![]() ![]() Consult the SDS for the brand of material you are using and keep it on file to make sure you are protecting yourself properly. The bottom line is that it is important to protect yourself from ingesting or breathing lead dust or acid fumes that can compound over time and damage your health. Besides removing the metal oxide, it also helps to. Summary of Protection Recommended during Soldering Flux is a chemical used to remove metal oxide and clean the surface while soldering and PCB assembling. Safe in use Cost-saving Helps to produce. Quality joints require flux to protect the joint during heating and promote complete alloy flow. Using common zinc chloride-based stained glass flux? This type of flux is corrosive to skin, eyes and internal organs. LA-CO Regular Soldering Flux Paste is a non-acid, non-toxic soldering flux paste that cleans as you solder. Choose traditional soldering flux pastes like Borax, Dandix, and Ultra Flux or liquids like Batterns, Prips, or boric acid. Simply using a rosin core solder wire? The rosin flux is listed by OSHA as only an “inhalation sensitizer”, but Lead is listed as a carcinogen. Look for a respirator that is rated to filter acid gases. It is, however, recommended that fume extraction be used and/or a respirator type of face mask is worn (N95). Most of these fumes escape in the air, but if you are close enough to the solder joint you could breathe in some of these fumes.Įach flux mixture has it’s own Safety Data Sheet (SDS) available from the manufacturer or vendor describing the hazards and the precautions to take. During the soldering process, fluxes are heated to the reflow temperature of the solder, converting some of the flux ingredients to gas fumes. In applications where there are large amounts of leaded parts that handled, the lead dust could also become airborne and would require wearing a safety mask.įluxes are chemical mixtures containing acids, sometimes solvents and other chemicals. This same situation would apply in battery manufacturing, gun ranges (leaded ammunition) and other industrial applications. So, for most users’ soldering applications, it’s the dust or residue from touching the solder itself that can cause a health issue. ![]() Solder metal will only create fumes if heated above ~ 1200☏, which won’t happen in normal soldering applications whether using a soldering iron or a pot. It is preferable to wear gloves, and leave the gloves on the bench or wear disposable ones. ![]() Therefore, it’s critical that you wash your hands with soap and water whenever you step away from the workbench. This is the route in which lead can get into your system, as most exposure to lead occurs through breathing or eating. It’s important to note that if your solder contains lead and you hold the solder wire or bar, you will get lead dust on your hands. When soldering, most people do not wear gloves and hold the iron and solder wire by hand. Flux, an acid mixture, is always used in conjunction with the solder to permit the molten solder to bond with the surfaces being joined. If all those people on YouTube can handle this stuff barehanded, I'm clearly overreacting.Solder is used in many industries from electronics and sheet metal to stained glass. However, looking online I saw the same warnings even on boxes clearly marked as containing rosin flux. The only explanation I came up with was that maybe this product is made of really cheap dangerous stuff instead of rosin. While that doesn't necessarily means it is a safe practice, it surely didn't cause severe skin burns! I would rate something as severely burning if it burns like sulfuric acid, for example. I'm OK with not putting that into my eyes and not tossing it into the waters, but why does it say "CAUSES SEVERE SKIN BURNS"?Īll the dudes on YouTube that I saw soldering touched rosin with their bare hands. I was all excited and ready to start soldering, when I saw this on the flux box: I'm well aware of the potential risks of prolonged exposure to flux fumes, and I have already taken precautions to avoid it. A non-acid, non-toxic soldering flux paste that cleans as it solders, offering fitters the benefits of savings, safety and certainty. I have no previous experience with soldering. I just bought a cheap soldering iron, solder wire and flux to try something. ![]()
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