[sdiy] Tin Whiskers

[elmacaco]

Well, don't metals kinda grow through rocks in veins?


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "s" <sk0za at yahoo.com>
To: "Mattias Rickardsson" <mr at analogue.org>
Cc: <synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 11:37 PM
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Tin Whiskers


> Actually, the whisker phenomenon was apparently a
> larger prolem in the past (pre 1950s ?) that they
> thought had been dealt with- adding a bit of lead to
> the tin apparently kept the whiskers from forming.
> It's starting to become a problem again with the push
> to remove lead from electronics. There is legislation
> in the EU to have all lead removed from electronics &
> computers within 2 years, I believe, so that really
> brings up the issue of the whiskers returning.
> 
> From what I've read, nobody is really sure why
> whiskers actually form- understanding of the problem
> is minimal because after the lead discovery it was
> pretty much forgotten. there was an article I read on
> this recently, I think in forbes of all places- I'm
> not sure, but when I remember I'll post it.
> 
> Oh- just as trivia, tin isn't the only metal that
> whiskers. I know that zinc and silver do as well. And
> apparently recent evidence has shown that gold will
> whisker as well...
> 
> best
> s
> 
> 
> --- Mattias Rickardsson <mr at analogue.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> > Ooh, scary. I've heard about tulips on an organ, but
> > whiskers on an organ 
> > was something new.
> > 
> > But really: all this whiskers stuff - how serious
> > could it be? I mean, it's 
> > not like it suddenly started to happen yesterday now
> > or anything, and we 
> > still use lots of old electronics that still works.
> > So it will in the 
> > future too.
> > I guess the whiskers are just a potential cause of
> > spontaneous damage, 
> > which has always existed. Finding such a cause gives
> > relief rather than 
> > anxiety, I think. Now we have a better chance to
> > prolong the life of 
> > electronics (which was quite long already before).
> > 
> > Another thought: would the whisker phenomenon be a
> > bigger risk for old 
> > electronics (with higher voltages and currents) or
> > new electronics (with 
> > smaller distances)?
> > 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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