Conductive Epoxy Replaces Lead Soldering

Although the tin/lead soldering technique has been widely used for making electrical connections and packaging for electronic components, it is being replaced by lead-free alternatives for various reasons. The first and foremost issue with lead solders is toxicity. Due to the toxicity and the environmental impact issues, the electronic industry is replacing lead soldering at a fast pace. In fact, in the European Union, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) prohibits the use of lead in consumer electronics. Electrically conductive epoxies are ideal alternatives for lead soldering.

During the soldering process, the assembly is subjected to very high temperatures. Some temperature sensitive components in the near vicinity might be damaged due to this high temperature exposure. Also, tin/lead solders can dissolve gold and form some brittle intermetallic compounds. In such cases, the mechanical strength of the joint is considerably reduced. Outgassing from the solder joint is a concern in many applications.

To overcome these drawbacks of lead soldering, Master Bond offers various one and two component, RoHS compliant, electrically conductive systems for use in the electronic industry. Two component, silver filled epoxy systems offer convenient mix ratios (1:1) and cure at room temperatures. Also, many of them are non-drip, high viscosity pastes and are easy to work with in such applications. Depending on the application requirements, Master Bond can formulate rigid as well as flexible electrically conductive systems, which offer very low volume resistivity (<0.001 ohm-cm.) combined with superior temperature resistance properties. These compounds are all generically low outgassing epoxies and many electrically conductive epoxies also meet NASA low outgassing specifications.