Is it better to choose a solder paste with lead or without lead?

The choice of solder paste, there is a comparison between lead solder paste and lead-free solder paste, mainly depends on the specific application scenario, environmental requirements, cost considerations and welding effect and other factors. The following is a detailed analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of both and the process:

There's lead tin paste

Advantages:

Low cost: The cost of lead solder paste is relatively low, mainly due to the price advantage of its raw materials.

Good welding effect: the solder joint with lead solder paste has high gloss, stable welding quality, and the requirements for reflow welding equipment are not high.

High electrical conductivity and mechanical strength: Lead tin welding has high electrical conductivity and mechanical strength, which can meet the needs of most electronic products.

Cons:

Environmental problems: the lead solder paste contains lead, which is harmful to the environment and human health and does not meet the modern environmental requirements. With the improvement of global environmental awareness, more and more countries and regions prohibit the use of electronic products with lead.

Health hazard: Long-term exposure to lead can cause health problems and pose a health risk to operators.

Lead-free solder paste

Advantages:

Environmentally friendly: Lead-free solder paste does not contain harmful substances, meets environmental requirements, and is conducive to sustainable development.

Health and safety: The use of lead-free solder paste can reduce the health hazard to the operator.

Adapt to international trends: With the strengthening of global environmental regulations, lead-free solder paste has become the mainstream choice for international electronics manufacturing.

Low temperature welding: Some lead-free solder paste (such as medium temperature, low temperature solder paste) can be applied to reflow welding of non-high temperature devices, expanding its application range.

Cons:

Higher cost: Compared with lead solder paste, the raw material cost of lead-free solder paste is higher, resulting in an increase in the overall cost.

The welding process is difficult: the process of lead-free solder paste is relatively difficult, requiring more fine welding process and more strict process control.

The mechanical strength of solder joints is relatively weak: compared with lead solder joints, the mechanical strength of lead-free solder joints may be slightly lower, but it can still meet the requirements in most application scenarios.

conclusion

There are significant differences in welding process between lead-free solder paste and leaded solder paste. With the strengthening of environmental regulations and the acceleration of the trend of electronic products towards miniaturization and high integration, lead-free welding has become the mainstream choice for the electronics manufacturing industry. However, in practical applications, it is still necessary to select the appropriate solder paste type and welding process parameters according to the specific needs to achieve the best welding results.