Why use an inert atmosphere in soldering?

There are two soldering processes used in electronic assembly. One is wave soldering and the other is reflow soldering. The solder used in these processes is a tin alloy, and when the solder is transferred to a liquid phase to fill holes or wet component pins, the liquid tin is very susceptible to oxidation.?

The industry has tried various different methods to solve these tin oxide problems, but only the use of an inert atmosphere has been effective. Nitrogen?– the cheapest inert gas – can insulate liquid tin from oxygen and lead to savings in the amount of tin needed (sometimes resulting in as much as a 95% reduction). Inert atmosphere can also reduce problems with reflow soldering, greatly increase product reliability and reduce defects, especially as components become smaller and smaller. Nitrogen?is also a green resource that does not impact on the environment.

What are the advantages of using hot nitrogen in wave soldering?

Hot nitrogen, where nitrogen is heated higher than 200℃ before being spread by a special porous pipe, offers five main advantages in wave soldering. It can greatly increase PCB board temperature, which can reduce the temperature shock of the PCB board and increase PCB board reliability.

It can also reduce the temperature drop between two waves. Sometimes it’s even possible to retain the solder joint’s liquid status, which can increase the robustness of the joint.?In addition, the process can increase the overall temperature of PCB board, which can help hole fill capability. Hot nitrogen?can avoid problems with flux and reduce the need for porous pipe preventive maintenance. Heating nitrogen?can also help reduce nitrogen consumption.

What makes Air Liquide’s soldering offers competitive? ???

Our Nexelia? brand provides our customers with a one-stop service that combines all our gas, equipment and technology experience in one solution. Air Liquide’s extensive experience in inert hood design, especially when it comes to the mature manufacturing process and the key components supplier chain, also provides us with an edge over our competitors.

Our ALTEC team is continuously improving our solutions for more than 500 customers globally. New technologies, such as our cooling systems development, will continue this cycle and help Air Liquide’s customers to stay competitive in the future.