Electronics > Repair

Flux, "No Clean" Flux, Cleaning, and Re-Coating?

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Fried Chicken:

--- Quote from: David Hess on January 16, 2025, 01:59:04 am ---Isopropyl alcohol has the virtue of being inexpensive, readily available, and safe, but by itself it is not a very good flux cleaner.  A mixture of 50/50 isopropyl alcohol and toluene is much better, and a great flux thinner, but toluene is no longer readily available.


--- Quote from: Fried Chicken on January 16, 2025, 12:46:12 am ---I'm kind of a fan of 63/37 solder, why isn't it more common?  Or should I just get 60/40?
--- End quote ---

Sn60Pb40 is slightly less expensive than Sn63Pb37.  Otherwise they are practically identical.

--- End quote ---

Are there any fluxes that clean well with IPA?
I'm genuinely allergic to nasty solvents as I do my work basically in the house.

aeberbach:
If the flux is hard, such as produced by rosin-core solder, use a soft tool like a bamboo skewer to chip off the big lumps of flux first and then brush/vacuum the board before using the IPA. It will take about half the time to fully clean.

David Hess:

--- Quote from: Fried Chicken on January 16, 2025, 05:06:13 am ---
--- Quote from: David Hess on January 16, 2025, 01:59:04 am ---Isopropyl alcohol has the virtue of being inexpensive, readily available, and safe, but by itself it is not a very good flux cleaner.  A mixture of 50/50 isopropyl alcohol and toluene is much better, and a great flux thinner, but toluene is no longer readily available.
--- End quote ---

Are there any fluxes that clean well with IPA?
I'm genuinely allergic to nasty solvents as I do my work basically in the house.
--- End quote ---

The water soluble fluxes might clean well with only IPA, but you should not be using them anyway.

I never had good results using only IPA with any flux.  I have tended to use acetone, which other than being flammable is one of the least toxic options.  I would test and use MEK and toluene if I could get them more easily.  Degreasers like 1,1,1-Trichloroethane are excellent at removing flux.  Maybe spray brake or carburetor cleaner would be a good option?

You could examine the MSDSes for various spray flux removers to get some ideas.  They usually work very well.

Fried Chicken:

--- Quote from: David Hess on January 16, 2025, 04:21:27 pm ---
--- Quote from: Fried Chicken on January 16, 2025, 05:06:13 am ---
--- Quote from: David Hess on January 16, 2025, 01:59:04 am ---Isopropyl alcohol has the virtue of being inexpensive, readily available, and safe, but by itself it is not a very good flux cleaner.  A mixture of 50/50 isopropyl alcohol and toluene is much better, and a great flux thinner, but toluene is no longer readily available.
--- End quote ---

Are there any fluxes that clean well with IPA?
I'm genuinely allergic to nasty solvents as I do my work basically in the house.
--- End quote ---

The water soluble fluxes might clean well with only IPA, but you should not be using them anyway.

I never had good results using only IPA with any flux.  I have tended to use acetone, which other than being flammable is one of the least toxic options.  I would test and use MEK and toluene if I could get them more easily.  Degreasers like 1,1,1-Trichloroethane are excellent at removing flux.  Maybe spray brake or carburetor cleaner would be a good option?

You could examine the MSDSes for various spray flux removers to get some ideas.  They usually work very well.

--- End quote ---

I. Am. Losing. My. Mind. Here.

Acetone is likely the move.  I'll skip the water cleanup fluxes.  Now I just need to decide on which flux to purchase.  I got a flux pen, so I guess I need a less viscous flux for that, and I still have my existing MG flux that seems pretty corrosive if not cleaned.

Recommendations are:
SMD291NL for its low viscosity and re-usability, TACFLUX-020 ($23 from Tequipment for 10cc) or TACFLUX-020B ($28 from Tequipment for 30cc) as it "passes SIR test in a unreflowed state" or "passes SIR test once ...".  I found this on tequipment, but it had a low recommended use temperature.
A recommendation for exclusively SMT/SMD flux b/c it's somehow better.

And for solder: Skip the ROHS compliant; but now there's a million options for solder, 60/40, 63/37, lead-free, various flux core types, and diameters.
Writing all this down as notes for myself.

I. Am. Losing. My. Mind. Here.

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