Glass Container For DYI Vapor Phase Soldering - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: sobakava
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2020, 07:28:06 pm
content: I got some Galden to switch to vapor phase soldering experiments. Since it is expensive and it's not very easy to acquire in my city; I would like to use it fruguallyI have seen some people use French-press coffee containers and I am looking for alternatives at amazon.de .I have been looking for kitchen type glass oven dishes but I guess it won't be possible to find one equipped with an O-Ring. I guess it is not a good idea to heat a closed container with no escape way for the expanding gas insideSo how could I prevent or minimize galden vapor while keeping the glass (I want to see what is happening inside) pressure in safe levels?Is there an inexpensive chemisty equipment/container for this kind of purpose?As heater I was thinking about hot plate and/or halogen bulbs.

author: Koen
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2020, 11:53:47 am
content: I use cheap tall cooking pots and cheap cooking plates. It's been 4+ years and never had issues.

author: pisoiu
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2020, 02:25:51 pm
content: Hi,There is another long thread here with a lot of information about this.To your specific case:-if you must use glass, I would look only for borosilicate/pyrex type only, it has a lower coefficient of thermal expansion and is more resistant to thermal stress. Even with this type of glass, there will be considerable stress since lower part of container will be at vapor temperature and upper part will be much cooler. My initial tests were with a small borosilicate glass cooking container and it went ok. I used 20ml of galden.-galden vapors are heavier than air, they will stay low and they will not escape from container unless there is too much galden inside. You can calculate how much liquid to use, so the resulted vapors do not have a volume higher than container volume.-when selecting a heater, if you put it inside the container, make sure no part of it (which touches galden) exceeds 300 degrees celsius. Above that galden decomposes in some nasty/toxic products.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 29, 2020, 02:49:57 pm
content: Quote from: pisoiu on August 29, 2020, 02:25:51 pmUsing extra amount of galden so it never evaporates completely is the best way to ensure it does not overheat since galden in liquid state cannot be heated higher than it's boiling point. Suggestion to use the minimum amount of galden possible is dumb and dangerous. Since it's the exact way how to overheat it so it decomposes into Carbonyl fluoride which basically is a little bit less poisonous version of Phosgene. Not to say that exact soldering temperature which is equal to galden boiling point is maintained by liquid galden surrounding the heater. By doing so, you simply destroy the core mechanism of vapor phase soldering.None of the heated parts should be exposed to galden in gaseous state. Heater should be completely submerged in liquid galden to ensure it does not overheat.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2020, 04:01:13 pm
content: It seems you are asking about how to "reflux" a boiling fluid. The device you need to look at is called a "reflux" condenser or "soxhlet extractor."Of course dimensions and shape need to be considered. Round is easier than square. At the temperaures involved, simple air cooling rather than water cooling should work.