Degrade? It all depends -- on what you mean!!!!! If we take the example 
of 63/37, the Sn oxidises more readily than the Pb as the temp rises. 
Eutectic is not synonymous with azeotropic. So overheating could lead to 
a small amount of Pb-rich.

You could monitor the temp with a hand-held thermometer (probably more 
accurate than the thermostat, anyway!) as you manipulate the on-off 
switch. However, as a rule, I've found with most machines that if the 
solder is heated to working temp, I can ladle out all the accessible 
stuff into ingots before it solidifies, without any power.

Brian

Steve Gregory wrote:
> Mornin' All!
>  
> If the solder in a wave solder pot gets a little hot, it doesn't really
> degrade it does it?
>  
> Situation is; I'm emptying three solder pots, one 63/37 pot, one SN96
> pot, and one HMP pot, the way the pots are designed is that the pot
> thermocouples are located up towards the top of the pot. So as I lower
> the level of the solder in the pot, at some point the thermocouples will
> not be in direct contact with the solder and thus not be giving me the
> actual solder temperature.
>  
> I've been cycling the heater power off when it looks like the solder is
> getting pretty hot (it starts getting getting this golden sheen to it),
> along with disconnecting the heaters when they start getting exposed as
> the solder level goes down.
>  
> I've always emptied pots this way, and just started wondering if the
> solder degrades at all if you heat it up beyond the liquidous
> temperature. I know it makes a little more dross as the temperature
> rises...
>  
> Steve 
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------
> Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0
> To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in
> the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet
> To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL)
> To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest
> Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives
> Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815
> -----------------------------------------------------
> 

---------------------------------------------------
Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0
To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in
the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet
To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL)
To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest
Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives
Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815
-----------------------------------------------------