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| vapor phase soldering - alternate liquids |
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| jonroger:
The standard way to do vapor phase soldering is to use a liquid like Galden HT230. But this is quite expensive. Are there other liquids that would work? For example 95% glycerol/glycerin and 5% water? Or 75% glycerol and 25% propylene glycol? If usable, what about safety? I understand that these things are deliberately inhaled (in e-cigarettes). I have no intention of inhaling any of it, but I'd prefer not to die if I get trace amounts. |
| MagicSmoker:
Galden is a perfluorocarbon so is highly inert; anything ending in -ol has one or more hydroxyl groups which are anything but inert, especially at high temperature and in the presence of either acids or alkalies. So, no, you probably can't replace Galden with polyethylene glycol, etc. Off hand I don't know of an acceptable substitute that would be easy to obtain (then again, I Am Not A Chemist) and cost less than Galden. Maybe a silicone oil, but you'd have to do your own research. |
| jogri:
Silicone oil wouldn't work, that stuff isn't anywhere near its boiling point at 200°C (i don't know when or if it would boil, i never managed to heat it that high). And it would be an absolute PITA to get it off your board after you cooled it down. You probably won't find any perfluoro compound that costs significantly less than Galden because you don't pay for the polypropylene part of it, you pay for the fluorination: No one wants to work with fluorine (that stuff is really nasty) and the ones who do charge exorbitant prices. |
| wraper:
You can use another grade of Galden such as LS230 but otherwise there is no alternative. And the main point is that it boils at exactly 230oC. Anything with significantly different boiling temperature simply won't work. Mixing things with different boiling temperature is pretty much pointless. |
| jonroger:
I can get a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol to have the right boiling point. So it's less inert - what does this mean practically? It will interfere with the flux? I doubt it will damage anything else. IMO, radiant or convective heating of a PCB is a really lousy way to get a mixture of things with different reflectivity and mass to a single fixed temperature. |
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