The water-based fluxes EO-G-002 and EO-G-003 are fluxes that can be used for wave and selective soldering. Due to their water base, the fluxes are environmentally friendly and non-flammable. "Both fluxes are comparable to alcohol-based fluxes in terms of their soldering properties. This applies in particular to the soldering results in the areas of penetration and wetting," explains Markus Geßner, Marketing and Sales Manager at Emil Otto GmbH.
Both fluxes differ in their solids content and ingredients. EO-G-002 has a solids content of 3%, whereas EO-G-003 has a solids content of 3.3%. The EO-G-002 also contains synthetic resins that create a coating around the residues on the circuit board. This coating prevents the residues from turning back into a solution in the event of strong temperature changes or high humidity. This prevents leakage currents and short circuits if the PCB has not been cleaned after the soldering process.
Both fluxes are non-flammable, are therefore not classified as hazardous goods and therefore have no legal restrictions for transportation, storage and further handling in production. This reduces transportation and storage costs, as storage in premises without explosion protection is possible. The use of fluxes in production is also simplified, as special handling or employee training in the use of hazardous substances is not necessary.
Both EO-G-002 and EO-G-003 have a wide process window with high thermal stability. In addition, the solvent water has properties that have a positive influence on the soldering process. Depending on the process, the consumption is lower than that of alcohol-based fluxes. After the soldering process, the printed circuit boards are visually clean as only minimal residues remain.
The two new products are also marketed under the "Green Line" label. They are applied by spray fluxing. All Green Line fluxes can be used on the soldering systems known on the market. This means that all customers can easily switch to ecological, water-based fluxes. "We have a number of customers who have successfully made the switch. For example, a leading EMS company for the automotive sector has been using our water-based fluxes for more than 10 years," reports Geßner.