Highland Ham wrote:
The EU has regs that are essentially outlawing lead solder in
electronics. Because the EU is such a big market, most electronics
makers are following along, and rather than deal with both lead and no-
lead solders, they're going all-no-lead. With all the problems lead-
free electronic solders bring along.

But IMHO the whole thing is wrong-headed. Lead in the environment is a
problem, but the solution is recycling, not banning lead.

How ironic is it that a major rework of a car's electronics will be
done to eliminate a few ounces of lead-tin solder, while the car's
battery contains many pounds of lead and acid?
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Indeed ,lead free solder does not flow that well even at elevated
temperatures ,
so I have stocked up on leaded solder (possibly sufficiently for the
rest of my home brewing life).

But the point is that electronic equipment having printed circuit boards
contain a very low percentage (weight wise) of solder. If that solder
contains lead any recycling effort to recover/isolate the lead will be
exceedingly costly.

I think that machinery can be developed to handle lead removal, we
already have ways of getting the solder onto those boards in rapid fashion.

I think we aren't looking at it in the right way. Changing over is going
to cost - probably big time. We are going to have to put up with
increased failure rates, whether through solder joint failure, or
reduced component life due to added heat stress.

After all, if lead free solders were the best way to go, that's what we
would be using. So we'll be retooling and spending that money for an
inferior product. Maybe Devo was right!


And, we're saying that this new lead free solder is going to be safe to
dump in landfills. M'kay, if they say so.....

- 73 de Mike N3LI -