| Abstract |
The penetration of electronics in any area of technology is a potential problem because of the manufacturing aspects but also because of the generation of waste that cannot be treated conventionally. This appears to be far away from power electronics, but not only industrial power electronic must be considered: each electronic unit has an embedded power
supply. The presence in a power electronics converter of compounds such as, chromium, cadmium, mercury and lead, makes that this kind of waste be recycled or safely disposed. The environmental effects associated with the manufacture of power converters should not be overlooked, particularly semiconductor manufacturing, with a high environmental impact because of the use of toxic elements, but also because the large amounts of energy consumed. WEEE and RoHS directives
of the European Commission have been introduced contributing to solve these problems. They have had a direct
impact in the electric and electronic industries and, therefore, also in the power electronics technology (Fig. 2). |
