Differences between Lead-containing flux and and Lead-free flux
Soldering is a necessary process in many production links. Sometimes, the quality of soldering directly affects the quality and safety of products. In some industries, such as the computer, instrument, and home appliance industries, high precision soldering is required. Fluxes are widely used in soldering within these industries.
Flux: It is a chemical substance that can assist and promote the soldering in soldering , while having a protective effect and preventing oxidation reactions. Fluxes can be classified into solid, liquid, and gas. Their main functions include "assisting heat conduction", "removing oxides", "reducing the surface tension of the welded materials", "removing oil stains on the surface of the welded materials and increasing the welding area", and "preventing re-oxidation". Two of the most crucial ones are "removing oxides" and "reducing the surface tension of the welded materials".
Differences between Lead-containing and Lead-free Fluxes
Fluxes can be divided into lead-containing fluxes and lead-free fluxes. What are the differences between these two types of fluxes?
The lead-containing and lead-free soldering refers to whether the welding materials used in tin soldering contain lead or not. Traditional soldering uses lead-tin alloy solder, which has a low melting point, good fluidity, and good electrical conductivity after soldering, and thus it has been widely popularized. However, lead is a metal harmful to human health, which has led to the topic of lead-free soldering.Lead-free soldering is the trend as it is environmentally friendly. The ROHS is an industry standard, and they have different application scopes.
Lead-free fluxes belong to no NEED clean fluxes and have extremely wide applicability. They perform extremely well in spray or foam wave soldering and manual dip soldering applications. The activity of the flux system is specially designed so that even printed circuit boards with average solderability can achieve good soldering results. It is especially suitable for lead-free manufacturing processes. The appropriate solid content in the flux and its internal activation mechanism ensure that there is very little residue on the circuit board after soldering, and the circuit board surface is dry and clean. Under normal circumstances, the cleaning process can be omitted, thus saving the manufacturer's production costs.
Precautions for Using Lead-free Fluxes
1. It is strictly prohibited to mix it with other types of fluxes and thinners.
2. Spray cans and nozzles should be cleaned regularly.
3. When the flux in the dip soldering tank, immersion tank, or foaming tank has been used continuously for one week, the tank should be drained and cleaned.
4. For circuit boards or lead pins with severe oxidation, it is recommended to treat them before soldering.
5. Adjust the immersion volume reasonably; adjust the immersion volume for the foaming height so that the flux can be evenly distributed on the circuit board. Special care should be taken when adjusting for IC sockets.
6. The soldering station and cleaning station should be in a well-ventilated area.
In fact, regardless of the industry or the job, safety always comes first. The same goes for soldering. Workers engaged in soldering work are hoped to keep in mind the safety precautions when using lead-free fluxes and follow them during work, so as to ensure the quality of work while protecting their personal safety. Additionally, what needs to be mentioned is that lead-free fluxes are relatively environmentally friendly materials. It is hoped that everyone can raise their environmental awareness and use more environmentally friendly materials in all industries.
