Evaluation of the Reliability and Corrosivity of VOC‐free, No‐clean Fluxes using Standard, Modified and Electrochemical Methods*
Abstract
The reliability and corrosivity of two VOC ‐ free, no‐clean fluxes (C and D) were assessed using traditional test method such as copper mirror and copper corrosion tests. Modified surface insulation resistance (SIR) tests using coupons fluxed with various methods were performed in 50°C/90%RH environmental conditions. Printed circuit boards and assemblies were fluxed and exposed to a 50°C/90%RH chamber to assess long‐term reliability. To evaluate the corrosion rates of copper and solder sheets in as‐ received liquid fluxes, electrochemical polarisation measurements were employed. These showed that the corrosion rate of copper in flux D is 100 times higher than that in flux C. These quantitative data agreed with the qualitative copper mirror test results, i,e, flux C passed and flux D failed the test. However, both flux residues were found to corrode copper traces underneath the solder mask and copper pads on the PCB after three weeks in a 50°C/90% RH environment chamber. Large amounts of blue/green corrosion products were observed on the bare copper SIR coupons within seven days when using either flux; and SIR values were below the required 108 ohms. Based on the test results, neither flux was qualified for no‐clean processes because of the issues with corrosion. The corrosiveness of the VOC‐ free, no‐ clean flux residue is believed to be due to the activator packages used.
Keywords
Citation
Ramirez, C. and Lei, K.‐. (1996), "Evaluation of the Reliability and Corrosivity of VOC‐free, No‐clean Fluxes using Standard, Modified and Electrochemical Methods*", Soldering & Surface Mount Technology, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 6-9. https://doi.org/10.1108/09540919610777555
Publisher
:MCB UP Ltd
Copyright © 1996, MCB UP Limited