IEC 62321 — Standard

About the Standard

Scope title: determination of restricted substances in electrotechnical products (RoHS)

IEC 62321 is a standard published by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). It publishes international standards for electrical, electronic and related technologies; it is the foundation of the EMC and electrical safety body of work. CISPR publications belong to a special committee within the IEC.

See the other 102 codes from IEC

Coverage areas

Kimyasal Testler — What Does This Testing Field Cover?

The section below describes the field that code IEC 62321 belongs to; it is not the text of the standard or the regime itself. The scope title of the code is given above, and technical requirements are shared at the quotation stage.

Chemical testing determines which substances are present in a material and at what concentrations. The output of this family is usually assessed against a RESTRICTION: is the substance banned, is it below the limit, does it have to be notified?

The most defining feature of the field is that restrictions CHANGE RAPIDLY. The REACH Annex XVII list expands regularly, the SVHC candidate list is updated every six months, the RoHS substance list takes on new items, the scope of the POPs regulation widens, and brand restricted substance lists are revised several times a year. When reading a chemical report it must therefore be stated which version of the list it was assessed against; a report obtained two years ago may fall short against today's list.

Methods are divided according to the type of analyte. ICP-OES, ICP-MS, AAS and XRF are used for elemental analysis; GC-MS, HPLC and LC-MS/MS for organic compounds; FTIR and Raman for structural identification; DSC and TGA for thermal characterisation.

XRF has a special place in the field and is often misused. Because it is fast, non-destructive and suitable for field use, it is very valuable as a screening tool: it answers within minutes whether a product contains lead or bromine. But XRF is an ELEMENTAL screening method and does not distinguish compounds. It sees the presence of bromine but does not say whether that bromine is a restricted flame retardant or a permitted compound. A definitive decision requires confirmation by wet chemistry.

Sample preparation is the invisible half of the result. A multi-component product — an electronic board or a shoe, for example — is not a homogeneous sample; each component must be separated and analysed individually. In a RoHS assessment this separation goes down to the "homogeneous material" level and the limits are applied at that level. Grinding the whole product and analysing it dilutes the restricted substance and hides it.

The detection limit and measurement uncertainty determine the quality of decisions in this field. A result falling just below a limit may be above it once uncertainty is taken into account. Accredited reports therefore declare the uncertainty, and a decision rule is applied in the conformity decision.

Declaration obligations go beyond analysis. SVHC notification, supply chain communication and product composition declarations are usually built from supplier data rather than from analysis; analysis is used to verify that data. A complete conformity file combines the two.

Method groups in this field

Elemental analysis
Trace element determination by ICP-OES and ICP-MS, targeted measurement by AAS, rapid screening by XRF.
Organic compounds
Volatile and semi-volatile compounds by GC-MS, polar compounds and residues by HPLC and LC-MS/MS.
Restricted substance screening
The six RoHS substances, phthalates, brominated flame retardants, PFAS, azo dye amines, short-chain chlorinated paraffins.
Structural identification
Polymer and compound identity by FTIR and Raman, layer analysis under the microscope.
Thermal analysis
Composition, filler content, decomposition temperature and transition temperatures by DSC and TGA.
Migration and release
Migration in food contact materials, element migration in toys, nickel release in contact with skin.

Commonly confused in this field

XRF is not a method for definitive decisions; it sees elements and does not distinguish compounds. A decision on a restricted compound requires confirmation.
RoHS limits are applied at the homogeneous material level; grinding the whole product and analysing it dilutes the restricted substance and produces a false conformity.
A report that does not state the list version may fall short against today's legislation; restrictions are updated continuously.
Results just below a limit are assessed together with the measurement uncertainty; declaring conformity without a decision rule is risky.
A supplier declaration does not replace analysis, nor does analysis replace the supplier declaration; a complete file combines the two.
The phrase "not detected" is not proof of absence; it is read together with the detection limit of the method.

Which decisions these results support

RoHS and REACH declaration of conformity
SVHC notification and supply chain communication
Auditing against the brand restricted substance list
Responding to customs and market surveillance requests
Verifying a supplier material change

Structure of the Code

Published by: IEC
Serial number: 62321
Part: without partition

Codes in the library without release year is kept. The current version changes over time; If the year is specified in your specification, that version is taken as basis, if not specified, the most current version is applied.

Scope

Chemical Testing

Related Tests and Services

A separate test page based on this code has not yet been released. The code falls within the scope of the following test families.

Chemical Testing

Technical Requirements

Standard texts are copyright of the relevant organization; test condition, sample and acceptance criteria cannot be fitted here.

Technical requirements specific to your product, once we clarify the scope At offer stage shared in writing.

Relevant Product Groups and Legislation

This code is included in the standard tag of the product pages below.

These product pages carry notes for the following markets: European Union, United Kingdom, USA, China. Whether the standard is mandatory in the relevant market varies depending on the product group and the applicable legislation.

Regulations published with this code on the same product pages:

2014/35/EULVDThe Low Voltage Directive. Governs the electrical safety of equipment operating in the 50–1000 V AC range; the manufacturer makes the declaration, with no notified body involvement.
2014/30/EUEMCThe Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive. Covers both the interference a device emits into its environment (emission) and its resistance to interference from outside (immunity).
(AB) 2019/2023EcodesignEcodesign requirements for washing machines and washer-dryers. Sets thresholds for energy and water consumption and washing/rinsing effectiveness.
(AB) 2019/2014Energy LabelEnergy labelling for washing machines. Class, water consumption and programme duration are declared on the label; EPREL registration is mandatory.
2011/65/EURoHSRestriction of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment; an integral part of the CE declaration.
2012/19/ABWEEEWaste electrical and electronic equipment. Requires product marking and registration with the collection system.
(AB) 2019/2020EcodesignEcodesign requirements for light sources. Covers efficiency, colour consistency, switching-cycle durability and product-information requirements.
(AB) 2019/2015Energy LabelEnergy labelling for light sources. An A–G class and EPREL registration are mandatory.
(EC) 1907/2006REACHRegistration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals. Creates a notification obligation for SVHC substances in the product's content.
(EU) 2023/1542Batteries RegulationSustainability, safety and transparency for batteries. Carbon footprint declaration, recycled content and the battery passport apply on a staged timetable.
UN Manual of Tests and CriteriaUN 38.3Transport safety of lithium cells and batteries. The T1–T8 test series is applied in the defined order; shipment cannot proceed without a report.
(EU) 2023/988GPSRThe General Product Safety Regulation. Establishes a safety framework for aspects not covered by sector-specific legislation.
2014/53/EUREDThe Radio Equipment Directive. Spectrum, EMC and electrical safety are assessed together on the radio interface; the 3.3(d)(e)(f) cybersecurity articles apply from 1 August 2025.
(EU) 2024/2847CRAThe Cyber Resilience Act. Cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements; reporting from 11 September 2026, full application from 11 December 2027.
(AB) 2022/2380Common Charging InterfaceA common charging solution for certain radio equipment. A USB-C interface and declaration of charging information on the label are mandatory.
(AB) 2023/1670Ecodesign (smartphones)Ecodesign requirements for smartphones and tablets. Sets requirements for durability, repairability, spare parts and software-update duration.
(AB) 2023/1669Energy Label (smartphones)Energy labelling for smartphones and tablets; battery life, drop resistance and a repair score are declared on the label.
(EU) 2017/745MDRThe Medical Device Regulation. Classification (I, IIa, IIb, III), clinical evaluation, technical documentation and post-market surveillance obligations; the notified body's role grows as the class rises.
(EU) 2017/746IVDRThe In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation. In vitro diagnostic devices fall under this regulation instead of the MDR.
(AB) 2017/745 art. 33EUDAMEDThe European medical device database. From 28 May 2026, the actor registration, UDI/device, certificate and market surveillance modules are mandatory; placing on the market is not possible without a valid SRN.
2006/42/ATMachinery Directive (overlap)Relevant essential requirements also apply to medical devices that also qualify as machinery.
(EU) 2023/1230Machinery RegulationReplaces 2006/42/EC and becomes mandatory on 20 January 2027 with no further transition period. Requires notified-body involvement for Annex I high-risk machinery.
2014/34/ABATEXEquipment and protective systems used in explosive atmospheres. The category and conformity route are determined by zone classification.
2000/14/ATNoise EmissionNoise emitted into the environment by outdoor equipment. Machinery within scope requires a sound-power-level declaration and marking.

Other Parts of the Same Series

IEC 62321 series is also present in the library with the following parts.

Related Standards

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this standard mandatory for my product?

Whether it is mandatory depends on the product group, the target market and the applicable legislation. Once you tell us your product and market, we clarify in writing whether this standard is required.

How long does the test process take?

Duration depends on the scope of the standard, the number of specimens and current capacity. The exact duration is shared, together with the specimen and scope details, at the quote stage.

Do you issue certification against this standard?

Which activity is carried out under which accreditation scope is separately confirmed at the application stage. Up-to-date scope information is published on our corporate page.

What happens if the standard I need is not here?

The library is based on a continuously growing inventory. If you cannot find the code you are looking for, you can send it through the quote form; we will assess the relevant scope and get back to you.