[SOLVED] Lead solder health and safety

[neazoi]

hello I am using lead containing solder since 1994 and only recently I have read the health and safety issues!

As a general rule of thumb I usialy washed my hands after using this solder but there are other issues I have read, for example:

Do not accidentally burn hoyr hand with the tip of the iron to avoid contamination.
Clean the desk surface after you have soldered.

I never have followed these two previous guidelines, so I wonder if these are really important or...?


Also, every lead free solder I have tested does not give shiny joints but cold ones. I have tried different temperatures.
What Am I doing wrong?

 

[keith1200rs]

I am no expert in health & safety issues, but I think a lot of the problems are to do with the disposal of electronics equipment which ends up with lead being put in the ground in landfill, rather than contamination of the workers using it (at least I hope so!).

Lead free solder tends to have a higher melting point, but produces rubbishy looking joints. That's just the way it is.

Keith.

 

[neazoi]

It seems that there is no alternative to the shiny joints the lead solder does...?

I have heard of only 1-2 cases of people having problems with their nerves due to lead (not sure if they mean lead soldering).

I think many of us used the fire pen for many years and the fact that lead solders are sold cheaply everywhere imposes a great risk, if it really is too dangerous and if basic practices (like just washing the hands) are not enough....


Has anyone used a lead-free solder and having shiny joints?
Which one?
At what temperature?

 

[pranam77]

It seems that there is no alternative to the shiny joints the lead solder does...?
I have heard of only 1-2 cases of people having problems with their nerves due to lead (not sure if they mean lead soldering).
I think many of us used the fire pen for many years and the fact that lead solders are sold cheaply everywhere imposes a great risk, if it really is too dangerous and if basic practices (like just washing the hands) are not enough....
Has anyone used a lead-free solder and having shiny joints?
Which one? At what temperature?

Lead free solder is what it is. It is generally a mixture of silver and copper and thus requires high temperature to melt, and is the less shiny surface compared to lead.
I am working personally with lead since 20+ years now and never had any symptoms or health problems which may be blamed to the lead. And yes...in our workshop, we had allergic problems with lead for certain employees who were in to manual soldering and then we realised they were actually breathing fumes coming out of the lead while touching the soldering iron. Then we have fume extractors installed and which has solved the problem. But in India, lead free is not yet implimented by the law nor the lead is banned in a proper way. Every small and midium scale industries use lead in abundance even today, except those who export their products. (Naturally the products with lead will be rejected overseas.)
There are various issues with the disposal of E-waste and lead as "keith1200rs" has mentioned.

 

[IanP]

To be a moderator does not mean to be a censor ..
Have a second thought before you delete posts ..

IAN P)PPPPPP

 

[keith1200rs]

I think lead free solder is mostly tin. I think a lot of problems with fumes are to do with the horrible stuff in flux - always best avoided.

Keith

 

[karesz]

HI,
I work with solder over 40 years, did lead molding over years in a printing corporation & worked 3 years in a (lead mantel)cable work too_am (as I know) free from "lead problems"...
Some body are others, infected after a couple of years...It can bring in short time dead.
In Europa WE MUST (& UAS calls ROHs, I think...) use lead free solders_I think yet over 2 years!
Lead free solder will never be shiny, but it dont mean that the solder makes not perfect contacts.
K.....

 

[pranam77]

To be a moderator does not mean to be a censor ..
Have a second thought before you delete posts ..
IAN P)PPPPPP

If you are refering to these post of you and "zigber"



Bieng a senior member, You are too expected to think twice before posting a bullshit. We are here to keep those out. You may always prefer PM instead of open forum where Mods cant have second thought about anyone. Every member is equal, and rules are for everyone.

 

[biff44]

I recently had to fabricate some microwave waveguide parts from copper sheet. I used a non-lead solder called Safe flow, and it worked extremely well. Very flowable with nice shiny joints. I ended up sanding/grinding some of the solder joints, which I never could have done safely if it was a lead based solder:

**broken link removed**

Apparently it is a tin/bismuth/copper/silver blend.

Not sure if there is a flux cored version available for electronic circuits, but it is just proof that you do not need lead-tin to make a go of it.

 

[ngmedaboard]

With lead being a heavy metal, I would think the majority of the smoke is from the flux not the lead (the logic being heavy metal doesn't like to float, although I know it can to some degree). The flux is rosin based and rosin, I believe is tree sap. So hopefully the majority of that smoke isn't much more than something like burning maple syrup per say. But still smoke in general isn't good for you because it goes into your lungs (I'm sure it contains carbon). And stuff that ends up in your lungs is far more difficult to get rid of than say something you eat.

 

[biff44]

Lead smoke will emit from lead if it is heated up too much. That is common knowledge in the smelting or lead paint removal businesses.

I do agree that when you see smoke coming up from eutectic solder (like a lead tin mix), it is mostly the flux you are seeing. I would not go breathing in that flux by the way, especially the "no clean" types which are basically acids of various sorts.

 

[fuuton]

nothing happens man..... happy soldering

 

[karesz]

Are you trying jokes overall pls!?
K.

 

[keith1200rs]

nothing happens man..... happy soldering

please click helped me if you found this useful

Idiot.

Keith