I just read an interesting snippet in the April, 2012 National Geographic called "Gemstone DNA," which describes a relatively simple technology that could conceivably make the work of tracing metals to their exact mineral source and location much easier. 

The process, developed by Texas-based Materialytics, uses a laser to convert a "tiny amount of the rock into a bright micro-plasma." The wavelengths from the sparks of light generated have unique spectral qualities that can serve as a "fingerprint." The company is creating a large database from mine locations around the world, with apparently enough precision to ID the actual mine itself in some cases.

I wonder if this could be the conflict-mineral analogue to the XRF gun we all used during the RoHS transition.... 

Todd

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Todd MacFadden
Component & Reliability Engineering
Bose Corporation
The Mountain, MS 31
Framingham, MA 01701
508.766.6259
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-----Original Message-----
From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steve Gregory
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2012 10:15 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [TN] Conflict Minerals

Here's a link to some interesting reading about this:

http://www.ipc.org/3.0_Industry/3.3_Gov_Relations/2011/IPC-SEC-NPRM-Comments-030311.pdf

Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Blair Hogg
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2012 8:45 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [TN] Conflict Minerals

We have been receiving requests from customers for statements thta our products do not have any content of minerals from conflict areas, e.g. Congo. Anyone else getting these? How are you handling them? 

The point behind this is apparently to avoid providing funding of aggressors through the purchase of minerals from areas in conflict. A quick glance at this makes it look even worse than RoHS, now it is not simply the materials in the components, but from where they originate. 

Blair


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