![]() It can take as little as 24 hours or as much as a week to emerge, but when it does, colophony dermatitis causes intense itching, red/inflamed skin, and can even be severe enough to result in blisters. Otherwise known as a rosin allergy, colophony dermatitis is the eczema-like outbreak that occurs wherever pine or spruce-derived rosin flux comes in contact with the skin of those allergic to it. These vacuum-like ventilation units remove the bulk of these fumes right at their source, before you or nearby coworkers have the chance to inhale them.Įven though respiratory irritation is the most common reaction to rosin, there's another rosin-based health hazard that can be equally as uncomfortable and disruptive: Colophony Dermatitis. The best way to prevent soldering fume inhalation is to install and ensure the proper maintenance of a local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system at each soldering station. And while it's far less likely to occur than rosin irritation, overexposure to lead is also a possibility, as toxic and potentially-carcinogenic lead oxide can be transported in fume form to your lungs, where it would then gain direct entry into your bloodstream. The classic "head-bent-over-project" soldering position gives rosin fumes a direct route to your eyes, throat, nasal passages and lungs, and as a result, you can experience anything from eye and throat irritation to congestion and asthma-related breathing difficulties. This dual action makes rosin-core solder incredibly convenient to use, but can also expose you to a double dose of toxic and irritating fumes, from both the rosin flux and any lead additives that may be present in the solder itself. As the solder rod is heated, the flux core melts first, and carries any bond-hindering oxides or impurities out of the way before the molten tin solder flows into place to form a conductive joint. When it comes to electronics soldering, rosin-core solder is a pretty common material to reach for, because it combines the benefits of metal-cleaning rosin-based flux with the binding power of tin-blend solder. Protecting Yourself from Rosin and Lead Fumes And while it may be a routine part of your job, there are a few potential health hazards that can be linked to soldering itself as well as the materials involved, so it's important that you take the right steps to protect yourself from injury while you work. Consult the Material Safety Data Sheet for the alloy and solder used.Whether you're creating custom cables, repairing home appliances, or working on a circuit board, there's no doubt that soldering plays an important role in making all sorts of electrical connections. (Direct flame on filler metals causes overheating and fuming.)īe especially careful not to overheat assembly when using filler metals that contain cadmium. Apply heat only to metals being joined not to filler metal. Intense localized heating uses up flux and increases the danger of fuming. Full flux coverage reduces the chance of fumes. Try to work at eye level.Ī surface contaminant of unknown composition on metals may add to fume hazards and may cause a flux breakdown that occurs too rapidly leading to overheating.įlux protects the metals being joined during the heating cycle. Use ventilation fans and exhaust hoods to carry all fumes away from work and worker. The following well-tested precautions should be implemented to avoid the hazards from these fumes. Fluoride fumes from fluxes may also be produced during soldering. ![]() They also produce hazardous fumes if overheated or improperly fluxed. Cadmium replacements, such as indium and other low fusing alloys (zinc, tin, etc.), are required to reduce the melting point of solders. ![]() Safety precautions should always be followed when soldering or brazing any alloys. All noble solders and the following Hauser & Miller solders: 6K yellow easy, 8K yellow easy, 10K yellow easy, HM 564B, HM 564A, and HM 569A contain cadmium.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |