Standard Specification for Electrodeposited Coatings of Tin-Lead Alloy (Solder Plate)

ABSTRACT
This specification establishes the requirements for mat, bright, and flow-brightened electrodeposited tin-lead alloy coatings on fabricated articles of iron, steel, copper, and copper alloys to protect them against corrosion, to improve and preserve solderability over long periods of storage, and to improve anti-galling characteristics. Sheets, strips, or wires in the unfabricated form, or threaded articles having a specified diameter, are not covered here. The classification notation shall include the type of basis metal, thickness of tin-lead coating required, service condition number indicating the severity of service required, and coating composition. Coatings shall be sampled, tested, and shall conform accordingly to specified requirements as to composition, appearance, thickness, adhesion (to be examined either by burnishing test, quenching test, reflow test, or bend test), and solderability (to be assessed either by non-automated or automated dip test, spread test, globule test, or artificial aging test).
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers the requirements for electrodeposited tin-lead coatings on fabricated articles of iron, steel, copper, and copper alloys, to protect them against corrosion (Note 1), to improve and preserve solderability over long periods of storage, and to improve anti-galling characteristics.  Note 1-Some corrosion of tin-lead coatings may be expected in outdoor exposure. In normal indoor exposure, tin-lead is protective on iron, copper, and copper alloys. Corrosion may be expected at discontinuities (pits or pores) in the coating. Porosity decreases as the thickness is increased. A primary use of the tin-lead coating (solder) is with the printed circuit industry as a solderable coating and as an etch mask material.
1.2 This specification applies to electrodeposited coatings containing a minimum of 50% and a maximum of 70% tin. The specification applies to mat, bright, and flow-brightened tin-lead coatings.  Note 2-Tin-lead plating baths are composed of tin and lead fluoborates and of addition agents to promote stability. The final appearance may be influenced by the addition of proprietary brighteners. Without brighteners, the coatings are mat; with brighteners, they are semibright or bright. Flow-brightened coatings are obtained by heating mat coatings to above the melting point of tin-lead for a few seconds and then quenching; palm oil, hydrogenated oils, or fats are used as a heat-transfer medium at a temperature of 260 + 10°C (500 + 20°F), but other methods of heating are also in use. The maximum thickness for flow-brightening is about 7.5 [mu]m (0.3 mil); thicker coatings tend to reflow unevenly. The shape of the part is also a factor; flat surfaces tend to reflow more unevenly than wires or rounded shapes (Note 3). Note 3-Volatile impurities in tin-lead coatings will cause bubbling and foaming during flow-brightening resulting in voids and roughness. The impurities can arise from plating solution addition agents and from improper rinsing and processing.
1.3 This specification does not apply to sheet, strip, or wire in the unfabricated form or to threaded articles having basic major diameters up to and including 19 mm (0.75 in.).

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ASTM B579-73(2004) - Standard Specification for Electrodeposited Coatings of Tin-Lead Alloy (Solder Plate)
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NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
Designation: B579 – 73 (Reapproved 2004)
Standard Specification for
1
Electrodeposited Coatings of Tin-Lead Alloy (Solder Plate)
This standard is issued under the fixed designation B579; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.
1. Scope 2. Referenced Documents
2
1.1 This specification covers the requirements for electrode- 2.1 ASTM Standards:
posited tin-lead coatings on fabricated articles of iron, steel, B183 Practice for Preparation of Low-Carbon Steel for
copper, and copper alloys, to protect them against corrosion Electroplating
(Note 1), to improve and preserve solderability over long B242 Guide for Preparation of High-Carbon Steel for Elec-
periods of storage, and to improve anti-galling characteristics. troplating
B281 Practice for Preparation of Copper and Copper-Base
NOTE 1—Some corrosion of tin-lead coatings may be expected in
Alloys for Electroplating and Conversion Coatings
outdoor exposure. In normal indoor exposure, tin-lead is protective on
B322 Guide for Cleaning Metals Prior to Electroplating
iron, copper, and copper alloys. Corrosion may be expected at disconti-
B487 Test Method for Measurement of Metal and Oxide
nuities (pits or pores) in the coating. Porosity decreases as the thickness is
increased.Aprimaryuseofthetin-leadcoating(solder)iswiththeprinted
CoatingThicknessbyMicroscopicalExaminationofCross
circuit industry as a solderable coating and as an etch mask material.
Section
B499 Test Method for Measurement of Coating Thick-
1.2 This specification applies to electrodeposited coatings
nessesbytheMagneticMethod:NonmagneticCoatingson
containing a minimum of 50 % and a maximum of 70 % tin.
Magnetic Basis Metals
The specification applies to mat, bright, and flow-brightened
B504 Test Method for Measurement of Thickness of Me-
tin-lead coatings.
tallic Coatings by the Coulometric Method
NOTE 2—Tin-lead plating baths are composed of tin and lead fluobo-
B567 Test Method for Measurement of Coating Thickness
ratesandofadditionagentstopromotestability.Thefinalappearancemay
by the Beta Backscatter Method
be influenced by the addition of proprietary brighteners. Without bright-
B568 Test Method for Measurement of Coating Thickness
eners,thecoatingsaremat;withbrighteners,theyaresemibrightorbright.
Flow-brightened coatings are obtained by heating mat coatings to above by X-Ray Spectrometry
the melting point of tin-lead for a few seconds and then quenching; palm
E105 Practice for Probability Sampling Of Materials
oil, hydrogenated oils, or fats are used as a heat-transfer medium at a
E122 Practice for Calculating Sample Size to Estimate,
temperature of 260 6 10°C (500 6 20°F), but other methods of heating
With Specified Precision, the Average for a Characteristic
are also in use. The maximum thickness for flow-brightening is about 7.5
of a Lot or Process
µm (0.3 mil); thicker coatings tend to reflow unevenly. The shape of the
2.2 Other Standards:
part is also a factor; flat surfaces tend to reflow more unevenly than wires
MIL-STD-105 Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspec-
or rounded shapes (Note 3).
3
NOTE 3—Volatile impurities in tin-lead coatings will cause bubbling
tion by Attributes
and foaming during flow-brightening resulting in voids and roughness.
MIL-STD-414 Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspec-
The impurities can arise from plating solution addition agents and from 3
tion by Variables for Percent Defective
improper rinsing and processing.
3. Classification and Service Condition
1.3 This specification does not apply to sheet, strip, or wire
in the unfabricated form or to threaded articles having basic
3.1 Orders for articles to be plated in accordance with this
major diameters up to and including 19 mm (0.75 in.).
specificationshallspecify,inadditiontotheASTMdesignation
1 2
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee B08 on For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
Metallic and Inorganic Coatings and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
B08.08.04 on Soft Metals. Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
Current edition approved April 1, 2004. Published April 2004. Originally the ASTM website.
3
approved in 1973. Last previous edition approved in 1999 as B579–73 (1999). DOI: AvailablefromStandardizationDocumentsOrderDesk,Bldg.4SectionD,700
10.1520/B0579-73R04. Robbins Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094, Attn: NPODS.
Copyright © ASTM Inte
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