Lead Free Solder 1

[Vladpl]

Hello All

As most of you know there is a big movement towards lead free solder. Europian Union has a law that from 1 July 2006 you will not be able to use lead solder ( military, medical, aircraft will be exempt).

My question is that there is only 7 moths till that takes effect and I am unable to find a good lead free solder to use. Is there anyone that knows where and what brand of lead free solder there are on the markets.

I was looking at a sample (can't remeber the brand) lead free solder but the problem with it is that it crackes easily. Basicaly anything I saw out there isn't good enough to use. Since I am from Australia I was unable to find it here.

 

[Vladpl]

Hi All

It is interesting that we all have the same thought on this topic. I just can't understand why doesn't the industry stand up and tell EU that what they are trying to do is irrational. May be if we all started protesting they would have to listen. I know that someone will profit from this lead free solder movement. But us everyday people will be worse off. I agree with you all and I will go and stockpile some 60/40 and no one will take the lead away from me.

 

[itsmoked]

The jack booted anti-lead nazis can have my lead solder when they pry it from my cold dead hands...

 

[zeitghost]

"You'll never take me alive, copper"

"On top of the world, ma"

(all in a Jimmy Cagney accent)... )

 

[felixc]

I'll suggest to my sons to go in law or health instead of engineering. When the insurance fees are larger than your beneficial margin, something's wrong. The electronics industry will die in my country. RoHS is just another nail in the coffin. I wonder what will remain besides proximity services.

I just received a batch of lead-free PC boards. Immersion gold process. I don't know what happened, but the wicking of the solder to the gold is very ugly. (the previous batch was absolutely magnificient) They will require lots of touch-ups. Lead-free, yeah!

 

[jimkirk]

re: batteries in hybrid cars... My Prius has a small lead acid battery for the usual 12 volt system stuff. The main battery (that makes it a hybrid) is NiMH with a life expectancy about the same as the car. Never over or under charging it extends the life immensely. After 8 years it should maintain 90% of the new charge level.

re: ammunition... I remember reading somewhere that the US Army is switching over to lead free ammo. I think it uses tungsten as a mass to propel.

I agree, RoHS is a poor way to attack a very small percentage of a dubious problem.

 

[zeitghost]

How about this then, guys & gals:

Extracted from "Ask Dr ROHS" in Electronics Weekly

"Dear Dr ROHS,

We use SAVBIT solder to connect 0.05mm self fluxing enamelled wire to terminals in small transformers. if we use conventional solder, the surface of the copper dissolves into the solder so the wire is necked just where it enters the joint, making the wire extremely fragile and easily damaged.

The high copper content (1.5%) of SAVBIT prevents this happening. We have tried various ROHS compliant solders including one with 3% copper and none are as good as SAVBIT. Can you offer any suggestions?

Elsewhere in the same transformer, we use high melting point solder which contains more than 85% lead, apparently we can continue to sue this. Can one obtain a similar concession for SAVBIT?"

The Reply from Dr ROHS:

"There is no clear answer unless your assembly is only used in ROHS exempt products.

Finding a solder with even higher copper content is a possibility.

If the assembly can withstand 300C, the high melting point solder used elsewhere is also a possibility and would be legal.

Tinning the wire with HMP solder then soldering it to the assembly with lead free solder would produce a non compliant mix.

Can you first plate the wire with a barrier material like nickel and then solder with lead free solder?

Applying for an exemption like the one for HMP solder is a lengthy process and is unlikely to be granted by the ROHS deadline, although if there is no technical alternative you could have a case."

So there we have it: give up & build it all in China )

 

[UKpete]

jimkirk, lead acid batteries are not a big source of lead waste because of the ease of recycling e.g. see:

http://www.buchmann.ca/Article16-Page1.asp

(98% recycled in the US). On the other hand, lead in solder never gets recycled probably. I'm not defending lead-free solder though.

Re the use of lead in ammunition, it has of course been banned here in the EU because of fears of high lead accumulation in people who are shot frequently.

 

[Comcokid]

Funny. If 98% of lead-acid batteries get recycled, then I keep seeing that remaining 2% a lot. Just this morning I passed a car battery lying in the road. I frequently see them on the curb on trash day (and there is no recycling pickup for them in my community). Many auto service and parts places will take an old battery only if you are buying a new one.

I wonder how many cell phones it takes to equal the weight of one car battery?

 

[kontiki99]

Watch out for the wiskers.

I think lead free solder is somehow temporarily exempt in aviation applications because hair like crystals grow out of the solder joints and cause shorts.

 

[felixc]

Only statistical methods will tell if the production methods have led to solder joints that are not likely to grow these tin whiskers. Again, only the big volume guys (read not in our country) will win at this game. The whiskers can cause the shorts weeks and months after a product has been assembled and that all tests passed.

 

[kf6bbl]

So for a small US based manufacturer that does less than 10% of it's business in the EU, is it worth the hassle? You have to compare the profits from that portion of your sales to the additional cost of transitining to Pb free, plus ongoing issues due to things like wiskers, etc that could affect 100% of your products.
I am willing to bet that there will be many small manufcturers that either, stop shipping to the EU, or just lie and claim Pb free. Who's even going to be checking?


-Bill
CE Designer Forum

http://www.cedesigner.com

 

[felixc]

But isn't California going to be RoHS next year?

 

[itsmoked]

felixc; What would make say such a horrible thing?!!!
Did you really hear this or are you just jerking our chains?

 

[SteveBull]

California will have RoHS like legislation

Check this link.

http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/electronics/act2003/

Steve
Quality and Circuit Engineering

 

[itsmoked]

Yeah SteveBull; I'm aware of the Electronic Waste Recycling Act. I receive my monthly threats from the State.

As far as I can tell this is what Europe should have done! Establish an e-waste stream and deal with it. Instead of trying to ban a useful element "and see what happens".

I do hope they don't look at RoHs and think I guess that's what we should do too.

 

[SteveBull]

If you read between the lines, it appears that the foundations are being laid for getting manufacturers to comply with RoHS (presumably to reduce problems with exporting non-compliant products).

Tucked away on P43 of the latest proposed version of the Electronic Waste Recycling Act (14 Feb, 06) is this little gem:

" (c) The materials reporting shall include:
1) An estimated average amount in milligrams for mercury, cadmium, lead, hexavalent chromium, including theri alloys and compounds, and PBBs used in covered electronic devices, and all their component parts by product category.
2) estimates may be based on either physical testing or maximum tolerance levels of the material in product design specifications.
3) An explanation of the methodology used to estimate data"

Funny they should require specifics on exactly the same materials that we Europeans are getting our panties twisted up over.....

Steve
Quality and Circuit Engineering

 

[itsmoked]

Yeah that is troubling... Thanks for the heads up...
(^%(^%)%$#@*#&*!

 

[SteveBull]

This thread may give you an insight into the amount of work required to 'prove' RoHS compliance.... Remember that this will be required if you want to ship electronic/Electrical equipment into the EU after 01 June......

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=136031

Steve
Quality and Circuit Engineering

 

[felixc]

Duh!

 

[itsmoked]

Nice piece Steve. Thanks.