skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Evaluation of no-clean solder process designed to eliminate the use of ozone-depleting chemicals

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10191804· OSTI ID:10191804

This paper summarizes the LANL contributions to a joint Motorola/SNLA/LANL cooperative research and development agreement study on the reliability of an alternative solder process that is intended to reduce or eliminate the use of ozone-depleting chemicals in the manufacture of printed wire boards (PWBs). This process is termed self-cleaning because of the nature of the thermal chemistry associated with the adipic and formic acid components used in place of traditional solder rosin fluxes. Traditional rosin fluxes used in military electronic hardware applications are cleaned (by requirement) using chlorofluorohydrocarbons. The LANL contribution centers around analytical determination of PWB cleanliness after soldering using the self-cleaning method. Results of these analytical determinations involving primarily surface analysis of boards following temperature, temperature and humidity, and long-term storage testing are described with representative data. It is concluded that the self-cleaning process leaves behind levels of solid residue that are visually and analytically observable using most of these surface analysis techniques. The materials compatibility of electronic components soldered using the self-cleaning soldering process is more fully described in the project report issued by SNLA that encompasses the complete project with statistical lifetime and accelerated aging studies. Analytical surface specificity and suggestions for further work are also given.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
OSTI ID:
10191804
Report Number(s):
LA-12636; ON: DE95002140; CRN: C/SNL--SC9101026; TRN: 94:010134
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Oct 1993
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English