Bob,
Please explain what in your case you mean by “warts”.  Did you mean that literally or as you using the term as Wayne was?  HASL is by its nature is not flat.

I would contend that HASL flatness CAN be an issue that solder paste is not always going to fix.

Regards,
Bev
HDPUG

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: rkondner
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2018 10:08 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [TN] soldering problems

Hi,

Can someone explain to me the warts associated with HASL? I know some 
would say flatness but since solder paste goes on all my boards that is 
not am issue.

I am an EE and I typically run 5 to 25 boards for protos. A run of 100 
or 250 is a big job for me. I cannot keep up with validating every 
vendor. I cannot run and verify coupons for every run.

HASL has been very good to me even with low cost vendors and simple 
board storage. What am I missing. (Other than soldering problems! :-)

Thanks,
Bob K.


On 1/22/2018 7:25 PM, Wayne Showers wrote:
> IAg is not a horrible idea for a surface finish, but it does come with its own warts.
> 1) Creep Corrosion: DFR Solutions has done much research on this.  Primary recommendation to mitigate it is to paste all component pads whether populated or not.
>>> https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11664-004-0025-x
> 2) Move away from WS fluxes.  Because RMA fluxes utilize the Rosin as a suspension agent, you will get must less secondary issues with the flux penetrating into unwanted areas which include under the solder mask, between plating layers (This is critical for immersion silver as the silver immersion process creates micro-voids and micro-pitting of the underlying copper.)
>
> 3) Storage and Handling: Always wear clean cotton or latex gloves (preferred).  Cotton can trap oils and if the gloves are cleaned, many detergents and fabric softeners have phosphor and sulfur compounds in them.
> And Silver saver paper is a must.  Silica desiccant and IAg are not compatible.
>
> And as a final aside, unfortunately the days of Tin-Lead are limited thanks to the tail wagging the dog over in the EU with Electronics as the target.  In 22 years of Electronics Manufacturing, I have had 4 issues with bad ENIG or ENEPIG plating, and Roughly 40-50 issues with flux penetration or entrapment including 1 recall that totaled over $1.5 Million Dollars.
>