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> lead-free solder and just ask yourself why it's banned from aircraft and space applications where reliability is of utmost importance. Wow, is that really a

> lead-free solder and just ask yourself why it's banned from aircraft and space applications where reliability is of utmost importance. Wow, is that really a thing? I would have assumed they'd use leaded solder if it made for more flexible/stable connections, and that technicians would just bear increased safety requirements (masks, ventilation, etc.). Once the craft launched into space the risk of the lead hurting anybody approaches zero. Even burning up due to a failed launch doesn't seem like it would cause any appreciable damage (at least not due to lead). I figured spacecraft design demanded the best performance and reliability, regardless of possible human impacts (e.g. RTGs and their potential to rain down on people upon failed launch).

wombatpm 3y ago
The plutonium from the RTG power cells is much more concerning. How many atoms of plutonium do you have to inhale to get cancer?
deleted 3y ago
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wannacboatmovie 3y ago
https://leadmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lead-Matters-Casestudy-Aviation.pdf https://leadmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lead-Matt...
- Symbiote 3y ago
  Note the group who publishes that. "The Consortium represents a membership of more than 90 legal entities involved in the mining, smelting, refining and recycling of lead, as well as manufacturers of lead compounds and producers of lead-based automotive and industrial batteries." Aerospace was exempt from the lead solder ban for 12 years, ending in 2018.
logbiscuitswave 3y ago
The problem isn’t the lead itself, it’s the phenomenon of tin whiskering that can happen with some Pb-free solder alloys where metallic hair-like structures grow from the solder and cause arcs or short circuits. This is one such example of a failure in space due to tin whiskers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_IV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_IV
- AussieWog93 3y ago
  It also requires a little bit of specialised knowledge to manufacture things correctly. (It's much better now - people know more and the solder is better, but 20 years ago this was a huge issue that sent many devices to landfill)
GuB-42 3y ago
The way I understand it, leaded solder is not really more harmful to those working with it. Temperatures used in soldering are below the point where vaporization is of concern, and you need good ventilation anyways, no matter the kind of solder, because of flux fumes. Wearing gloves, hand washing, room cleaning and avoid eating where soldering happens may be a good idea, to avoid ingesting lead dust, but I guess these are general rules of cleanliness that would be appropriate for safety-critical equipment regardless of the presence of lead. Plus, elemental lead is one of the least harmful forms of lead. What I think the problem is and why they have banned lead in consumer electronics is about where all that lead solder ends up. Maybe some is recycled, but I guess most of it ends up in landfills, and a good fraction is just dumped in nature, possibly near drinking water supplies. A few boards won't do much harm, but millions of tons of e-waste will. That's why I believe lead solder is still used in the aerospace industry, because it is only a small fraction of all the electronics. It is very critical, you really don't want tin whiskers to cause short circuits, a problem with lead-free solder. And if needed it is easier to impose rules regarding waste management in such a highly regulated field than in mass produced consumer goods.

wombatpm 3y ago

The plutonium from the RTG power cells is much more concerning. How many atoms of plutonium do you have to inhale to get cancer?

deleted 3y ago

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wannacboatmovie 3y ago

https://leadmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lead-Matters-Casestudy-Aviation.pdf https://leadmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lead-Matt...

Symbiote 3y ago
Note the group who publishes that. "The Consortium represents a membership of more than 90 legal entities involved in the mining, smelting, refining and recycling of lead, as well as manufacturers of lead compounds and producers of lead-based automotive and industrial batteries." Aerospace was exempt from the lead solder ban for 12 years, ending in 2018.

logbiscuitswave 3y ago

The problem isn’t the lead itself, it’s the phenomenon of tin whiskering that can happen with some Pb-free solder alloys where metallic hair-like structures grow from the solder and cause arcs or short circuits. This is one such example of a failure in space due to tin whiskers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_IV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_IV

AussieWog93 3y ago
It also requires a little bit of specialised knowledge to manufacture things correctly. (It's much better now - people know more and the solder is better, but 20 years ago this was a huge issue that sent many devices to landfill)

GuB-42 3y ago

The way I understand it, leaded solder is not really more harmful to those working with it. Temperatures used in soldering are below the point where vaporization is of concern, and you need good ventilation anyways, no matter the kind of solder, because of flux fumes. Wearing gloves, hand washing, room cleaning and avoid eating where soldering happens may be a good idea, to avoid ingesting lead dust, but I guess these are general rules of cleanliness that would be appropriate for safety-critical equipment regardless of the presence of lead. Plus, elemental lead is one of the least harmful forms of lead. What I think the problem is and why they have banned lead in consumer electronics is about where all that lead solder ends up. Maybe some is recycled, but I guess most of it ends up in landfills, and a good fraction is just dumped in nature, possibly near drinking water supplies. A few boards won't do much harm, but millions of tons of e-waste will. That's why I believe lead solder is still used in the aerospace industry, because it is only a small fraction of all the electronics. It is very critical, you really don't want tin whiskers to cause short circuits, a problem with lead-free solder. And if needed it is easier to impose rules regarding waste management in such a highly regulated field than in mass produced consumer goods.