I have hardened flux on my pcb and I'm looking for an efficient way to remove it. I can heat it up with a soldering iron and wipe, but that's time-consuming. The liquid flux has hardened and I want the pcb clean.
Secondly, I don't know how it happened, but when I used a wick to remove excess solder, black plastic melted into the pcb 😕 The wick and soldering iron was clean, so was the pcb. Maybe there was melted plastic underneath the solder that I didn't notice. Is there a way to remove it without damaging the pcb and components?
Secondly, I don't know how it happened, but when I used a wick to remove excess solder, black plastic melted into the pcb 😕 The wick and soldering iron was clean, so was the pcb. Maybe there was melted plastic underneath the solder that I didn't notice. Is there a way to remove it without damaging the pcb and components?
Not plastic, but burnt, overheated rosin (flux) most likely from the desoldering braid. I've used alcohol, acetone and/or flux remover with cotton tipped wooden cleaning sticks. You just have to be careful not to soak the board with it as you don't want it to wick into components like electrolytic capacitors.
90% Isopropanol works well, and you can get it at most drug stores. The water in the usual 70% rubbing alcohol renders it much less effective. Soak the board a bit, and scrub it with a tooth brush. The iso is compatible with most plastics, and also is compatible with electrolytic capacitors.
If you want to spend the money, the flux remover mixtures marketed by folks like MG Chemicals are very effective, and formulated not to harm most electronic materials. As a bonus, they wash off magic marker and silicone grease quite well, so you can use the stuff to clean old silicone grease off a heat sink, as well as the random gobs that seem to magically leap onto your clothes, (especially if you're wearing black). I also use the stuff as a general purpose cleaner and degreaser.
Chlorinated solvents of any sort are taboo, as they slowly rot electrolytic caps from the inside out. Acetone is a no-go, as it eats several types of plastics used in electronics, most notably, polystyrene.
If you want to spend the money, the flux remover mixtures marketed by folks like MG Chemicals are very effective, and formulated not to harm most electronic materials. As a bonus, they wash off magic marker and silicone grease quite well, so you can use the stuff to clean old silicone grease off a heat sink, as well as the random gobs that seem to magically leap onto your clothes, (especially if you're wearing black). I also use the stuff as a general purpose cleaner and degreaser.
Chlorinated solvents of any sort are taboo, as they slowly rot electrolytic caps from the inside out. Acetone is a no-go, as it eats several types of plastics used in electronics, most notably, polystyrene.
Will they work on burnt flux? They're harder to remove and I haven't worked on the pcb for a year.
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