Special Sub-Topic: Soldering Basics |What is solder made of?|
Tin and lead or tin and copper. Solder for electronics is a
mixture of tin and lead with more of the former. However, it has
been found that even a small amount of lead can be detrimental
to health so now copper is used with a higher proportion of tin.
Some companies still use lead solder but are gradually changing
over to copper/tin because of country lead import restrictions
and the known health risks of working with lead. |How hot should
a soldering iron be in order to solder leaded solder?| 650-800
degrees Fahrenheit. Although solder will melt at 450 degrees, it
will not create a clean strong joint as such a low temperature.
Therefore soldering components on circuit boards is usually
advisable at 700 degrees for surface mount parts, and 750 for
parts that go through the board when working with leaded solder.
When working with unleaded solder it is recommended to solder at
750 for surface mount parts and 800 degrees for through-hole
parts for th