On Jun 5, 1:32�am, Highland Ham
wrote:
(N2EY 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?

============================================

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).

I think a lot of electronics folks have done the same.

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. In the past printed circuit boards were pulverised
to recover the gold on 'contact fingers' through a chemical process ,
but apparently that is no longer viable.

Whether it's viable depends on the rules. Here in the USA, a number of
states require a deposit (usually five cents) on beverage containers.
That deposit is typically far more than the intrinsic worth of the
metal, glass or plasti in the container, but that's not the point.
Instead, the deposit makes it worthwhile to collect and recycle the
containers, keeping them out of the trash stream and reducing litter.
Why couldn't there be such a deposit on electronics?

So although there is very little lead in electronic equipment
manufactured with 60/40 or 63/37 leaded solder ,when equipment ends up
in a land fill the cumulative effect is bad ,poisoning ground water.

All sorts of things wind up in landfills that are far worse than the
small amount of lead solder in electronics. Are the metals in lead-
free solder all benign?

So it does make sense to go for lead free solder.

I think there are better ways to keep lead out of the trash.

BTW : In the UK leaded solder is still available ,although no longer
from High Street retail outlets like Maplin Electronics .

Lead Acid Batteries have a large percentage of lead (weight wise) ,hence
recycling is commercially viable .

But does that guarantee no lead or cadmium containing batteries of any
kind wind up in landfills? Just one car battery in a stream is far
more contamination than a very large number of PC boards.

IMHO, the big problem is that electronics of all kinds is becoming a
throw-away item, with short useful lifespan, but recycling lags far
behind. The problems of lead-free solder may make the lifespan
shorter, and so the disposal problem worse.

73 de Jim, N2EY