Paul: The short answer is yes, but it's nothing you want to get involved
with.

Due to the tenacious oxide film on the aluminum you need an extremely
aggressive flux usually based on zinc chloride, ammonium chloride. A
tin/zinc alloy solder and very high temperatures, 300-400C. None of this
is good for a circuit board.

If you need to solder to aluminum have it zincated and plated with
copper and tin final finish. It now becomes like any other component
using standard solder materials and practices, as long as you can
deliver sufficient heat to the part.

                                                Regards and Merry
Christmas to all Technet 

                                                Michael Barmuta
                                                Staff Engineer
                                                Fluke Corp.
                                                Everett WA
                                                425-446-6076 

-----Original Message-----
From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Paul Truit
Sent: Friday, December 23, 2005 9:10 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [TN] Solder Aluminum to a copper FR4 PCB


Can aluminum be soldered directly to an FR4 PCB using 63/37 solder paste
or SN100C solder paste?

Paul Truit Mfg. Eng.
RBB Systems, Inc.
4265C E. Lincolnway
Wooster, OH 44691
Ph. 330.567.2906 ext 514
Fax 330.263.5324


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