Does multicore solder deteriorate with age?

[Jack Jones]

In a burst of enthusiasm when I was much younger, I bought a large reel
of solder which I barely used.

It must have been at least 20 or more years ago. It looks similar to
this:
http://img-europe.electrocomponents.com/largeimages/C557130-01.jpg

Now I need to do some soldering again. Would that old 60/40 multicore
of mine have deteriorated?

I'm thinking the rosin in the multicores may have gone off in some way
because when I tin the tip and then leave it unused for 10 minutes, it
turns brown and uneven on the tip. I'm using brand new tips.

Maybe this is normal and happens even with less old 60/40 solder?

 

[Ian Jackson]

In a burst of enthusiasm when I was much younger, I bought a large reel
of solder which I barely used.

It must have been at least 20 or more years ago. It looks similar to
this:
http://img-europe.electrocomponents.com/largeimages/C557130-01.jpg

Now I need to do some soldering again. Would that old 60/40 multicore
of mine have deteriorated?

I'm thinking the rosin in the multicores may have gone off in some way
because when I tin the tip and then leave it unused for 10 minutes, it
turns brown and uneven on the tip. I'm using brand new tips.

Maybe this is normal and happens even with less old 60/40 solder?

Unlikely. I've got solder from over 40 years ago, and I can't say I've
noticed any oddities with it. Are your new tips hotter than they used to
be? Does your iron have a thermostat, and is it stuck? Have you tried a
different iron?

 

[Jimbo in the Radio Shack ...]

won't be any good...you need the new improved DIGITAL solder with things
removed so you don't hurt yourself .......

 

[Brian Howie]

In a burst of enthusiasm when I was much younger, I bought a large reel
of solder which I barely used.

It must have been at least 20 or more years ago. It looks similar to
this:
http://img-europe.electrocomponents.com/largeimages/C557130-01.jpg

Now I need to do some soldering again. Would that old 60/40 multicore
of mine have deteriorated?

I'm thinking the rosin in the multicores may have gone off in some way
because when I tin the tip and then leave it unused for 10 minutes, it
turns brown and uneven on the tip. I'm using brand new tips.

Maybe this is normal and happens even with less old 60/40 solder?

Solder flux was definitely different - I was convinced it smelled
different in the 1960s

And I dug this up :-

"As I mentioned, pine rosin is often the main ingredient of the
flux. In a pinch, I have used raw rosin scraped from a pine tree,
but the smell is pretty bad. [Still, I prefer it to the perfume
several manufacturers added to solder in the 1960's that smelled
of cheap incense. But hey, it WAS the 1960's.]"

Http://yarchive.net/metal/soldering_flux.html

Brian

 

[Ian Jackson]

Sad to say it has definitely gone off. Safe disposal will be costly so
please pack it carefully and send it to me QTHR where I will dispose of
it at no cost to you (probably on ebay).

I have solder well over 20 years old that is still fine to use...

I was also going to suggest that, but I realised that it would be being
a bit cheeky!
--

 

[Theo]

For rosin read resin.
Or as multicore called it - "Ersin"

 

[Davo]

For rosin read resin.
Or as multicore called it - "Ersin"

As a youth I used Bakers Soldering Flux and Aluminium foil to make
Hydrogen for our lighter than air balloons. Bakers Soldering Flux was
32% Hydrochloric Acid.

 

[Lou R Plenty]

won't be any good...you need the new improved DIGITAL solder with things
removed so you don't hurt yourself .......

Ouch!
But the old analog solder sounds so much smoother!

hee hee hee

 

[Eeyore]

In a burst of enthusiasm when I was much younger, I bought a large reel
of solder which I barely used.

It must have been at least 20 or more years ago. It looks similar to
this:
http://img-europe.electrocomponents.com/largeimages/C557130-01.jpg

Now I need to do some soldering again. Would that old 60/40 multicore
of mine have deteriorated?

I have an ancient reel of solder. I can't say I've noticed it 'go off'. It
may vary with the flux formulation.

Graham

 

[William Sommerwerck]

A few years back I bought a pound roll of fine Ersin multicore. I do so
little soldering nowadays that this roll is likely to outlast me, even if I
live another 20 years.

The flux isn't exposed to air, so the only way it can deteriorate is the
normal thermal degradation that any organic substance undergoes. I suspect
this occurs very slowly.

Again, we turn to the Lady from Philadelphia for advice: "Why don't you just
try soldering few test joints and seeing how well the solder works?" Duh.

PS: I'm bothered that electronic products increasingly have RoHS labels on
the box, and statements that they use non-lead solder. I really /don't/
believe that a lot of lead is leaching from waste sites into the water
supply, so we aren't likely to see much, if any, reduction in the amount of
lead (and lead compounds) in our water supply (is there any hard science on
this?), while the reliability of electronic products is likely to decline.

I like to say that there is no such thing as a hazardous substance. The
hazard occurs from how the substance is used (or misused).

 

[William Sommerwerck]

I believe -- in Europe at least -- it's more to do with H&S in the work
place rather than the environment.

I know of no cases of lead poisoning from the use of lead-based solder. I
touch solder directly when I work with it, and am not worried about lead
getting into my system.

I have no argument with people worrying about the huge amounts of electronic
equipment being dumped into landfills. The issue is whether potentially
hazardous substances in that equipment actually get into the air or water.

 

[Ian Jackson]

I believe - in Europe at least - it's more to do with H&S in the work
place rather than the environment.

More like job creation for the legislators in Brussels.

 

[Theo]

As a youth I used Bakers Soldering Flux and Aluminium foil to make
Hydrogen for our lighter than air balloons. Bakers Soldering Flux was 32%
Hydrochloric Acid.

Caustic Soda and Aluminium works much better for producing hydrogen, but you
have to watch the temperature as the mixture gets mighty hot and tends to
produce steam too.

In the days of coal gas, I used to inflate balloons using our gas tap under
the sink. I once let one go with a card attached and I got a reply from over
100 miles away!

The gas we get now jest aint light enough!

 

[Eeyore]

A few years back I bought a pound roll of fine Ersin multicore. I do so
little soldering nowadays that this roll is likely to outlast me, even if I
live another 20 years.

The flux isn't exposed to air, so the only way it can deteriorate is the
normal thermal degradation that any organic substance undergoes. I suspect
this occurs very slowly.

Again, we turn to the Lady from Philadelphia for advice: "Why don't you just
try soldering few test joints and seeing how well the solder works?" Duh.

PS: I'm bothered that electronic products increasingly have RoHS labels on
the box, and statements that they use non-lead solder. I really /don't/
believe that a lot of lead is leaching from waste sites into the water
supply, so we aren't likely to see much, if any, reduction in the amount of
lead (and lead compounds) in our water supply (is there any hard science on
this?), while the reliability of electronic products is likely to decline.

I like to say that there is no such thing as a hazardous substance. The
hazard occurs from how the substance is used (or misused).

You're quite right.

I discovered that the real reason for going lead-free ( at least in the EU ) was
to make recycling less hazardous, yet the associated WEEE ( recycling )
legislation is now about a decade behind. We have products here that have a
symbol that says they mustn't be disposed of with normal domestic waste, yet
nothing has been put in place to deal with it.

So what do people do ? They put it in with the normal domestic waste anyway.

In the meantime, commercial concerns have found that electronic waste has a
bitter taste and contains no profit to recycle, so THEY aren't going to do
anything about it.

And of course, the absence of lead leads to reduced product life and
unreliability, hence MORE total waste will result. Lead was added to tin in
solder precisely to make it more reliable in the first place.

This is what happens when 'politicians' run things. 'Off with their heads', I
say.

Graham

 

[Eeyore]

I believe - in Europe at least - it's more to do with H&S in the work
place rather than the environment.

Not even remotely. Aside from the non-existent electronics recycling plants.

Graham

 

[Eeyore]

I know of no cases of lead poisoning from the use of lead-based solder. I
touch solder directly when I work with it, and am not worried about lead
getting into my system.

I have no argument with people worrying about the huge amounts of electronic
equipment being dumped into landfills. The issue is whether potentially
hazardous substances in that equipment actually get into the air or water.

Certainly in the UK, landfills should be surrounded by impermeable clay. The
likelihood of lead getting through that is miniscule ( as is the amount of lead
tipped ).

Graham

 

[Davo]

A few years back I bought a pound roll of fine Ersin multicore. I do so
little soldering nowadays that this roll is likely to outlast me, even if I
live another 20 years.

The flux isn't exposed to air, so the only way it can deteriorate is the
normal thermal degradation that any organic substance undergoes. I suspect
this occurs very slowly.

Again, we turn to the Lady from Philadelphia for advice: "Why don't you just
try soldering few test joints and seeing how well the solder works?" Duh.

PS: I'm bothered that electronic products increasingly have RoHS labels on
the box, and statements that they use non-lead solder. I really /don't/
believe that a lot of lead is leaching from waste sites into the water
supply, so we aren't likely to see much, if any, reduction in the amount of
lead (and lead compounds) in our water supply (is there any hard science on
this?), while the reliability of electronic products is likely to decline.

I like to say that there is no such thing as a hazardous substance. The
hazard occurs from how the substance is used (or misused).

I'm not so sure, here in Western Australia we had hundreds, if not
thousands of birds literally falling out of the sky from lead poisoning.
The whole town of Esperance was polluted and had to be cleaned at great
expense. Lead is still being found in rainwater tanks.
Lead is a deadly poison that accumulates in the body, it's not excreted.

 

[Eeyore]

More like job creation for the legislators in Brussels.

Oh those morons. They screwed this one up rotten. Heard of WEEE ? Implemented
nowhere as far as I can see. My local council didn't even reply to a request as
to where I should dispose of old computers or CFLs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_Electrical_and_Electronic_Equipment_Directive

Graham

 

[Eeyore]

I'm not so sure, here in Western Australia we had hundreds, if not
thousands of birds literally falling out of the sky from lead poisoning.
The whole town of Esperance was polluted and had to be cleaned at great
expense. Lead is still being found in rainwater tanks.
Lead is a deadly poison that accumulates in the body, it's not excreted.

Where did the lead come from ? I wouldn't mind betting it's natural, as is Radon
gas in Cornwall, UK from decaying isotopes in granite.

Graham

 

[Davo]

Caustic Soda and Aluminium works much better for producing hydrogen, but you
have to watch the temperature as the mixture gets mighty hot and tends to
produce steam too.

In the days of coal gas, I used to inflate balloons using our gas tap under
the sink. I once let one go with a card attached and I got a reply from over
100 miles away!

The gas we get now jest aint light enough!

We made our hydrogen in coke bottles, and sometimes the reaction got so
hot the bottle shattered. One day we thought it would be a great idea to
put a fuse on the balloon and light it so that when the balloon got up
in the sky a bit it explode. The fuse was made from paper that had been
saturated in a potassium nitrate solution, (tell the chemist you mum
needs it to make sausages). The paper was dried and it becomes our fuse
paper.
However, as one of us held the balloon and the other lit the fuse the
flame from the match went on the balloon and it blew up in our faces
leaving us with the smell of singed eyebrows.
We eventually got it to work.

P.S Don't try this at home kids.