Yeah, they claim it's an issue because the lead leaches out of the solder joints when the electronics end up in a landfill. My first response was "what, do they think that people eat the electronics out of their trash?", but I guess it could make a difference in the lead content of ponds in areas that are downsteam of the landfill. I don't think I'd want to eat fish out of a farm pond that's downhill from a landfill anyway, but I guess that elevated lead levels would make it particularly bad.
On using the stuff, I've found that it takes an iron that's about 65 or 70 degrees (F) hotter than I liked to use on regular old 60/40 tin/lead resin core solder like I learned on. And I've found that you pretty much have to use some sort of additional solder flux too. You can't just rely on the flux that's contained in the solder because it's consumed so quickly. The kind I use is a liquid flux. I basically flood the area around the intended solder joint with liquid flux, then make the solder joint as quickly as I can. The solder joint has to flow and then you'll see it flash shiny over the surface. If you haven't run out of flux by then, that's the time to pull your soldering iron out of the joint. The thing is, if you allow the surface to crystalize, it makes the solder joint weak and worse yet, it makes it possible to get "solder whiskers". Solder whiskers are crystalized metal that continues to crystalize further long after the solder joint was made. In the process, long crystals of metal form and protrude from the surface of the solder joint. They can grow long enough that they short adjacent pins on ICs or make other unintentional circuit jumpers.
It's not hard to make a good lead-free solder joint if you have coordination, a good view of the solder joint, a good, well-tinned iron and plenty of flux. You just don't have as long to make the joint. On larger solder joint where it takes too long to heat the joint, you may have to apply flux after the joint has been flowed and while the soldering iron is still in contact with the joint.
After you figure out how to use the lead-free solder, it's really not that hard to use, but you can sure mess stuff up before you figure it out.
At this time, the US will continue to allow the sale of electronics that has leaded solder, but more and more you will see electronics that are made with lead free solder. The company I work for is going 100% lead free because they sell into Europe. In the process, the US will get lead free parts too. Over time, it will probably be hard to get leaded solder, except from industrial supply houses. The stuff that they sell consumers will probably go lead free. At least that's my take on it.
Topic: Neutrik quality rant! (Read 11482 times)