Fw: flux removal

[george & lorraine]

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> From: george & lorraine <LEG at btinternet.com>
> To: synth- diy <synth-diy at mailhost.bpa.nl>
> Cc:
> Subject: flux removal
> Date: 09 May 1998 22:44
> 
> The standard flux removal process in the industry for as long as i can
> remember was by the use of (shame on me for uttering their name!)
> chlorinated, solvents such as trichloroethane,trichloroethelene.These
> "TRIKE" based products are now considered very unfreindly (cfc's
> ,carcinogenic and all that).The best known of these in my experience was
> ARKLONE"P" manufactured by ICI.This had the capability of being boiled
> (40deg C), the vapour, washing the most tenacious deposits off
board's.That
> aside,the electronics industry has now been forced to adopt alternative
> method's of flux removal. The company i work for have evaluated a miriad
of
> alternative safe alcohol and water based solvents, including at least two
> based on orange juice (so pineapple juice and gasoline may not be far
from
> useable!).A water based product we now use as a near standard is SAFEWASH
> 2000 ,i could not tell you who manufactures it but it is available in
> quantities down to aerosol cans,in britain,from Radio Spares,Maplin
> etc.This does need carefull rinseing in distilled water and hot air
> drying.One thing to point out is that in the industry,as at
home,components
> that trap water(relays,preset's,pots etc)must be soldered then cleaned
> locally afterward's.To be honest i think they are crap, and have tried
> washing-up liquid at home with better result's.Something worth mentioning
> is refrain from using compressed air to dry boards,the air moving over
the
> board can create huge static charges due to ionisation.I have no idea
what
> cocktail of stuff is used in fluxes but have tried several solder's from
> Multicore.Synalow and a few other's that are now producing" no clean"
> product's which do seem pretty good.That's it!, find a supply of cfc's or
> use washing up liquid perhaps?.On a final note, i am not aware of pcb
> coating's vaporising during soldering, but industrial soldering station's
> are required to have extraction fitted by law in GB as the actual fluxes
> can be quite toxic.May i say i do not endorse any of the products
mentioned
> above and if anyone reading this boil's their son or daughter in solvent
> and ionises them with compressed air it was not my fault!!.
> live long and proper
> 
> george