Solder

[Ian Rogers]

Umm, on topic? On this thread? Have you read the thread?

Cmon!! We tried... BUT!! Guilty as charged... I also agree with DS8.. German / Scotsman are not part of this thread.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Back to the thread, I noticed my RS Pro solder has a 'made in USA' label on the end!

 

[throbscottle]

Meh, fake! Proves it's imitation Chinese solder

 

[throbscottle]

On topic for this site.

Umm, on topic? On this site? Have you read the site?

 

[throbscottle]

So, taking a new angle on the topic of solder, has anyone checked or even managed to find the environmental credentials (or whatever you call it) of the solder you buy? I don't mean in terms of lead content, but of tin sourcing. I ask because I saw a programme on the telly a while ago where they showed some pretty awful tin mining, and pointed out (just once, at the beginning, easy to miss) that with the move to lead free solder in manufacturing, there has been a big increase in tin demand and an increase these dangerous practices.

Also, for us lead-users, does anyone know the situation with lead mining? Toxicity aside, is it as bad? Or is it actually better because of the obvious hazard?

 

[gophert]

Also, for us lead-users, does anyone know the situation with lead mining? Toxicity aside, is it as bad? Or is it actually better because of the obvious hazard?

When I worked in the chemical industry we were always looking at comparative exposure case studies to make sure what we did was safe. A process required opening and unloading a lead-based raw material so we looked to lead mining as the worst possible exposure and what safety precautions they took and corresponding illness rate.

It turned out that lead miners had slightly higher lead levels in blood and tissue but no more than someone living in a house containing lead paint, over coated with led-free latex paint. Also, lung diseases were typically caused by exhaust fumes or silicate/asbestos exposure.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

When I worked in the chemical industry we were always looking at comparative exposure case studies to make sure what we did was safe. A process required opening and unloading a lead-based raw material so we looked to lead mining as the worst possible exposure and what safety precautions they took and corresponding illness rate.

It turned out that lead miners had slightly higher lead levels in blood and tissue but no more than someone living in a house containing lead paint, over coated with led-free latex paint. Also, lung diseases were typically caused by exhaust fumes or silicate/asbestos exposure.

I think you perhaps choose poorly?, lead smelting and lead recycling are probably far worse than the actual mining.

I grew up in a lead mining area, and one of the most successful lead mines in the world was the other side of the hill (Millclose Mine) - but has been a lead smelter and recycler since around the end of WW2. They had to plant large plantations of trees where ever they could in the surrounding countryside, apparently trees help to reduce lead pollution, and have special monitors installed throughout these woods and the general area, that monitor lead levels.

They also had to provide free milk for all children of school age, apparently milk helps protect against lead contamination - my wife lived in the area, and she received free milk as a child.

As far as I'm aware the free milk stopped a number of years ago, and they only recycle car batteries etc. these days, and presumably emissions are far more tightly controlled. The woods and the monitors are still in place though.

As an ex-caver, I've been in plenty of old lead mines, and the whole surrounding area is littered with lead mines, many of which have long since been lost. So how do you 'seal' a mine shaft - you stick a couple of planks of wood across the top. Over the years grass grows over the top, and the location of the shaft is lost - I think you can all see where this is going - over the decades the wood rots away, leaving a thin layer of grass over the top of the shaft There are literally thousands of such lost mine shafts on the area, which is why there are frequent signs warning you to stick to the paths, and don't wander away from them.

There are also a number of local places called 'Bole Hill', and these refer to lead smelting - where they dug a depression in the top of a hill, and you piled lead ore and fuel in a heap in the depression, and set fire to it. I suspect the level of pollution from that would be rather high?.

Another lower level version is to build a 'chimney' up a hillside - there are many not far from where I grew up, near the River Lathkill - essentially it's a stone built long dome structure running up the hill side, with a big fireplace at the bottom, You pile up the ore and fuel, set fire to it, and as the smoke goes up the 'chimney' lead which would normally be lost in the smoke is deposited on the walls and roof - and every so often you send people up to brush it off and recover it. I presume that's a more 'modern' version of the 'Bole Hill' type of smelting.

Obviously this was all long ago - but I wouldn't be surprised of they weren't still some horrific practices in various third world countries.

 

[gophert]

I think you perhaps choose poorly?

No, we didn't. Local smelters and recyclers are so small and unregulated that any medical data is essentially random noise. Mining, on the other hand, is federally regulated and best practices are developed by various mine safety product suppliers and shared across the industry. Medical monitoring data and correlation studies, cause-effect studies, etc can be found in various medical journals and industrial safety or industrial hygiene journals with detailed descriptions of exposure and mitigation equipment used for the exposed population. We could then take the various best-practices as reasonable precautions when our workers handled the hazardous materials based on dust cloud, particle size, air movement, exposure time, and expected lifetime exposure (and I am missing one or two more considerations...).
But thanks for your story.

 

[throbscottle]

In case anyone is interested, the Multicore solder I got is massively better than the Jinhu stuff, which I thought was ok, and is only a little more expensive. Keeps my bit more clean and even is easier to melt through the insulation on magnet wire. Seriously impressed.

 

[schmitt trigger]

I have to reorder solder fairly soon, and your comment is very much appreciated.
Do you have the Multicore part number?

 

[throbscottle]

This is the CPC catalogue page: https://cpc.farnell.com/multicore-s...giK0GBHJNppqKhhlvOh4QPI4UcNBj8sldFN5W43BiTg==

 

[audioguru]

I have always bought Ersin multicore 63/37 solder which a long time ago maybe came from England.

 

[atferrari]

While you compose your next brilliant post gentlemen, I invite you to verify the expiración date of your solder rolls.

The last three I bought, had it, and once overdue, nothing happened.

 

[gophert]

While you compose your next brilliant post gentlemen, I invite you to verify the expiración date of your solder rolls.

The last three I bought, had it, and once overdue, nothing happened.

It sounds like Kester has an expiration date to simply cover their keister.

from..
**broken link removed**

Solder Wire: Storage must be in a dry, non-corrosive environment between 10-40°C (50-104°F). Flux-cored solder wire has a limited warranty period determined by the alloy used in the wire. For alloys containing more than 70% lead, the warranty period is 2 years from the date of manufacture. Other alloys have a warranty period of 3 years from the date of manufacture.

Solid solder wire has an indefinite working life when stored in a dry, non-corrosive environment between 10-40°C (50- 104°F).

 

[upand_at_them]

I keep my 60/40 in my somewhat humid basement. I've had this 1-pound roll for at least 10 years and it still works just fine.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I keep my 60/40 in my somewhat humid basement. I've had this 1-pound roll for at least 10 years and it still works just fine.

It's just a 'cover their ass' excuse, and probably a slight hope that big businesses will throw it away and buy new

When the 'demise' of leaded solder was announced (which has never really happened even yet) a friend of mine ordered enough leaded solder to last his lifetime, as he didn't want to have to start using unleaded - and I fully agree with him.

 

[audioguru]

When my young grandsons saw my roll of solder they did not eat it and didn't even taste it.
My dog also does not eat it.

When I was a kid my friends and I played with mercury, lead products and explosive chemicals that are much more dangerous than leaded solder. We also didn't eat it.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

When my young grandsons saw my roll of solder they did not eat it and didn't even taste it.
My dog also does not eat it.

When I was a kid my friends and I played with mercury, lead products and explosive chemicals that are much more dangerous than leaded solder. We also didn't eat it.

I think you're rather missing the point?.

The reason for lead free solder is to prevent contamination of the ground when it's buried in landfill - not for any imaginary consumption.

 

[audioguru]

Landfill is not supposed to have leaded solder in it, electronic products are recycled but I guess a few fools put it in their garbage.
I hope nobody has drinking water or crops with landfill nearby. All the old landfill sites I have seen are golf courses now.

 

[upand_at_them]

This is the solder I have, except mine is 0.8mm. Is there much benefit to going with something else? I don't think I'll run out of this before I die, but I may actually get the 0.6mm stuff.

Jameco - 1.1-Pound Rosin Cored 0.025 Inch Diameter 60/40 Solder Wire