Designation: B 678 – 86 (Reapproved 2001)

Standard Test Method for

Solderability of Metallic-Coated Products1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation B 678; 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 (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

1. Scope 4. Significance and Use

1.1 This test method provides a procedure for evaluating the 4.1 In order that a sound solder joint be formed simply and
solderability of metallic-coated products and test specimens to quickly in a production operation, the molten solder must
assure satisfactory performance in manufacturing processes readily wet and spread over the surfaces of the products being
requiring soldering with soft (tin-lead) solder and rosin flux. joined. For this to happen, the surfaces must be clean or be
This test method is applicable only for testing coatings that are soiled only with contaminants that are easily removed by an
normally readily solderable such as: tin, tin-lead alloy, silver, appropriate flux. It often is necessary that the flux be only
and gold. strong enough to remove the normally occurring soils. A more
1.2 This test method is qualitative and broadly applicable. It aggressive flux may corrode the product and have other
is easy to perform and requires only simple equipment. There harmful effects. Nonactivated rosin in alcohol is the standard
are other solderability tests not covered by this test method that flux used in this test method; however, provision is made for
are more applicable to specific situations, yield quantitative the use of other fluxes. Since rosin is a mild flux, it provides
results, or both. Several are described in the literature.2 This is better discrimination between acceptable and unacceptable
a “go-no-go” test and does not grade solderability as excellent, solderability in marginal cases than do more active fluxes.
good, fair, and so forth. 4.2 Metallic coatings are frequently used to provide solder-
1.3 This standard may involve hazardous materials, opera- able surfaces. But, an improperly produced coating may not
tions, and equipment. This standard does not purport to yield the required solderability. There are many coating defects
address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its that cause poor solderability including porosity, codeposited
use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to impurities, incorrect thickness, and surface contamination. It
establish appropriate safety and health practices and deter- may be difficult or impractical to test a coating directly for each
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. of the undesirable conditions. In these instances solderability is
tested. Products that pass the solderability test can be expected
2. Referenced Documents to solder satisfactorily in production. In the case of failure to
2.1 ASTM Standards: pass the test, the test results will not reveal the cause of the
B 32 Specification for Solder Metal3 inadequate solderability, though, with experience, an operator
D 509 Test Methods of Sampling and Grading Rosin4 may be able to identify the cause.
D 1193 Specification for Reagent Water5 4.3 This test method measures the ability of a coated
product to be soldered with 60/40 tin/lead solder using a
3. Summary of Test Method nonactivated rosin flux. This solder and this flux, or an
3.1 The specimen to be tested is coated with rosin flux, activated form of it, are generally used in the assembly of
dipped briefly into molten tin-lead solder, and examined for electronic products.
complete and uniform coverage by the solder. When specifi- 4.4 It is intended that the tested specimens be components
cally required, the specimens are artificially aged before testing of electronic products or articles with the same general shape
by exposure to hot, humid air. and mass. Articles that are much more massive than this will
heat up too slowly during the solder immersion. If more
1
massive specimens are to be tested, a longer immersion time
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee B08 on Metallic
and Inorganic Coatings and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee B08.10 on
will have to be used, the time to be determined by experiment.
Test Methods. 4.5 If the specimen tested is longer than 25 mm, its bottom
Current edition approved January 31, 1986. Published March 1986. end will be in the solder for significantly longer than the
2
Long, J. B., “A Critical Review of Solderability Testing,” in Properties of specified time. Therefore, if the specimen is longer than 25
Electrodeposits, Their Measurement and Significance, edited by Richard Sard,
Henry Leidheiser, Jr., and Fielding Ogburn, The Electrochemical Society, 1975.
mm, the results obtained at the bottom end of the specimen are
Harding, W. B., “Solderability Testing,” Plating, Vol 52, No. 10, October 1965, invalid. This part of the specimen shall be discounted in the
pp. 971–981.
3
evaluation of the results. A second set of tests can be run on
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 02.04. additional specimens in which the specimens are only partly
4
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 06.03.
5
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 11.01. immersed. These would be used to evaluate the bottom ends.

Copyright © ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.

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 B 678
5. Flux specimens are from 50 to 100 mm above the surface of the
5.1 The flux shall be a 25 6 5 mass % solution of boiling water. Arrange the cover of the vessel and the con-
water-white rosin, as defined by Test Methods D 509, Grade denser, if used, so that the condensed water does not drip onto
WW, dissolved in isopropyl alcohol of a minimum purity of 99 the specimens.
mass % (Note 1). A different flux, such as mildly activated and 8.4 Remove the aged specimens from the vessel and allow
activated rosin fluxes, may be used if the specifying authority them to air-dry and air-cool.
requires it. Such deviation from the standard shall be stated in 8.5 Perform the remaining steps on each specimen one at a
the test report. time. Dip the specimen into the flux. Remove it and allow it to
drain for 30 to 60 s.
NOTE 1—Suitable fluxes are commercially available. Care must be 8.6 Just before the next step, skim the surface of the molten
taken that the commercial flux used is nonactivated, rosin flux. Commer-
solder with a clean stainless steel scraper, stir the solder with a
cial fluxes of higher concentration may be thinned with isopropyl alcohol
to give the required concentration. clean stainless steel rod, and skim the surface again. The
temperature of the solder shall be 245 6 5°C.
5.2 Solder: 8.7 Immerse the specimen into the solder at a speed of 25 6
5.2.1 The solder shall be an alloy of 60 mass % tin and 40 5 mm/s, hold it in the solder for 5 6 0.5 s, and remove it from
mass % lead that conforms to alloy Grade 60A of Specification the solder at a speed of 25 6 5 mm/s.
B 32.
5.2.2 The composition of molten solder will gradually NOTE 3—The simplicity of the test can cause a casual attitude toward
change because of oxidation. Also, the immersion of test the times and rates specified. Unless the operator adheres to the times and
rates, a significant variability in the results can occur. There are commer-
specimens can introduce metallic impurities into the solder. For cial automated dipping devices that, if used, will eliminate operator
these reasons, the solder shall be replaced after being molten variability.
for 8 h unless chemical analysis shows it to meet the require-
ments of 5.2.1. 8.8 After the solder coating solidifies, remove the flux
5.3 Water—The water used in the aging chamber shall be residue with isopropyl alcohol or other solvent.
distilled or deionized water meeting the requirements for Type 8.9 Examine the solder coating on the specimen using, if
II or Type III reagent water as defined in Specification D 1193. necessary, up to 103 magnification. Evaluate the adherence of
the coating by probing or scraping it with a sharp point or a
6. Sampling sharp blade.
6.1 The nature and the number of specimens shall be given 8.10 The specimen shall be judged to have passed the test if
by the specification covering the coating or the coated product the solder coating is adherent, bright, smooth, and uniform
or other governing document. over at least 95 % of the tested surface. The remaining 5 %
may contain small pin holes, dewetted areas, and roughness. If
7. Apparatus the specimens are flat coupons, the areas within 3 mm of the
7.1 Solder Pot, large enough that when it is filled to its edges shall be excluded from the evaluation. It is recom-
normal capacity the mass of the solder is at least 100 times the mended that tested specimens exhibiting the worst allowable
mass of the specimen that will be tested. cases be retained and used as acceptance standards.
NOTE 2—If there is insufficient solder in the pot, the immersion of a 9. Report
room-temperature specimen will cool the solder out of the test range. 9.1 The test report shall contain the following information:
9.1.1 The ASTM designation, including the issue date, of
8. Procedure
this method,
8.1 Do not clean the specimens. The solderability test is to 9.1.2 A description of the specimens tested,
be performed on them in their as-received condition. If in the 9.1.3 Whether the specimens were cleaned before testing,
normal production process the specimens are cleaned before and, if so, the process used (see 8.1),
they are soldered, it may be preferred to clean the test 9.1.4 Whether the specimens were aged,
specimens in the same way. If such cleaning is required, it shall 9.1.5 Whether the test was performed manually or with an
be specifically called for. Avoid contaminating the specimens. automatic dip tester,
Particularly do not touch the areas to be tested with bare hands. 9.1.6 Any deviations from the standard method (for ex-
Use tweezers, forceps, cotton gloves, or other appropriate ample, nature of flux, nature of solder, time of immersion),
means. 9.1.7 The number of specimens tested and the number of
8.2 For tin and tin-lead coatings, if it is required that the specimens that failed the test, and
specimens be aged before solderability testing, proceed as 9.1.8 A description of the nature of any failed specimens.
directed in 8.3. If the specimens are not to be aged, start the
tests with 8.5. 10. Precision and Bias
8.3 Suspend the specimens in a vessel above boiling water 10.1 No statement is made either on the precision or on the
and leave them there with the water boiling continuously for 24 bias of this test method for measuring solderability because the
h. Keep the vessel covered and assure that the specimens do test results merely state whether there is conformance to the
not touch the side of the vessel and that the lower edges of the criteria for success specified in the procedure.

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 B 678
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