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1. Scope
1.1 This specification covers the requirements for electrodeposited tin-lead coatings on fabricated articles of iron, steel, copper, and copper alloys, to protect them against corrosion (Note 1), to improve and preserve solderability over long periods of storage, and to improve anti-galling characteristics.
Note 1-Some corrosion of tin-lead coatings may be expected in outdoor exposure. In normal indoor exposure, tin-lead is protective on iron, copper, and copper alloys. Corrosion may be expected at discontinuities (pits or pores) in the coating. Porosity decreases as the thickness is increased. A primary use of the tin-lead coating (solder) is with the printed circuit industry as a solderable coating and as an etch mask material.1.2 This specification applies to electrodeposited coatings containing a minimum of 50% and a maximum of 70% tin. The specification applies to mat, bright, and flow-brightened tin-lead coatings.
Note 2-Tin-lead plating baths are composed of tin and lead fluoborates and of addition agents to promote stability. The final appearance may be influenced by the addition of proprietary brighteners. Without brighteners, the coatings are mat; with brighteners, they are semibright or bright. Flow-brightened coatings are obtained by heating mat coatings to above the melting point of tin-lead for a few seconds and then quenching; palm oil, hydrogenated oils, or fats are used as a heat-transfer medium at a temperature of 260 + 10°C (500 + 20°F), but other methods of heating are also in use. The maximum thickness for flow-brightening is about 7.5 [mu]m (0.3 mil); thicker coatings tend to reflow unevenly. The shape of the part is also a factor; flat surfaces tend to reflow more unevenly than wires or rounded shapes (Note 3). Note 3-Volatile impurities in tin-lead coatings will cause bubbling and foaming during flow-brightening resulting in voids and roughness. The impurities can arise from plating solution addition agents and from improper rinsing and processing.1.3 This specification does not apply to sheet, strip, or wire in the unfabricated form or to threaded articles having basic major diameters up to and including 19 mm (0.75 in.).
2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.
ASTM Standards
B183 Practice for Preparation of Low-Carbon Steel for Electroplating
B242 Guide for Preparation of High-Carbon Steel for Electroplating
B281 Practice for Preparation of Copper and Copper-Base Alloys for Electroplating and Conversion Coatings
B322 Guide for Cleaning Metals Prior to Electroplating
B487 Test Method for Measurement of Metal and Oxide Coating Thickness by Microscopical Examination of Cross Section
B499 Test Method for Measurement of Coating Thicknesses by the Magnetic Method: Nonmagnetic Coatings on Magnetic Basis Metals
B504 Test Method for Measurement of Thickness of Metallic Coatings by the Coulometric Method
B567 Test Method for Measurement of Coating Thickness by the Beta Backscatter Method
B568 Test Method for Measurement of Coating Thickness by X-Ray Spectrometry
E105 Practice for Probability Sampling of Materials
E122 Practice for Calculating Sample Size to Estimate, With Specified Precision, the Average for a Characteristic of a Lot or Process
Other Standards
MIL-STD-105 Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Attributes Available from Standardization Documents Order Desk, Bldg. 4 Section D, 700 Robbins Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094, Attn: NPODS. MIL-STD-414 Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Variables for Percent DefectiveICS Code
ICS Number Code 25.220.40 (Metallic coatings)
UNSPSC Code
UNSPSC Code 11101711(Non ferrous alloy)
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DOI: 10.1520/B0579-73R99
Citation Format
ASTM B579-73(1999), Standard Specification for Electrodeposited Coatings of Tin-Lead Alloy (Solder Plate), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 1999, www.astm.org
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