Just when you think you know everything.....Does this solder rally make a difference in kit building?
Avoiding the bull/propaganda /advertising etc here is a website with a more balanced view ( beware ! its argumentative.-
Best Silver Solder? [Archive] - The Art of Sound Forum
Best Silver Solder? [Archive] - The Art of Sound Forum
Only stuff i use now. It flows like hot butter, flux works great when working on old hardware with less than ideal finish, always leaves a nice shiny solder joint. Almost impossible to get a dry joint with it. Flex residue is non corrosive, and easily removed with a bit of IPA. It just works.
General soldering I use standard 63/37 Kester, but gotta agree that Cardas really flows like warm butter. Beautiful joints. I use it whenever my components are plated with things other than tin, especially gold or silver. If you have a copper lead that has been annealed, I don't always find standard solder bonds to it as well either. But the price is stupid high...
Any eutectic alloy will be a good flowing solder, any non-eutectic will be horrible.
This is why for lead-free solder you only choose the 4% silver variety which is eutectic.
And lead/tin 60/40 is pointless as 63/37 is the eutectic ratio.
Eutectic means the liquid solidfies together at one temperature, rather than going pasty.
Eutectic alloys only exist at particular ratios of the metal elements involved, which you can
see on a phase diagram for the alloy system, for instance: Tin Silver Phase Diagram [17] | Download Scientific Diagram
you can see the eutectic point at the left hand side at 4% silver.
I suspect the best solders also have the smallest expansion/contraction ratio on melting/solidifying.
This is why for lead-free solder you only choose the 4% silver variety which is eutectic.
And lead/tin 60/40 is pointless as 63/37 is the eutectic ratio.
Eutectic means the liquid solidfies together at one temperature, rather than going pasty.
Eutectic alloys only exist at particular ratios of the metal elements involved, which you can
see on a phase diagram for the alloy system, for instance: Tin Silver Phase Diagram [17] | Download Scientific Diagram
you can see the eutectic point at the left hand side at 4% silver.
I suspect the best solders also have the smallest expansion/contraction ratio on melting/solidifying.