ISO/TC 44/SC 12 - Soldering materials

This document specifies the performance requirements for fluxes in solid, liquid and paste forms intended for use with soft solders. NOTE 1 ISO 9454‑1 specifies the requirements for labelling and packaging as well as the coding system for the classification of the fluxes. NOTE 2 Some of the fluxes intended for inert gas and vapour phase soldering may not pass some of the criteria in Tables 1 and 2. Requirements for these fluxes are agreed between the purchaser and the supplier.

This document specifies a distillation method for the determination of the ammonia content of solid, paste or liquid fluxes. The method is applicable to fluxes of class 311 and 321 only, as defined in ISO 9454‑1.

This document specifies a qualitative method for assessing the aggressiveness of a flux towards copper. The test is applicable to all fluxes of type 1 as defined in ISO 9454‑1.

This document specifies the requirements for chemical composition for soft solder alloys containing two or more of: tin, lead, antimony, copper, silver, bismuth, zinc, indium and/or cadmium. An indication of the forms generally available is also included.

This document specifies a method for the assessment of the efficacy of a soft soldering flux, known as the wetting balance method. It gives a qualitative assessment of the comparative efficacy of two fluxes (for example, a standard and a test flux), based on their capacity to promote wetting of a metal surface by liquid solder. The method is applicable to all flux types in liquid form classified in ISO 9454‑1. NOTE It is hoped that future developments using improved techniques for obtaining a reproducible range of test surfaces will enable this method for assessing flux efficacy to be quantitative. For this reason, several alternative procedures for preparing the surface of the test piece are included in the present method.

This document specifies two methods for the determination of the acid value of a flux of types 1 and 2 only, as defined in ISO 9454‑1. Method A is a potentiometric titration method and is to be considered as the reference method. Method B is an alternative, visual end‑point, titration method.

ISO 9455-11:2017 specifies a qualitative method for assessing the solubility of flux residues in a selected solvent. The method is applicable to all fluxes of Type 1, as defined in ISO 9454‑1.

ISO 9455-13:2017 specifies a method for estimating the tendency of a flux to spatter in use. It is a qualitative (comparative) method and is only applicable to liquid fluxes, as defined in ISO 9454‑1. The method is not applicable to flux cored solder wire or to solder pastes.

ISO 9455-14:2017 specifies a qualitative method for the assessment of the tackiness of the residues of a soft soldering flux after a soldering process. The method is applicable to all fluxes, solder pastes and flux cored solder wires. The method is particularly appropriate for applications where flux residues are left in situ on electrical and electronic equipment.

ISO 9455-15:2017 specifies a qualitative method for determination of the corrosive properties of flux residues on a copper substrate when subjected to controlled environmental conditions. The test is applicable to type 1 fluxes, as defined in ISO 9454‑1.

ISO 9454-1:2016 specifies a coding system for the classification of fluxes intended for use with soft solders, according to their active fluxing ingredients, together with requirements for labelling and packaging.

This part of ISO 9455 specifies a method for the determination of the efficacy of a soft soldering flux. The method is known as the solder spread method of filler metal and is applicable to all flux classes defined in ISO 9454-1. NOTE An alternative method for the determination of the flux efficacy, applicable to liquid fluxes only, known as the wetting balance method, is specified in ISO 9455-16.[3]

ISO 9455-17:2002 specifies a method of testing for deleterious effects that may arise from flux residues after soldering or tinning test coupons. The test is applicable to type 1 and type 2 fluxes in solid or liquid form, or in the form of flux-cored solder wire, solder preforms or solder paste constituted with eutectic or near-eutectic tin/lead solders. This test method is also applicable to fluxes for use with lead-free solders. However, the soldering temperatures may be adjusted with agreement between tester and customer.

Describes three quantitative titration methods for the determination of halogenides (excluding fluoride) in soft soldering water-soluble fluxes.

The method specified is based on evaporating a weighed amount of the flux sample in an ebulliometer until the entire volatile part is driven off, which is determined by following the graph of distillation temperature against time. The flux residue is considered as the non-volatile content of flux. Applies only to flux with a non-volatile content of 10 % or more.

Describes the principle, the reagents and materials, the apparatus, the test procedure, the calculation of results, the precision and the contents of the test report.

Specifies a gravimetric method for the determination of the content of non-volatile matter in soft soldering fluxes. Applies to liquid and paste fluxes of type 1, as defined in ISO 9454-1.

ISO 9453:2014 specifies the requirements for chemical composition for soft solder alloys containing two or more of tin, lead, antimony, copper, silver, bismuth, zinc, indium and/or cadmium.

ISO 9455-5:2014 specifies a qualitative method for assessing the aggressiveness of a flux towards copper. The test is applicable to all fluxes of type 1 as defined in ISO 9454‑1.

ISO 9455-16:2013 specifies a method for the assessment of the efficacy of a soft soldering flux, known as the wetting balance method. It gives a qualitative assessment of the comparative efficacy of two fluxes (for example, a standard and a test flux), based on their capacity to promote wetting of a metal surface by liquid solder. The method is applicable to all flux types in liquid form classified in ISO 9454‑1.

ISO 9453:2006 specifies the requirements for chemical composition for the following families of soft solder alloys: tin-lead, with and without antimony, bismuth, cadmium, copper, and silver; tin-antimony; tin-bismuth; tin-copper, with and without silver; tin-indium, with and without silver and bismuth; tin-silver, with and without copper and bismuth; tin-zinc, with and without bismuth. ISO 9453:2006 also includes an indication of the forms generally available.

ISO 12224-3:2003 specifies a wetting balance test method for measuring the flux efficacy of a cored solder wire for the electronics industry. The test is applicable to all classes of flux listed in ISO 9454-1.

Describes a method for estimating the tendency of a flux to spatter in use. It is a qualitative (comparative) method and is only applicable to liquid fluxes, as defined in ISO 9454-1.

The principle of the method specified is to distil a prepared flux solution with sodium hydroxide to expel the ammonia present in the flux, to pass the resulting distillate into a standard sulfuric acid solution, to titrate the excess acid with sodium hydroxide solution and to calculate the ammonia content of the flux. Applies to fluxes of class 3.1.1 only, as defined in ISO 9454-1.

Specifies a qualitative method for assessing the corrosive properties of flux residues and flux vapours towards mild steel. The test is applicable to all fluxes, although it is primarily intended to be used for fluxes of type 1 according to ISO 9454-1.

Specifies the two methods for a flux of types 1 and 2 only, as defined in ISO 9454-1. Gives precision of the two methods as determined by interlaboratory tests.

Specifies a qualitative method for assessing the aggressiveness of a flux towards copper. The test is applicable to all fluxes of type 1 as defined in ISO 9454-1.

Specifies a qualitative method applicable to all fluxes, solder pastes and flux cored solder wires. Describes the principle, the reagents and materials, the apparatus, the test pieces, the test procedure, the examination of the test piece, the expression of results, and the contents of the test report.

Specifies a qualitative method for assessing the solubility in a selected solvent. The method applies to all fluxes of type 1, as defined in ISO 9454-1.

Specifies a coding system for the classification of fluxes intended for use with soft solders, according to their active fluxing ingredients, together with requirements for labelling and packaging. Annex A tabulates the testing of fluxes.

Specifies the requirements for chemical composition for the following soft solder alloys: tin-lead, with and without antimony; tin-silver, with and without lead; tin-copper, with and without lead; tin-antimony; tin-lead-bismuth; bismuth-tin; tin-lead-cadmium; tin-indium; lead-silver, with and without tin.