Guidance on registration - ECHA - Europa

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<strong>Guidance</strong> on registration
Version 2.0 May 2012
of the mixture itself.
The REACH Regulation refers to alloys as "special mixtures". Therefore an alloy is to be treated
in the same way as other mixtures under REACH. This means that although the alloy is not
subject to registration, the alloying elements (e.g. metals) have to be registered. The
obligation to register the alloying elements applies irrespectively of the production process
involved in the manufacturing of the alloy. Constituents which are not intentionally added to
the alloy should be considered as impurities (i.e. they are part of one of the substances in the
mixture) and therefore need not be registered separately.
An article is an object which during production is given a special shape, surface or design
which determines its function to a greater degree than does its chemical composition (e.g.
manufactured goods such as textiles, electronic chips, furniture, books, toys, kitchen
equipment). An individual substance in an article is subject to the registration obligations in
case it is present in the article in quantities over one tonne per year and the substance is
intended to be released under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use. The
registration obligation applies to the producer of the article or, in case the article is imported,
to the importer, insofar as the substance has not been registered for that use. Detailed
guidance on articles and how they are dealt with under REACH can be found in the <strong>Guidance</strong>
for articles.
The registration obligations apply therefore to the individual substances themselves,
independently of whether they are on their own, in a mixture or in an article. In
other words, only substances have to be registered under REACH, mixtures or
articles do not.
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