Because it seems that there are so many types of solder, the choice of what kind of solder to buy can be confusing.
When I began studying electronics, I did not know much about the solders, so I used any solder that could be found. But did you know that the solder is not only used for soldering of electronic components?
In fact, the solder is also used for plumbing.
And solder is used for plumbing, it should definitely not be used for electronics, because it contains acid!
The main types of solder
There are only a few basic things that you need to know to understand what solder choose and what to stay away.
First of all, the solder can be of different forms: pellets, rods, wire and paste. As an amateur, you will only need to get acquainted with solder wire. And, perhaps, solder paste, if you want to do SMD soldering.
There are two basic types of solder:
- Solder lead-based
- Lead-free solder
The main practical difference between them lies in the melting temperature.
Solder lead-based
Solder lead-based in the past has been used widely. It was made from a mixture of tin and lead. Generally, a mixture of 60/40 (tin / lead) melts at a temperature of about 180-190 ° C.
Because lead has a detrimental effect on our health, industry shifts from lead to lead-free solder.
Lead-free solder
Lead-free solder - a lead-free solder. EC requires that the commercially available electronics used lead-free solder (RHoS) due to the danger to health of lead.
It has a high melting point, so with it a little more difficult to work, but this is usually not a problem.
Wire solders typically have a core within the wire containing a flux. The flux is intended to improve electrical contact and mechanical strength in the brazed joints.
There are basically two types of cores of flux. The acid nucleus and the nucleus of rosin. Acid core is used for plumbing and rosin core - for electronics. So use rosin core.
conclusion
The main types of solder is lead and lead free. You can use both for electronics, but it can be easier to work with lead-based solders.
Necessarily stay away from acidic solder, since it is designed for plumbing, rather than electronics.