Re: Lead Free (was Re: CD MMC caps from DigiKey...)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Terry Fritz <vardin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Skip,

There is a massive push to remove lead (and other nasty metals) from 
all consumer items.  Thus you will see "lead free" all over when 
looking for electronic components now.  China and Nigeria finally 
found out why we were happy to give them all that old electronics 
stuff for free.  They used to laugh at the lead contamination risk, 
but they have definitely stopped laughing now!!  So lead is now on 
the way OUT big time for mass produced consumer stuff...

I have used tin/silver/copper and some others lead free hand 
soldering wire and they suck compared to using good old tin-lead for 
hand soldering.  Factories can play with processes and go though 
hoops to get it all to work in wave and IR soldering, but I could 
never even give my dumb roll of lead free wire solder away....  I was 
trying to make one of my little products lead free about two years 
ago but had to give that up since the hand soldering was too hard.

Tin lead solder flows really well and just works really good and that 
is why it has taken so long to replace it.  Tin-Lead also has a 
fairly low melting point compared to the newer types that require 
components to withstand far higher soldering temperatures.  Lead free 
needs to be HOT and you do need a temperature controlled soldering 
iron.  Of course, the added heat make the usual problems with no 
clean or aqueous clean solder fluxes that much worse...

I could go on for a few days telling you all about it, but lead just 
works really well compared to the substitutes.  Fortunately, the 
threat of lead contamination killing us all has finally forced Japan, 
EU, and US to change now.  The US actually tried to do it about a 
decade or so ago but the technical problems then were too 
daunting.  In a year or so, almost everything you buy electronic will 
not contain lead or the RoHS nasties.

I think lead hand solder will be around for awhile though.  The lead 
free does work though if your really have to use it.  For Tesla 
coiling, it should not be a big deal at all aside from the DRSSTCs 
that will see some part component costs go up for awhile (or there 
will be big sales trying to get rid of left over lead stock ;-)).  If 
the wire solder goes away, hopefully the components will be able to 
take the added heat needed for lead free solder.  I like to think 
that after years of hybrid and general electronic work that I am a 
super good solderer, but lead free hand solder is a real bear to work 
with...  You can just forget trying it with SMT parts...  Hopefully, 
they can figure out something to make the lead-free solder wires 
better, I don't recommend getting any right now until they figure it 
out or you will just keep trying to give it away to get rid of it like I did.

Cheers,

        Terry


At 05:52 PM 12/15/2005, you wrote:
> We use lead free solder here for plumbing.  Why not 
> electronics?  Instead of Tin and Lead, it is Tin and Antimony.
>
> Skip
>
> At 07:21 PM 12/15/2005, you wrote:
> > -Phil LaBudde
> > (what do they use to wire things together over there in Europe? 
> > Lead-free solder?)