

#SOLDERING FLUX SUBSTITUTE ACTIVATOR#
Something else to activate it, and the activator should ideally be something Joint, it will only have a very limited fluxing effect. Unlike rosin, PEG is not self-activating. That, or just find the subject interesting, you can go watch the video for The electrolytes from a "with electrolytes" product. So even though I'm not sure how applicable this is to most readers, IĮnded up doing an experiment on purifying PEG by removing AnyĬhloride is bad news in a no-clean flux because it will support The "electrolytes" are going to be things like sodium chloride. PEG and if you were in that situation, you'd have a bit of an issue because Guess is that in some places it may be possible to find that and not pure I'm not sure that the "with electrolytes" version isĬommonly sold over-the-counter, that is, to the general public. In researching this, I learned that another common medical product is "PEGģ350 with electrolytes," often sold under the name "Colyte." That's used asĪ laxative and to flush out the intestines before procedures likeĬolonoscopy, I think. Places you can buy pure PEG 3350 powder for this purpose quite cheaply underĪ name like "ClearLax," "RestoraLax," or "Macrogol." Intestines and creates osmotic pressure, limiting water absorption. It is basically anĪrtificial form of dietary fibre: something that won't be absorbed in your It, do that once a day, and it keeps everything moving. Mix 17g of this stuff (which is a substantial amount) into a drink, swallow It's commonly sold inĭrugstores as an over-the-counter laxative.
#SOLDERING FLUX SUBSTITUTE HOW TO#
I wanted to use a solid PEG as the resin in my no-clean flux formulation,īut I was faced with how to obtain that and how to direct do-it-yourselfers They also have many niche uses - for instance, woodworkersĪnd archaeologists sometimes stabilize wood by soaking it in PEG 400 or PEGġ000 to replace the water with something that won't evaporate. All the PEGs are basically non-toxic, and they're commonly used inĪ number of pharmaceutical and food-additive applications, for stuff likeĬoating pills. Plastic-like but they remain water-soluble even up to very high molecular Past molecular weight 1000, we'reĭealing with solids, which go from soft and waxy up to hard and Low-molecular-weight PEG as the main solvent and dissolve whatever other PEGs up to about 1000 are liquid at room temperature (getting thicker and Molecules, but the number describes the target value for theĪverage molecular weight. It's not just "PEG" but PEG with some number, such as "PEG 400" or "PEGģ350." Each of these will inevitably be a mixture of different-sixed Were joined to create each PEG molecule, so when PEG is used in industry, The properties of PEG vary depending on how many ethylene oxide molecules Manufactured by polymerizing ethylene glycol in practice, but rather by Into a polymer, and that determines its name, but PEG is not in fact The structure that would result if you joined molecules of ethylene glycol The connection between them is theoretical: PEG has Polyethylene glycol is not to be confused with ethylene glycol, commonly Small amount of an activator added, much as rosin flux might contain an No-clean flux-core solder is often just some grade of PEG, possibly with a Rosin often replace it with polyethylene glycol (PEG). Pine rosin, or the resin from which it isĭerived, is the old standby for this purpose. Liquid under soldering heat and flow out onto the joint, possibly carrying Resin: a gooey or plastic-like substance that will become a thin Of this series, one of the fundamental flux ingredients is the See my next article for the test results. It may be better to treat this as a water-wash flux. In my testing, residues from fluxes made to this formulation have allowed significant leakage currents that might interfere with circuit operation. Style" rather than promising that it will really work perfectly well withoutĬleaning. Want to commit to that really working, and so I am calling it "no-clean Please note that fluxes similar to this one are sold on the claim that they work without cleaning, but I'm not sure I Something you can reasonably mix up in a home lab. It isĥ,297,721, but also incorporates some ideas from other patents, knownįormulations of commercial fluxes, and the compromises necessary to make it The flux I'm describing here is somewhat experimental. Potentiometers, that cannot or should not be cleaned after soldering. Those involving stranded wire or liquid-trapping components like

But there are many solder joints, such as Water-wash flux remains active and corrosive at room temperature, so it willĭamage boards if left in place. Leaves a sticky residue that will attract water, and the citric-acid In both cases the cleaning is more or less necessary: traditional resin My two previous DIY solder flux formulations are both designed to be
