Silver News
Tin-Silver Solder Could Replace Tin-Lead
Solder - Manufacturers Seek Non-Toxic Alternative
In an effort to produce lead-free solder
for joining electrical wires, companies are experimenting
with tin-silver alloys. Early testing by Motorola shows that
tin-silver alloys are outperforming tin-lead combinations
for many applications. "Although there are a few tests
in which lead-free designs fare worse during thermal cycling,
the majority of our tests show that lead-free interconnects
perform the same or better than traditional solder,"
Andrew Mawer, Senior Principal Staff Engineer at Motorola
in Austin, Texas, told an audience at the New Millennium Electronics
Manufacturing Challenges in November at Binghamton University
in Binghamton, New York. Manufacturers are eager to eliminate
lead from solder because its fumes are toxic to assemblers.
Much of the initiative is coming from officials in Japan and
Europe who are seeking lead-free work areas.
Silver News - December 2000/January 2001
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