Question

Soldering is accomplished by quickly heating metal parts. Solder is a metal that is melted to join metallic surfaces together. Common solder formulations based on tin and lead are listed below. The fraction represents percentage of tin first, then lead, totaling 100%.

Tin/Lead Melting Point (°C)
40/60 230 °C
50/50 214 °C
60/40 190 °C
63/37 183 °C
95/5 224 °C

With the same soldering iron, assuming the soldering iron’s highest temperature is 204 degrees Centigrade, would you be able to make the repair if you had solder made of 50/50?

Answer 1

No.

Explanation:

50/50 solder is shown to melt at 214 °C. If the soldering iron only heats to 204 °C, it cannot melt the solder. The solder will only be melted if it is heated to a temperature at or higher than its melting point.