Isn't it mostly tin with a small amount of silver? Is it food safe? How strong is it compared to tin/lead solder (which is not food safe)?
Mark
Mark
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Question about silver bearing solder
- Thread starter markba633csi
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Silver bearing solder is low temperature stuff, low amount of silver in it, low melting point, ~450F.
Ah now I see, there are a lot of alloys available, even a nickel bearing one called "bridgit" that looks very strong
Silver bearing solder: (that is, contains silver, not for roller bearings) Silver is used in one of the leading alloys for lead free solder (An96.5% Ag3.0% Cu.5%) and also as an addition to tin-lead solder, usually in the 2-4% range (when you se 62/36/2 this means Sn64Pb36Ag2).
People claim that it flows better, has a lower melting point, is stronger, and has a higher conductivity. According to Indium's solder wire data sheet, their 2% silver solder has an electrical conductivity that is 11.9% of Cu compared to 11.5% of 63/37 tin-lead solder, a shear strength of 7540psi vs. 6200psi, and a tensile strength of 7000psi vs. 7500psi for 63/37. So, yes, the claims are true, and also mostly insignificant. Silver was initially added to solder to prevent silver platings on component leads from dissolving into the solder ("silver migration") and forming brittle joints. Having silver in the solder reduces migration, so you may want to use it on silver joints. (Note: this logic doesn't entirely make sense to me. If silver getting in the solder caused embrittlement, how does adding more silver prevent this?)
Audiophiles seem to be enamored by 4% silver bearing solder, namely some from WBT, Cardas, and WonderSolder. Are these really better for audio?
The superior claims include things like higher purity, eutectic alloys, higher conductivity, and better flux. I haven't found any controlled studies showing that a group of people can actually hear the difference, so I'm skeptical. Although additional silver does increase conductivity, the increase is small and the joint distance over which that conductivity applies is also extremely small. For what it's worth, here's a forum discussion that discusses a bit about solder in high-end audio and also a FAQ (scroll down)concerning solder on Cardas Audio's site. Another decent discussion.
Bad joints made with any solder can create a high-resistance connection, especially if the underlying components were heavily oxidized initially. My advice: if it makes you feel better, get it, but be wary of sellers that don't provide spec sheets.
store.curiousinventor.com
People claim that it flows better, has a lower melting point, is stronger, and has a higher conductivity. According to Indium's solder wire data sheet, their 2% silver solder has an electrical conductivity that is 11.9% of Cu compared to 11.5% of 63/37 tin-lead solder, a shear strength of 7540psi vs. 6200psi, and a tensile strength of 7000psi vs. 7500psi for 63/37. So, yes, the claims are true, and also mostly insignificant. Silver was initially added to solder to prevent silver platings on component leads from dissolving into the solder ("silver migration") and forming brittle joints. Having silver in the solder reduces migration, so you may want to use it on silver joints. (Note: this logic doesn't entirely make sense to me. If silver getting in the solder caused embrittlement, how does adding more silver prevent this?)
Audiophiles seem to be enamored by 4% silver bearing solder, namely some from WBT, Cardas, and WonderSolder. Are these really better for audio?
The superior claims include things like higher purity, eutectic alloys, higher conductivity, and better flux. I haven't found any controlled studies showing that a group of people can actually hear the difference, so I'm skeptical. Although additional silver does increase conductivity, the increase is small and the joint distance over which that conductivity applies is also extremely small. For what it's worth, here's a forum discussion that discusses a bit about solder in high-end audio and also a FAQ (scroll down)concerning solder on Cardas Audio's site. Another decent discussion.
Bad joints made with any solder can create a high-resistance connection, especially if the underlying components were heavily oxidized initially. My advice: if it makes you feel better, get it, but be wary of sellers that don't provide spec sheets.
What kind of solder (rosin cored, etc. lead-free)? What is flux and when is it necessary? - Curious Inventor
As a starting place, for most small electronics soldering, 1/32 inch (.03) rosin-cored, 60/40 (tin-lead) or 63/37 solder should work fine. Rosin-cored lead-free is fine, too. Unless you have reason otherwise, don’t use “no-clean” solder–it’s very likely that you don’t need to clean the regular...
store.curiousinventor.com
I think the silver tries to move to where there is no silver. If there is some there already (in the solder) then it tends to stay put.
Something like that. If I remember my solid state physics stuff from JC correctly
M
Something like that. If I remember my solid state physics stuff from JC correctly
M
Silver bearing solder is used on stainless steel soldered joints, it "takes" to stainless much more readily than non silver bearing solders, and yes it is food safe, and is used for copper water pipe joining.
I love "silver bearing" solder for electronics and PCBs, in addition to it's medium-temp uses (200-300C; actual "silver solder" has a melt temp around 1200 F). It wets and flows wonderfully, and makes a higher tensile bond, but at the cost of a slightly higher heat input.
Adding silver does not impact toxicity in normal use, so long as the base alloy without silver is non-toxic. It works on water pipes and moonshine stills across the country.
Adding silver does not impact toxicity in normal use, so long as the base alloy without silver is non-toxic. It works on water pipes and moonshine stills across the country.