SOLDERING

• Soldering is defined as "the joining of metals by a

fusion of alloys which have relatively low melting
points".
• In other words, you use a metal that has a low melting
point to adhere the surfaces to be soldered together.
• Soldering is also must have skill for all sorts of
electrical and electronics work.
• It is also a skill that must be taught correctly and
developed with practice.
 Or
Soldering is a method of connecting two or more pieces
of metal using a relatively low-melting point filler metal
called solder.
The many applications of soldering include plumbing,
stained glass making, and (of course) electronics
 Fusing includes all types of soldering (including soft
and "hard" or silver soldering), brazing and welding.
Whenever you join two metals together using heat,
you perform a process included in the term "fusing.“
 Most soldering is basically a two-step process:
1) Heat metal,
2) Apply solder.
 Soldering Safety

While soldering is not generally a hazardous activity,

there are a few things to keep in mind.
The first and most obvious is that it involves high
temperatures.
Soldering irons are going to be 350F or higher, and will
cause burns very quickly.
Make sure to use a stand to support the iron and keep
the cord away high traffic areas. Solder itself can drip
(fall in small drops of liquid),
so it makes sense to avoid soldering over exposed body
parts.
Always work in a well lit area where you have space to
lay parts out and move around
Avoid soldering with your face directly above the joint
because fumes from the flux and other coatings will
irritate your respiratory tract and eyes.
Most solders contain lead, (Pb), which is well known to
be a toxin so you should avoid touching your face while
working with solder WEAR SAFETY GLASSES! and
always wash your hands before eating.
 Uses

While the most commonly known application for

soldering is in electronics, it is also used in plumbing,
jewelry making and other manufacturing where joining
metal is involved.
 SOLDER

• Solders are pure metals or alloys suitable for soldering or

brazing with a melting point that allows fusion with another
metal surface.
• There are “Soft solder” and “Hard solder”.
• Soft solder is one of two basic types of soldering.
Generally, it is tin solder combined with other metals, such
as lead, copper or silver--which has a low melting point.
• Soft solders –Melting point are below 450°C. These are
alloys of metals Tin(Sn); Lead(Pb); Antimony (Sb);
Copper(Cu); Silver(Ag); Cadmium(Cd) and Zinc(Zn).
Example An alloy of ‘Lead-tin’ used for sheet metal work in Soft
soldering with Soldering Iron method.
• Hard solder usually contains copper, zinc or silver and has
a higher melting point than soft solder.
Hard solder –Melting point are above 450°C. These are alloys
used for soldering heavy metals .Alloys of metals Copper(Cu);
Tin(Sn); Silver(Ag); Zinc(Zn); Cadmium(Cd) and
Phosphorus(P), their melting point range between 550°C and
960°C.
Examples: Copper Solder preferred for the materials of Steel and
Nickel The working temperature lies between 710C and 1100C
Flux
Every metal is covered with an oxide layer
which prevents the solder from wetting their
formation,
Fluxing agents are non-metallic materials which
remove oxides from the soldering surface and
prevent their formation.
 Selection of fluxing argents.

Important criteria are:-

1) Working temperature of the solder
2) Soldering process.
3) Materials to be joined.
NB: The flux must take effect below working
temperature and carry on doing so above the soldering
temperature
 Soldering fluxes
A soldering flux is any solid, liquid or gaseous
compound which, heated is capable of promoting or
accelerating the wetting of metals with solders.
• The purpose of a soldering flux is to remove and
exclude small amount of oxides and other surface
compounds from the surfaces being soldered and
prevent re-oxidation of the surfaces during the
soldering process.
 Types of soldering fluxes:-

• Inorganic or acid (corrosive) fluxes.

• Organic acid (mild) fluxes.
• Rosin (non-corrosive) fluxes.
 Corrosive fluxes.

• Examples:-Zinc and Ammonium Chloride

(ZnCl & AlCl) or Potassium Chloride (KCl).
• These can be in dry form and is mixed prior to
its application with water (H2O) or other
solvents.
• These are corrosive, therefore after soldering
immediately residues should be removed by
pouring hot water.
• Zinc Chloride used with Copper
 Mild fluxes.

• These are less corrosive than Inorganic fluxes

Examples:- Lactic acid ,Benzoic acid etc.
• These are suitable for torch heating because the
organic compound tends to burn or char.
• Hydrazine fluxes are very active and promote
excellent wetting, but produce fumes which are toxic
 Rosin flux (Non corrosive)

• These are non-corrosive, they do not dissolve or

corrode the base metal and the residue has high
electrical resistance, Consists of gum extruded from
pine trees.
• These are used for soldering electrical connection .
• It is usually mixed with alcohol or turpentine
solvents.
• Can be used on Copper and Copper alloys
 Pre-requisite for a “Good Soldering”

• The cleanness of the surface intended (Should be free from

grease, oil, paint or scales
• Fluxing agents must be used to dissolve metal oxides and
prevent formation of oxides.
• The work piece of the solder must attain the required
temperature at the soldering point. The working
temperature depends upon the alloying components in the
solder.
• The effective temperature of the fluxing agent and the
meeting of the solder must match each other.
•
• Soldering, similar to welding, is the process of
bonding pieces of metal together.
• You accomplish this by placing a separate alloy,
called solder, between the parts to be bonded. You
then heat the solder until it melts.
• As the solder cools, it hardens and forms a bond
between the metal pieces.
• Unlike welding, the metal being bound together is
not melted; only the solder melts to create a bond.
•
 There are three basic classifications of
soldering.
• Soft Soldering
• It is a low temperature joining process which
is performed at temperatures below 450°C
840ºF for joining.
• The soft-soldering process is common in the
electronics and plumbing industries. They use
this method to create electrical connections
and bond electronic components onto circuit
boards. or gas
• Soft soldering is also a technique that joins copper
pipe and connectors. Solder used in the soft-
soldering process for electronics is often made of a
mixture of tin and other types of metal.
• To ensure a tight fit when bonding plumbing, add
an acid substance, called flux, to solder used to
attach pipes. You generally accomplish soft
soldering by heating a soldering iron by electricity
 Types of Soldering Equipment

• Use a soldering iron for intricate soldering of

electronic parts and circuit boards. The iron is
designed with an end piece shaped like a pencil.
• While soldering, this end piece becomes hot and
melts the solder.
• A soldering gun is a larger unit with a handle used
to grip the device.
• Soldering guns have a larger tip compared to an
iron, and are designed for bonding larger items
together..
• Use a soldering torch for projects requiring
greater amounts of heat to melt the bonding
material. Soldering with a torch is common
when bonding copper and other types of pipe
 Advantages of soft soldering

• Soldering is used for, Sealing, as in automotive

radiators or tin cans
• •Electrical Connections
• Joining thermally sensitive components
• Joining dissimilar metals
 Disadvantages of soft soldering

This method of soldering creates a metal bond

that is weaker compared to other techniques.
•
 Preparing To Solder

• Tinning the Soldering Tip

Before use, a new soldering tip, or one that is very
dirty, must be tinned.
"Tinning" is the process of coating a soldering tip
with a thin coat of solder. This aids in heat transfer
between the tip and the component you are
soldering, and also gives the solder a base from
which to flow from.
 Step 1: Warm Up the Iron

• Warm up the soldering iron or gun thoroughly.

Make sure that it has fully come to
temperature because you are about to melt a
lot of solder on it.
• This is especially important if the iron is new
because it may have been packed with some
kind of coating to prevent corrosion.
 Step 2: Prepare A Little Space

• While the soldering iron is warming up, prepare a

little space to work.
• Moisten a little sponge and place it in the base of
your soldering iron stand or in a dish close by.
Lay down a piece of cardboard in case you drip
solder (you probably will) and make sure you
have room to work comfortably.
 Step 3: Thoroughly Coat The Tip In Solder

• Thoroughly coat the soldering tip in solder. It is very

important to cover the entire tip. You will use a
considerable amount of solder during this process
and it will drip, so be ready.
• If you leave any part of the tip uncovered it will tend
to collect flux residue and will not conduct heat very
well, so run the solder up and down the tip and
completely around it to totally cover it in molten
solder.
•
 Clean The Soldering Tip

• After you are certain that the tip is totally

coated in solder, wipe the tip off on the wet
sponge to remove all the flux residue. Do this
immediately so there is no time for the flux to
dry out and solidify.
 Step 5: You're Done!

• You have just tinned your soldering tip. This

must be done anytime you replace the tip or
clean it so that the iron maintains good heat
transfer.
• Hard soldering (silver soldering)
• It is the joining of metallic surfaces by a non-ferrous filler
metal, which has a low melting point than the parts to be
joined. Nearly all metals can be hard soldered.
• It is a low temperature joining process which is performed
at temperatures above 450°C 840ºF for joining and it
generally affords strengths comparable to those of the
metal which it joins. It is low temperature in that it is done
below the melting point of the base metal. It is achieved
by diffusion without fusion (melting) of the base.
• may
•
• In the silver soldering process, often called
"hard" soldering, two metals are heated to a
point where a filler metal melts onto them to
fuse them together. The term "fusing" means
joining metals together using several methods.
• Hard soldering creates a stronger bond
compared to soft soldering and involves higher
temperatures to melt the solder material.
• This material is normally brass or silver and
requires the use of a blowtorch to melt. The metal
being bonded, know as the base metals, is heated
to a point at which the brass or silver solder melts,
creating a strong joint as it cools. In some cases,
when someone uses silver as the solder material,
hard soldering
 Fusing with Silver Solder
• .
• Silver or "hard" soldering fuses metals with a
filler metal containing 20 to 40 percent silver,
that melts at up to 840 degrees Fahrenheit
• Silver solder is used to join brass, copper, tin
and other materials by hard soldering, also
known as silver soldering.
• The main ingredient in silver solder is not
silver -- only 2.5 percent of silver solder is
actually silver -- but tin.
• It is the silver that provides the solder its
excellent free-flowing quality and makes it
such a good sealant.
• Silver solder is not an acceptable technique
for gap-filling, however. For silver soldering to
work well, the pieces must already fit snugly
 Brazing

• Brazing involves using a solder material that melts at

a higher temperature compared to soft and hard
soldering.
• Brazing is similar to hard soldering because the
pieces of metal being bonded together are heated, but
not melted, during the bonding process.
Once you have the base metals heated, place
solder material, called brazing filler metal,
between the surfaces and instantly melted.
The molten filler material bonds the joint
between the base metals through a process
called capillary action.
 Brazing can be classified as

• Torch brazing
• Dip brazing
• Furnace brazing
• Induction brazing
 OPERATIONS/PREPARATION.

The surfaces to be joined have to fit closely, but not pressed

together too tightly.
The parts are cleaned by filling, grinding, etc. , fluxed, aligned
and secured by wire or clamps.

Brazing rods contains copper and zinc and are used for
normal work.
Silver soldering rods contain silver, copper and zinc and are
used for special low temperature work.
Heating is done either by a furnace or blow pipe. (6200C –
10200C according to melting point of the rods).
• Heating is done either by a furnace or blow pipe.
(6200C – 10200C according to melting point of the
rods).
• Technique after the parts have been heated to a hard
soldering temperature flux and filler metal are applied
to the joint and the heat kept on until the filler metal
has flown into the joints. Care must be taken not to
overheat the work and filler metal.
 Advantages of brazing

• Dissimilar metals which cannot be welded can be

joined by brazing
• Very thin metals can be joined
• Metals with different thickness can be joined easily
• In brazing thermal stresses are not produced in the
work piece. Hence there is no distortion
• Using this process, carbides tips are brazed on the
steel tool holders
 Disadvantages

• Brazed joints have lesser strength compared to

welding
• Joint preparation cost is more
• Can be used for thin sheet metal sections
The Soldering process takes place in three stages

• Wetting:
Once the material has been heated to then
working temperature, molten metal begins to
wet the surface of the work piece.
The molten solder and the sold base material
came into close contact and form a layer of few
crystals in dimension
Wetting is the solvent reaction that occurs when
melted solder meets and blends with the metal
being soldered.
Rosin flux is the chemical substance added to
solder, which helps facilitate wetting.
 Flowing:

• Heat is liberated in alloying, which provides energy

for the solder to spread and permeate the soldering
gap.
• The solder is drawn by a capillary effect into the
soldering gap.
• Soldering gap should be as small as possible a
distance of between 0.05mm. and 0.2mm.
• If the gap is too large, solder does not penetrate.
• A narrow gap is filled by capillary pressure while a
large gap is filled chiefly by gravitational force
 Bonding

• The flowing solder permeates the base materials

along the grain boundaries in which both materials
diffuse into each other.
• The strength of the diffused layer is greater than
solder itself.
• Therefore the less the thickness of the solder, the
stronger the joint
 Considerations

• With the increased awareness of lead poisoning, more

types of solder are lead-free or utilizing minimal
amounts of lead.
• Even thought the amount in the solder is minuscule,
there have been concerns about its overall effect on
those applying or using it.