Does this soldering wire need cleaning ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: l3gi0n
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2021, 11:49:29 pm
content: I am looking atMG Chemicals 4880-18G-2...here is its datasheet:https://www.mgchemicals.com/downloads/tds/tds-4880-4888.pdfDo I have to clean it ? if so, how ? with a swab + IPA ?There are lots of health warnings both on the product's amazon page and on MGC's website...Is this solder more hazardous than other brands ? or is there a health risk involved with all soldering wires ?....What about soldering wires that do not have datasheets ? How do I figure out whether they need cleaning or not ?

author: Wallace Gasiewicz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 12:08:40 am
content: Looks like regular old tin lead solder with rosin. Common safety practice is do not ingest anything with lead.Do not smoke or drink or eat anywhere you solder.Clean up your bench after soldering. Wash your hands.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 12:10:36 am
content: The datasheet says "Non-corrosive and non-conductive residue" so you only need to clean it if the residue is visually objectionable, or if you are working on a very high impedance circuit, or if you need to pot or conformably coat the PCB.It contains Lead and Rosin and you have to heat it till it melts to apply it so of course its hazardous - in the state of California, or if you eat the dross, huff the fumes or splash it around while working 'skyclad'! The rest of us in the rest of the world, not eating at the bench and washing our hands, working with proper ventilation, and cleaning the workshop normally and with reasonable respect for hot tools etc. would regard it as minimally hazardous to use.No datasheet means you need to test it yourself. However that's a royal PITA and you've got no idea if the solder is the right alloy (or even if its contaminated with hazardous metals like Cadmium or Mercury or is radioactive!) or if the flux contains highly toxic chemicals so its best to avoid solder (and cookies) from the Hu-Flung-Dung Sodder Wire and Fortune Cookie factory!

author: l3gi0n
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 12:28:04 am
content: QuoteIf I want to clean the residues to make sure everything is ok, should I use a swab and IPA 99% ? how exactly should I clean the residues with a swab and IPA ?

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 12:31:15 am
content: https://www.chemtronics.com/ultimate-guide-to-cleaning-electronics

author: l3gi0n
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 12:36:41 am
content: one more question,Is it true that no-clean solder is more hazardous than Rosin core solder ?

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 12:46:55 am
content: Maybe. You'd need to consult the specific MSDS for the flux. Fumes from natural Rosin (aka: Colophony) without any additional activators aren't safe in significant concentrations - see this MSDS:https://www.carlroth.com/downloads/sdb/en/9/SDB_9051_GB_EN.pdf

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 01:39:48 pm
content: I do not see anything which would distinguish it from other tin/lead rosin core solders as far as safety, so no special precautions are required. The flux can be cleaned in the common ways for rosin flux, but in many applications this will not be necessary.

author: Terry Bites
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 04:33:25 pm
content: Use a fume extractor- no fumes are good fo you.Always clean afterwards. I dont use IPA, its always got some water in it.Acetone is a better solvent but its worse for your health.

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 06:52:44 pm
content: IPA is fine even when it contains water, because water is fine. The small amount of water in IPA, which originates from the air humidity, does not contain significant amount of salts etc. present in tap water, so it's fine, really.Can't recommend acetone, it attacks plastics used in some components. Even damages soldermask (to varying degrees depending on exact soldermask formulation).This being said, classic rosin flux does not require cleaning. I never bother unless there is a good reason to. Super high impedance circuits are PITA anyway and may require alotof thorough cleaning, and keeping the thing clean.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 07:03:25 pm
content: Quote from: Terry Bites on December 01, 2021, 04:33:25 pmI would use a fume extractor in a production environment where you are soldering all day, but otherwise I do not think it matters. I used to just keep a small fan blowing across my workbench.QuoteAcetone is one of the biologically safer solvents, but will attack some plastics so is not always suitable. Since acetone is miscible with water, it would make a good additive to use with IPA at like a 50/50 ratio. I use straight acetone or lacquer thinner for cleaning flux from small areas of rework with a cotton swab. The flux thinner that I have is 50/50 toluene and IPA.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 07:04:46 pm
content: Quote from: Terry Bites on December 01, 2021, 04:33:25 pmIn fact, the water in more dilute IPA may help remove the salts present in many modern fluxes, the non-alcohol-soluble salts responsible for the white residue so common after incomplete cleaning.Acetone is tricky, as many things are damaged by it.Commercial flux cleaners do the best job, IMHO.

author: wasyoungonce
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2021, 12:11:50 am
content: Yes ...one of the first things I was HRHS taught is wipe clean your solder! Use kimwipe and isopropanol or other type cleaner.Solder builds oxides on the outer layer, this removes them. Try it, you will be surprised with the amount of rubbish removed left on the wipe. Especially leaded solder! I have an old military 63/37 roll decades old (almost gone), still good as long as I wipe the oxides off. I love this solder. Its even better then my Kester 44 (I thinks its 44, "blue") 63/37 (.5mm). Probably because its around .8mm.I wipe solder before every use, same as clean iron tips before every use. It become 2nd nature.edit: thinner solder (lees than .5mm) is a pain to wipe as it stretches too easily. A trap for some.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2021, 08:09:41 am
content: I saw some YouTube videos from a training center following NASA standards, and indeed they show them cleaning every bit of solder (and cutting off the end to ensure flux can flow ASAP)!Indeed, 0.5mm is still relatively easy to clean. I have some 25+ year old 0.010” (0.25mm) 63/37 Kester 182, nowthat’sdelicate! (I got that as a kid from one of those surplus vendors in the back of Popular Electronics. Given that Kester 182 is extremely expensive normally, I guess it must have been ex-military surplus or similar.)I recently acquired a few rolls of ~13 year old Elsold (now Tamura-Elsold) 62/36/2 in a few sizes. It’s really nice. Elsold claims to be the only solder brand approved by EAS for flight hardware. Too bad it’s practically impossible to buy.

author: lfldp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2021, 09:42:15 pm
content: Quote from: l3gi0n on December 01, 2021, 12:36:41 amnope in short it depend... on manufacturer of flux and activators in it , if you want non irritant flux focus on syntetic flux like amtech lf-4300 or syntech based such as syntech-tf or syntech-lf-tf for lead free solder only these are syntetic fluxesall other fluxes are usually irritant especially rosin based RMA but there is also one syntetic flux manufacturer Alpha OM-338 and this flux is the whorst hell irritant product which i ever tryin ! but it is synteticall other amtech water washable flux like lf-4200 etc. they are syntetic too and should not irritate but water washable flux is not recommended to solder bga even i think it must be cleaned after smd soldering processsyntech products are no-clean not water washable and they are very good for bga reballing etc. syntetic made smell nice and not irritate , it is same product as chip quik flux just manufactured by amtechif you wanna solder lead-free only choose SYNTECH-LF-TF if leadded only SYNTECH-TFQuotenot exactly coz if you have rosin flux with REM1 speciffication you must clean it after soldering process mostly rma flux need cleaning anyways i dont understand why some people using rma flux for bga placement instead of using no-clean type

author: lfldp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2021, 09:24:36 am
content: and if you want cheap flux (suposedly not irritant) try AMAOE or UG-78 flux from aliexpress but be aware about they selling many fake copy of these fluxesfor example some customers notice about they buyed amaoe in past and it works excellent + not irritate when inhalled but now they buyed from another seller and it smell like industrial fluxi dont know which one of amaoe is original and which not , will be good if someone there recommend where he buyed this flux and how it works