Metal coating for soldering?

[etang858]

Hello,

I have a piece of steel that is currently coated in zinc. I need to be able to solder to this piece of metal but zinc doesn't seem to be working well.

Any suggestions on materials I can coat the steel in to make a good solder connection?

Can be an industrial coating process.

Thanks for any help or insight!

 

[etang858]

Hi Berkshire,

The problem is that the solder does not wet the existing zinc coating well enough. After soldering the metal part sometimes separates from the solder when adequate force is applied. Removing the zinc to expose the steel is too time consuming.

Thanks

 

[dik]

Can you use a little more heat without melting something? Also use a good quality of soldering paste or rosin core. You shouldn't have difficulties if all is clean (famous last words).

I was going to add... maybe your propane torch is too far away <G>.

Dik

 

[berkshire]

etang858
Ok two things, the non wetting of zinc plated or galvanized material is a function of the flux, you cannot easily solder zinc without a chloride flux .
If you paint the zinc where you want to solder with Hydrocloric acid the zinc will start to bubble, this is the acid cleaning the zinc and turning into zinc chloride, the flux you want. You can then solder this with either tin lead solder or 95/5 lead free solder, use a big enough iron to ensure you have thoroughly wetted the part. The zinc peeling off sounds like electrogalv zinc, what you need there is enough heat to reflow the coating. Now this is important having done this, you have to, clean the part, and neutralize the acid flux,( baking soda) before, you get that PC board anywhere near that.
You were saying you need to store these panels this would be a good time to do so.
Then for the second stage you can assemble the PCB onto the panel, however you may have to use a larger iron than the standard 25watt iron because of the size of the steel part, but use the rosin core solder or add rosin flux.
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.