Re: Lead based solder Message #7 Posted by Bernhard on 17 Oct 2005, 1:18 p.m., in response to message #6 by bill platt
Hi folks,
two years ago, when noticing the legislation against lead-based solder, I went out and bought as much lead-based solder I could carry, 20 kilograms at least.
It is not advisable to use the new lead-free solders to repair our beloved HPs or any other electronics equipment based on leaded solder. Remember the trouble with old Tektronix scopes that needed a special silver-based solder because their electronic components were soldered to ceramic carriers ? Impossible to repair properly without the special solder !
Coming to repairs, the whole leadfree electronics campaign looks like a scam engineered by the consumer electronics industry which presumably might have bribed some corrupt EU politicians to pass such legislation.
Fact is, the new leadfree solders are less ductile and more brittle than lead solder and they won't stand vibrations and / or thermal cycles for a long time before they fail. From my own experience, it
is almost impossible to hand-solder them without damaging parts and printed circuit boards by thermal stress, except when working so quick as to risk a cold solder joint.
Be prepared for virtually throwaway (unrepairable) extremely short-lived consumer electronics from TV sets to cars. I will certainly not buy any of those.
Critical systems such as medical electronics, aircraft, military electronics etc. will continue to use the more reliable lead-based solder.
Only the consumers are the fools.
And of course, lead-based solder in any electronics is absolutely no health hazard as long as old equipment is properly disposed of and recycled. All the metals could be regained in the process.
So the remaining reasons for banning lead in solder are greed, corruption, and sheer stupidity.
BTW, when they banned leaded fuel in the 1980's they substituted it with benzene, a potent cancerogen. When the Nazis did the same with their synthetic fuel back in the late 1930s, the death rate of the pump attendants rose so quickly they had to switch the Reich's filling stations to self - service.
So, folks, be careful, especially when filling your cars... (wear disposable plastic gloves).
regards,
Bernhard
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