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Code: EP24

Contents of this page:

Description
Some Worldwide Reviews
About the Author

Description

In 1985 a hole was discovered in the Earth’s stratospheric ozone layer. In 1987 the scientific evidence became incontrovertible, that the ozone hole was caused by emissions of man-made chemicals—the CFCs. In 1989 a schedule of cuts in production and consumption of CFCs came into force, under the banner of the Montreal Protocol. In 1990 the Protocol was seriously tightened by the London Revision. Before the year 2000 CFCs will be unavailable. By the year 2005 so will the very common solvent 1.1.1 trichloroethane.

High reliability electronics assemblies are cleaned to remove flux residues that prevent automatic electrical testing and also present a potential service reliability hazard. The great majority are cleaned using CFC-113. Many are cleaned using 1.1.1 trichloroethane. The electronics assembly industry is therefore faced with an urgent problem. It needs to find alternatives for these solvents.

This book describes the options available to the electronics assembly industry to address this problem. The scene is first set with an explanation of the mechanisms of ozone depletion and its threat to life on the planet Earth, followed by an account of the fascinating struggle towards an acceptance of worldwide regulatory control of such ubiquitous chemicals as CFCs. Then follows a brief look at how other industrial sectors are coping with the onset of life without CFCs.

All of the technological opportunities that have arisen for the electronics assembly industry, since the discrediting of CFC-113 as a solvent, are presented in detail. The literature has been carefully searched for available data. As can be seen from the contents list, (available on request) this book offers a comprehensive appraisal of the options. The information is given in a totally impartial manner, with the underlying principles of each technology used to illustrate its pros and cons. Suggestions are made as to how a choice finally can be made on both technical and financial grounds, optimised for a company’s particular products and profile.

Some Worldwide Reviews

"Who should buy—and use—this book? Those carrying responsibility for material, product and process development should have no hesitation in acquiring this book. It is this reviewer’s experience, form the many question addressed to him regarding he cleaning issue, that such people frequently find themselves bewildered by the environmental regulations which pertain at the moment. Secondly, the growing army of people concerned with environmental matters in the area of electronics manufacturing will find this book of great help. Finally, the huge amount of general information on cleaning which this book includes means that it will be of use in many situations outside the field of electronics assembly—situations in which the environmental impact of cleaning is becoming an issue of increasing importance."

Soldering and Surface Mount Technology (UK)

"The strengths and weaknesses of this book? The main strength is a thorough, but comprehensible, treatment of the theoretical aspects of the vast subject. Other major positive features are its impartiality and its wide scope.

Do I recommend this book? Unconditionally, yes. This is a must for any technical bookshelf and extremely good value for money, as the wealth of information therein is unique.

As a single edition, it will undoubtedly be the major work for at least a few years. It is a well-written companion to the Electrochemical Publications works, worthy of the same success as Colin Lea’s other book in the same series. It is produced with the same care, quality and attention to detail as its stable-mates."

Circuit World (UK)

"One of the most pressing considerations in the electronics industry at present is the problem of cleaning circuit assemblies, Colin Lea, who heads the soldering research facility at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, UK, is well known for his publications on the subject of cleaning and alternatives to CFCs. He is also the author of the excellent reference book ‘A Scientific Guide to Surface Mount Technology’. With this pedigree, one would expect that a book on alternatives to CFCs would be an outstanding reference document. A am pleased to say that this new publication from Dr Lea does not disappoint.

All in all, this is an excellent work on what is a most important topic. Both the technical content and readability of the book are outstanding."

Hybrid Circuits (UK)

About the Author

Colin Lea heads the research in the science and technology of soldering at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, UK. He is a physicist with a doctorate in surface physics from the University of Southampton and was on the faculty of the University of Chicago before joining NPL in 1971.

Dr Lea is the founder of the NPL Soldering Science and Technology Club which carries out inter-company collaborative research for the electronics assembly industry. He is on the Steering Committee of the UK Surface Mount Club and the Management Committee of the SMART Group, both aimed to encourage and help the industry to implement surface mount technology. He works with international (IEC) and national (EEA) Solderability Task Groups. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, is a Member of the Institute of Metals and has recently been honoured with Life Fellowship of the Institute of Circuit Technology for his unique and distinguished research contributions.

Colin Lea is author of the book 'A Scientific Guide to Surface Mount Technology' and has written numerous technical articles on interconnection technology. He has headed up the co-ordination of the UK electronics industry's drive to eliminate CFCs and is credited by environmental groups with getting this issue on to the industry's agenda.