers, import/export businesses, retailers and distributors, either as the basis for documentation, or to check a claim of conformity.
Note that if you plan on using proprietary materials from suppliers, carrying out a deformulation, or reverse-engineering, to determine their metal content may help identify obvious problems before they become costly. In cases when elemental composition is considered a trade secret and not advertised, you can find out if this includes undesirable elements.
Mercury in Polyurethane
Cadmium in a Proprietary Alloy
We offer flexible options for businesses to check raw materials or finished goods: See Mail-In Testing or Fieldwork.