Patent ID: 8147746

Claim:
A deposition and separation apparatus for depositing and separating, as an intermetallic compound, excess copper dissolved in molten lead-free solder having tin as the main element thereof, comprising: a deposition bath for causing an intermetallic compound of tin in the molten lead-free solder, a metal added from the outside and copper in the molten lead-free solder to be deposited with the lead-free solder maintained at a molten state thereof, a granulation bath including a first plate having a large number of openings, each opening having a smaller diameter, and a second plate having a large number of openings, each opening having a larger diameter, and wherein the granulation bath causes the molten lead-free solder to pass through the second plate after causing the molten lead-free solder to pass through the first plate to merge the intermetallic compounds with each other into particles having a larger diameter, and a separation bath for causing the enlarged intermetallic compounds to precipitate and separate in the molten lead-free solder.