"We developed these fluxes long before the coronavirus pandemic. However, due to the favourable alcohol prices at the time, there was unfortunately no market for these fluxes. Most customers wanted either purely alcohol-based or purely water-based fluxes," explains Markus Geßner, Head of Marketing and Sales at Emil Otto GmbH. However, since the dramatic increase in alcohol prices, demand behaviour has changed, bringing hybrid alcohol/water-based fluxes into the focus of electronics manufacturers. However, for some customers, water-based or hybrid fluxes with an alcohol content of mostly less than 10% are not an option as a replacement for the currently high-priced alcohol-based fluxes. This may be due to process conditions or the short drying times required.
The flux EO-Y-014 can be an alternative here, as its lower alcohol content means that it is less subject to the currently rising alcohol prices. EO-Y-014 also contains special alcoholic additives to stabilise and improve drying times compared to conventional water-based or partially water-based fluxes. Thanks to the special selection of alcoholic additives, Emil Otto has succeeded in ensuring that EO-Y-014 is not categorised as a hazardous material despite an alcohol content of 15 %.
The flux is very versatile and OSP-compatible. It can be used with good results in manual, wave and selective soldering as well as in cable assembly and strand tinning. "As part of a customer's switch to a hybrid flux, EO-Y-014 has proven that it can cover almost all process requirements of a purely alcohol-based flux, despite the very low alcohol content of just 15 %. The soldering results, for example the step-through, as well as the cleanliness on the PCBs were very good," continues Geßner. A preheating temperature of 80 - 110 °C is recommended for less complex PCBs and 100 - 130 °C for more complex PCBs. It can be used in both leaded and lead-free solder systems.