Kathy Provided you use a reasonably strong halide-activated flux, such as RSA or water-soluble, soldering to nickel is not too difficult. You will never do it with a flux which is activated only with weakly ionisable organic acids. Reason: nickel forms almost instantaneously a thin layer of a tough, refractory oxide. This is what gives it its characteristic brownish cast and its resistance to corrosion. This layer is fairly inert to most chemicals except, e.g., hydrogen chloride. A flux containing, e.g., a quaternary ammonium hydrochoride or its cousin, an amine hydrochloride, breaks down under the action of heat to release hydrogen chloride which reacts with the oxide and therefore exposes bare, clean nickel, which solders reasonably. Brian Kathy Bergman wrote: > > Hello Tech Netters, > > I am looking for some information about nickel finish boards. Is there > anything that has to be done to the nickel before soldering? Activation? > > Thanks > K Bergman > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Technet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8d > 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 delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL > 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/html/forum.htm for additional > information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.5315 > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8d 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 delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL 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/html/forum.htm for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.5315 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------