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Solder

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	Topics Solder Topic Home A solder is a fusibleFusible alloy Overview A fusible alloy, usually eutectic alloy is capable of being fused, as well as being liquefied by heat.... metal alloyAlloy An alloy is a combination, either in solution or compound, of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal, and wh... with a melting point or melting range of 90 to 450 °CCelsius The Celsius scale is a temperature scale named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who first proposed a similar sy... (200 to 840 °FFahrenheit Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German physicist Gabriel Fahrenheit , who proposed it in 1724.... ), used in a process called solderingSoldering Soldering is a method of joining metal parts using an alloy of low melting point filler material which has a melting temper... where it is melted to join metallic surfaces. It is especially useful in electronicsElectronics The field of electronics comprises the study and use of systems that operate by controlling the flow of electrons in device... and plumbingPlumbing Plumbing, from the Latin for lead , is the skilled trade of working with pipes and tubing for potable water systems and drai... . Alloys that melt between 180 and 190 °C are the most commonly used. The word solder comes from the Middle EnglishMiddle English Middle English is the name given by historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the N... word soudur, via Old FrenchOld French Old French is a term sometimes used to refer to the langue d'ol, the continuum of varieties of Romance language spoken in te... solduree and soulder, from the LatinLatin Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome.... solidare, meaning '‘to make solid’'. In North American EnglishAmerican English American English is the dialect of the English language used mostly in the United States of America.... "solder" is pronounced with a short O and silent L whereas in British EnglishBritish English British English is a term used to distinguish the form of the English language used in the British Isles from forms used el... the word is pronounced as written. Solder can contain lead and or flux but in many applications solder is now lead free. Lead solder TinTin Tin is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Sn and atomic number 50.... /leadLead Lead is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Pb and atomic number 82.... solders are commercially available with tin concentrations between 5% and 70% by weight. The greater the tin concentration, the greater the solder’s tensileTensile strength Tensile strength measures the force required to pull something such as rope, wire, or a structural beam to the point where i... and shear strengthShear strength Shear strength in geology and geotechnical engineering is a term used to describe the strength of materials, especially soil... s. At the retail level, the two most common alloys are 60/40 SnTin Tin is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Sn and atomic number 50.... /PbLead Lead is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Pb and atomic number 82.... and 63/37 Sn/Pb used principally in electrical work. The 63/37 ratio is notable in that it is a eutecticEutectic point A eutectic or eutectic mixture is a mixture of two or more phases at a composition that has the lowest melting point, ... mixture, which means: It has the lowest melting point (183 °C or 361.4 °F) of all the tin/lead alloys; and The melting point is truly a point — not a range At an eutectic composition, the liquid solder solidifies as a eutectic, which consists of fine grains of nearly pure lead and nearly pure tin phases, but in no way is it an intermetallic, since there are no tin/lead intermetallics, as can be seen from a tin/lead equilibrium diagram. In plumbing, a higher proportion of lead was used. This had the advantage of making the alloy solidify more slowly, so that it could be wiped over the joint to ensure watertightness. Although lead water pipes were displaced by copper when the significance of lead poisoningLead poisoning Lead poisoning is a medical condition, also known as saturnism, plumbism or painter's colic, caused by in... began to be fully appreciated, lead solder was still used until the 1980s because it was thought that the amount of lead that could leach into water from the solder was negligible. Since even small amounts of lead have been found detrimental to health, lead in plumbing solder was replaced by copperCopper Copper is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.... or antimonyAntimony Summary Antimony is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Sb and atomic number 51.... , with silverSilver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag .... often added, and the proportion of tin was increased (see Lead-free solder below). Hard solder As used for brazingBrazing Brazing is a joining process whereby a non-ferrous filler metal or alloy are heated to melting temperature and distributed b... , is generally a copper/zincZinc Zinc is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30.... or copper/silver alloy, and melts at higher temperatures. In silversmithing or jewelry making, special hard solders are used that will pass assayAssay An assay is a procedure where the concentration of a component part of a mixture is determined.... . They contain a high proportion of the metal being soldered and lead is not used in these alloys. These solders also come in a variety of hardnesses, known as 'enamelling', 'hard', 'medium' and 'easy'. EnamellingVitreous enamel In a discussion of art technology, enamel is the colorful result of fusion of powdered glass to a substrate through the proc... solder has a high melting point, close to that of the material itself, to prevent the joint desolderingDesoldering In electronics, desoldering is the removal of solder and components from a circuit for troubleshooting and repair purposes.... during firing in the enamelling process. The remaining solder types are used in decreasing order of hardness during the process of making an item, to prevent a previously soldered seam or joint desoldering while soldering a new joint. Easy solder is also often used for repair work for the same reason. FluxFlux (metallurgy) Overview In metallurgy, flux is a substance which facilitates soldering, brazing, and welding by chemically cleaning the metals to be... or rouge is also used to prevent joints desoldering. Silver solder is also used in manufacturing, when there is a need to join metal parts that cannot be weldedWelding Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence.... . The alloys used for these purposes contain a high proportion of silver (up to 40%), and may also contain toxic cadmiumCadmium Summary Cadmium is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Cd and atomic number 48.... . Flux core solder Solder often comes pre-mixed with, or is used with, fluxFlux (metallurgy) In metallurgy, flux is a substance which facilitates soldering, brazing, and welding by chemically cleaning the metals to be... , a reducing agent designed to help remove impurities (specifically oxidised metals) from the points of contact to improve the electrical connection. For convenience, solder is often manufactured as a hollow tube and filled with flux. Most cold solder is soft enough to be rolled and packaged as a coil, making for a convenient and compact solder/flux package. The two principal types of flux are acid flux, used for metal mending, and rosinRosin Rosin, formerly called colophony or Greek pitch, is a solid form of resin obtained from pines and some other pla... flux, used in electronics, where the corrosiveness of the vapours that arise when acid flux is heated could damage components. Due to concerns over atmospheric pollution and hazardous waste disposal, the electronics industry has been gradually shifting from rosin flux to water-soluble flux, which can be removed with deionised water and detergent, instead of hydrocarbon solvents. Lead-free solder On July 1 2006 the European UnionEuropean Union The European Union is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 25 democratic member states.... Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment DirectiveWaste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive is the European Community directive 2002/96/EC on waste electrical a... (WEEE) and Restriction of Hazardous Substances DirectiveRestriction of Hazardous Substances Directive See the .The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive 2002/95/EC was adopted in February 2003 by the European Unio... (RoHS) came into effect prohibiting the intentional addition of lead to most consumer electronics produced in the EU. No such legislation is in place in the United States or other countries, however manufacturers may receive tax benefits by reducing the use of lead-based solder. Lead-free solders in commercial use may contain tin, copper, silver, bismuthBismuth Bismuth is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Bi and atomic number 83.... , indiumIndium Summary Indium is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol In and atomic number 49.... , zincZinc Zinc is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30.... , antimonyAntimony Antimony is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Sb and atomic number 51.... , and traces of other metals. Most lead-free replacements for conventional Sn60/Pb40 and Sn63/Pb37 solder have melting points from 5–20 °C higher, though solders with much lower melting points are available. Drop-in replacements for silkscreen with solder paste soldering operations are available. Minor modification to the solder pots (e.g. titanium liners and/or impellers) used in wave-soldering operations may be desired to reduce maintenance costs associated with the increased tin-scavenging effects of high tin solders. The properties of lead-free solders are not as thoroughly known and may therefore be considered less reliable in select applications, e.g. Hi-rel aerospace and life-critical medical. "Tin whiskersFacts About Whisker (metallurgy) Metal whiskers are a crystalline metallurgical phenomenon whereby metal grows tiny, filiform hairs.... " were a problem with early electronic solders which were coincidentally lead-free, and lead was initially added in part to eliminate them. These problems are negligible in modern alloys, however, except in hi-rel military, aerospace-satellite and life-critical medical applications. SnAgCu solders are used by two thirds of Japanese manufacturers for reflow and wave solderingWave soldering Wave Soldering is a large-scale soldering process by which electronic components are soldered to a printed circuit board to ... , and by about ¾ companies for hand soldering. SnAg_3.0Cu_0.5, tin with 3% silver and 0.5% copper, has a melting point of 217 to 220 °C and is predominantly used in Japan. It is the JEITA recommended alloy for wave and reflow solderingReflow soldering Reflow soldering is the most common means to attach a surface mounted component to a circuit board, and typically consists o... , with alternatives SnCu for wave and SnAg and SnZnBi for reflow soldering. SnAg_3.5Cu_0.7 is another commonly used alloy, with melting point of 217-218 °C. SnAg_3.5Cu_0.9, with melting point of 217 °C, is determined by NIST to be truly eutectic. SnAg_3.8Cu_0.7, with melting point 217-218 °C, is preferred by the European IDEALS consortium for reflow soldering. SnAg_3.8Cu_0.7Sb_0.25 is preferred by the European IDEALS consortium for wave soldering. SnAg_3.9Cu_0.6, with melting point 217-223 °C, is recommended by the US NEMI consortium for reflow soldering. SnCu_0.7, with melting point of 227 °C, is a cheap alternative for wave soldering, recommended by the US NEMI consortium. SnZn₉, with melting point of 199 °C, is a cheaper alloy but is prone to corrosionFacts About Corrosion Corrosion is deterioration of intrinsic properties in a material due to reactions with its environment.... and oxidation. SnZn₈Bi₃, with melting point of 191-198 °C, is also prone to corrosionCorrosion Corrosion is deterioration of intrinsic properties in a material due to reactions with its environment.... and oxidation due to its zinc content. SnSb₅, tin with 5% of antimonyAntimony Antimony is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Sb and atomic number 51.... , is the US plumbingPlumbing Plumbing, from the Latin for lead , is the skilled trade of working with pipes and tubing for potable water systems and drai... industry standard. Its melting point is 232-240 °C. It displays good resistance to thermal fatigue and good shear strengthShear strength Shear strength in geology and geotechnical engineering is a term used to describe the strength of materials, especially soil... . SnAg_2.5Cu_0.8Sb_0.5 melts at 217-225 °C and is patented by AIM allianceFacts About AIM alliance The AIM alliance was an alliance formed in 1991 between Apple Computer, IBM and Motorola to create a new computing standard ... . SnIn_8.0Ag_3.5Bi_0.5 melts at 197 to 208 °C and is patented by MatsushitaMatsushita Matsushita is a Japanese electronics brand .... /PanasonicPanasonic Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd... . SnBi₅₇Ag₁ melts at 137-139 °C and is patented by MotorolaFacts About Motorola Motorola is an American international communications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, a Chicago suburb.... . SnBi₅₈ melts at 138 °C. SnIn₅₂ melts at 118 °C and is suitable for the cases where low-temperature soldering is needed. Different elements serve different roles in the solder alloy: SilverSilver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag .... provides mechanical strength, but has worse ductilityFacts About Ductility Ductility is the physical property of being capable of sustaining large plastic deformations without fracture.... than lead. In absence of lead, it improves resistance to fatigue from thermal cycles. CopperFacts About Copper Copper is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.... lowers the melting point, improves resistance to thermal cycle fatigue, and improves wettingWetting Wetting is the contact between a fluid and a surface, when the two are brought into contact.... properties of the molten solder. It also slows down the rate of dissolution of copper from the board and part leads in the liquid solder. BismuthBismuth Bismuth is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Bi and atomic number 83.... significantly lowers the melting point and improves wettability. In presence of sufficient lead and tin, bismuth forms crystals of Sn₁₆Pb₃₂Bi₅₂ with melting point of only 95 °C, which diffuses along the grain boundaries and may cause a joint failure at relatively low temperatures. A high-power part pre-tinned with an alloy of lead can therefore desolder under load when soldered with a bismuth-containing solder. IndiumIndium Indium is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol In and atomic number 49.... lowers the melting point and improves ductility. In presence of lead it forms a ternary compound that undergoes phase change at 114 °C. ZincZinc Zinc is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30.... lowers the melting point and is low-cost. However it is highly susceptible to corrosion and oxidation in air, therefore zinc-containing alloys are unsuitable for some purposes, e.g. wave soldering, and zinc-containing solder pastes have shorter shelf life than zinc-free. AntimonyAntimony Antimony is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Sb and atomic number 51.... is added to increase strength without affecting wettability. Solder fumes The fumes produced from soldering operations are potentially dangerous. The process may generate fumes which contain lead oxideLead oxide Lead oxide may refer to:* Lead oxide, PbO, litharge, massicot... (from lead based solder). See also SolderingSoldering Soldering is a method of joining metal parts using an alloy of low melting point filler material which has a melting temper... Solder pasteSolder paste Solder paste is a mix of small solder particles and flux.... Solder suckerSolder sucker A solder sucker is a device which is used to remove solder from a printed circuit board , as opposed to a desoldering bulb o... SolderabilitySolderability Solderability defines whether a solder can perform as intended in-service under normal fabrication methods or processes.... Soldering gunSoldering gun A soldering gun is in effect a transformer.... Soldering ironSoldering iron Summary A soldering iron is a device for applying heat to melt solder for soldering two metal parts together.... WeldingWelding Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence.... BrazingBrazing Brazing is a joining process whereby a non-ferrous filler metal or alloy are heated to melting temperature and distributed b... External links