Oct 18, 2010 
This collaborative study was prompted by recent industry trends and conducted to compare the cleaning effectiveness of pH-neutral and alkaline technologies at low operating concentrations as well as their effects on material compatibility.
During the past few years, significant changes in solder paste formulations and assembly processes have occurred. Post reflow residues of tin-lead and newer lead-free soldering materials are more difficult to remove due to increases in component density, larger component packages, higher lead counts, finer lead spacing and lower standoffs. While modern aqueous alkaline cleaning agents effectively remove these flux residues, achieving satisfactory results often requires an increase in temperature, exposure time, chemical concentration, and mechanical energy. This often presents a new set of challenges in the area of material compatibility.
With the emergence of pH-neutral defluxing technologies in early 2009, these formulations promised to set a new standard for material compatibility, while proving valuable to those who worked toward environmentally sound processes. As a result, potential users are very interested in assessing the differences between alkaline cleaning agents and the newer pH-neutral products, with regard to both, cleaning performance and material compatibility.
For insight on this topic, please join Dr. Harald Wack and Umut Tosun, M.S. Chem. Eng., ZESTRON, on Tuesday, October 26th, 2010, at 2 pm. To register, please visit http://www.smta.org/smtai/.
For more information about ZESTRON’s latest PCB Defluxing agent ATRON® AC 207 as well as the company’s complete line of products and services, please visit ZESTRON’s booth #315 at the SMTAI 2010. Our qualified staff of engineers stands ready to answer any questions you may have.
About ZESTRON:
Headquartered in Manassas, Virginia and operating in over 35 countries, ZESTRON is the leading global provider of precision cleaning products and services. For over 20 years, ZESTRON has created products to help its customers achieve success. Today, with the largest team of chemical engineers in the industry, ZESTRON leverages comprehensive capabilities to ensure customers surpass even the most stringent cleaning and vapor recovery requirements.
For additional information and to tour one of our unparalleled technical centers, please visit http://www.zestron.com.
