How to make flux for soldering copper

Source: https://homius.ru/kak-pajat-med.html

Flux for soldering copper with a torch


Flux for soldering copper with a torch

Flux for soldering copper with a torch

Flux for soldering copper with a torch

Dear readers, today we will talk about the construction of a copper pipeline. During the installation process, reliable connection of the elements that make up the structure is important. Capillary soldering is considered one of the simplest and most reliable methods of connecting pipes. This installation method requires the appropriate tools - a special soldering iron or torch for soldering copper pipes.

Rules, features and methods of soldering copper pipes

Do-it-yourself copper brazing

Do-it-yourself copper brazing

Do-it-yourself copper brazing

Welding copper is not the most justified technological solution. Having specific characteristics, the metal, when heated, tends to form a compound with oxygen and hydrogen, which is commonly called cuprous oxide.

Saturation of the weld zone with hydrogen leads to the appearance of a significant number of cracks and a decrease in the quality of the joint. Taking into account the above, it is not surprising that it is often more convenient to connect capricious materials by soldering.

This process does not require complex equipment and soldering copper with your own hands at home is possible in the same way as in production. The main thing is to choose the right tool, purchase the right materials and gain experience.

Depends on the task

Flux for soldering copper pipes: what types are there, features and properties, how to use

Flux for soldering copper pipes: what types are there, features and properties, how to use

Flux for soldering copper pipes: what types are there, features and properties, how to use

When welding metals (and when soldering copper pipes), flux is used - a material produced in the form of pastes, powders or granules.

It is needed to protect parts from oxidation and slag, and to isolate the weld seam from air oxygen.

Such properties of the flux significantly increase the ductility and strength of the finished product, which has a positive effect on the quality of the latter. This article is devoted to welding copper pipes using fluxes.

In a nutshell about copper pipes

Improvised means as flux for soldering

Improvised means as flux for soldering

Improvised means as flux for soldering

Fluxes are substances of organic or inorganic composition used in soldering metals. Their purpose is to reduce the surface tension forces of the molten solder and ensure better uniform spreading.

In addition, the flux protects the soldering surface from exposure to oxygen, and thereby prevents oxidation. In many cases, homemade flux can replace liquid or powder prepared in production. You just need to know what materials to use for it.

Main types

Good flux for soldering:

Good flux for soldering:

Good flux for soldering:

Soldering flux is an auxiliary substance, the use of which helps clean the surfaces of metal elements being joined from oxidation. When resorting to soldering without the use of flux, you should not count on high-quality work and reliable fastening of the necessary parts. Therefore, before you begin joining parts using a soldering iron, you need to select a good, high-quality flux.

Purpose

DIY soldering with flux for aluminum

DIY soldering with flux for aluminum

DIY soldering with flux for aluminum

Quite often you can hear the opinion that aluminum alloys and aluminum itself are quite difficult to solder. However, this opinion will be valid only if the same fluxes and solders are used for it as for copper, steel and a number of other materials. Today you can find special materials on sale that were developed directly for soldering aluminum. As a result, it became as possible to solder it as copper.

The difficulty of soldering aluminum when using standard solders and fluxes lies in a number of chemical and physical properties of such a material. First of all, it should be noted that on the surface of this metal there is always a fairly strong oxide film, which is also capable of well resisting the effects of a wide variety of chemical compounds.

The oxide film prevents solder from contacting the metal surface directly. To overcome it, they resort to one of 2 methods:

  1. Mechanical processing , due to which the film is removed from the surface of the wire, after which it can begin to be soldered.
  2. The use of strong fluxes , which simply dissolve it and expose the surface of pure metal.

The difficulty when soldering aluminum also lies in the fact that this metal has a low melting point, which is only 660 degrees. The strength of the wire when heated to 250-300 degrees becomes significantly lower, which is why it becomes unstable.

Soldering temperature should be between 500 and 640 degrees. This is not too long an interval, especially if you plan to use high-temperature soldering, where there is a very high probability of overheating of the material, after which the wire melts.

Unlike almost all metals used in low-melting solders:

  • lead;
  • cadmium;
  • bismuth;
  • antimony, etc., aluminum has the characteristic of low mutual solubility. This leads to the fact that the strength of the joints obtained as a result of soldering leaves much to be desired.

What to use?

Flux for soldering copper pipes

Flux for soldering copper pipes

Flux for soldering copper pipes

Few people know what soldering flux means. Flux is a substance consisting of chemical elements that helps solder better fill the joint space.

In addition, one of the functions of flux is to clean a metal product from dirt and products of the oxidation process, such as boric and hydrochloric acid. In addition, it forms a layer of protective film against air oxygen .

It is taking these features into account that it is necessary to correctly select the types of metal products that need to be connected and the substances that will fill the connecting gap, and also keep the temperature heater parameters under control.

Types of flux

DIY flux for soldering copper

DIY flux for soldering copper

DIY flux for soldering copper

Reading time: 4 minutes

Soldering copper with your own hands is a simple process that even beginners can handle. The post soldering technology is understandable; it does not require many years of experience and professional skills. This is why working with copper is so popular among home craftsmen.

But it is not enough for you to know soldering technology alone to achieve decent quality connections. It is important to know how to use the tool and choose the right flux for copper. Flux improves the strength of the connection, protects the soldering area from external factors and, in general, allows you to obtain connections of the best quality. In this article we will briefly describe how to choose a flux for copper soldering and how to use it in your work.

Types of fluxes

How to make soldering flux at home

How to make soldering flux at home

How to make soldering flux at home

› Crafts

articles Best products from AliExpress HERE ⬇

To prepare soldering flux from soap, we will need. Plant-based “Duru” soap, acid (I used hydrochloric acid, or acetic acid) and rosin.

If you use soap based on animal fats, then when soldering, the flux will smell very unpleasant. Soldering flux, made from plant-based soap, does not smell when soldering. The only smell you will smell is the aroma of the soap used and the rosin.

Preparing flux for soldering

Source: https://homius.ru/kak-pajat-med.html

Flux for soldering copper with a torch


Dear readers, today we will talk about the construction of a copper pipeline. During the installation process, reliable connection of the elements that make up the structure is important. Capillary soldering is considered one of the simplest and most reliable methods of connecting pipes. This installation method requires the appropriate tools - a special soldering iron or torch for soldering copper pipes.

Rules, features and methods of soldering copper pipes

Flux for soldering copper with a torch

Dear readers, today we will talk about the construction of a copper pipeline. During the installation process, reliable connection of the elements that make up the structure is important. Capillary soldering is considered one of the simplest and most reliable methods of connecting pipes. This installation method requires the appropriate tools - a special soldering iron or torch for soldering copper pipes.

Rules, features and methods of soldering copper pipes

Pipe soldering is the joining of pipeline elements by adding molten solder. After the solder hardens, the connection becomes inseparable; the cooled solder firmly fixes the soldered elements.

It is important to remember that the melting temperature of the solder must be lower than the melting temperature of the parts being joined. This soldering method ensures uniform distribution of solder throughout the joint.

Copper pipes are soldered in two ways:

  1. The low-temperature method is used when installing household pipelines. In this case, both hard solder, which is heated to a temperature of at least 450 degrees, and soft solder, heated to 400 degrees, can be used.
  2. The high-temperature method is used for the installation of more serious pipelines that are subject to heavy loads. When connecting using this method, the solder is heated to a temperature of 600-900C.

What is needed for soldering

Do-it-yourself copper brazing

Welding copper is not the most justified technological solution. Having specific characteristics, the metal, when heated, tends to form a compound with oxygen and hydrogen, which is commonly called cuprous oxide.

Saturation of the weld zone with hydrogen leads to the appearance of a significant number of cracks and a decrease in the quality of the joint. Taking into account the above, it is not surprising that it is often more convenient to connect capricious materials by soldering.

This process does not require complex equipment and soldering copper with your own hands at home is possible in the same way as in production. The main thing is to choose the right tool, purchase the right materials and gain experience.

Depends on the task

The choice of tools and materials used primarily depends on the work being performed.

  • It’s one thing if we are talking about soldering wires or electronic circuits. Little energy is spent on heating them, and the connection area is limited. Here it is quite possible to get by with an electric soldering iron, ordinary tin-lead solder and rosin as a flux.
  • Other problems have to be solved by connecting parts of significant thickness and mass. They absorb a significant amount of heat and, due to their high thermal conductivity, quickly cool, releasing heat into the atmosphere. Gas burners or blowtorches, as well as fluxes that are more efficient than traditional rosin, help solve the problem.

Before you begin selecting equipment and materials, you should decide on the nature of the upcoming task and its volume.

Classic example

Flux for soldering copper pipes: what types are there, features and properties, how to use

When welding metals (and when soldering copper pipes), flux is used - a material produced in the form of pastes, powders or granules.

It is needed to protect parts from oxidation and slag, and to isolate the weld seam from air oxygen.

Such properties of the flux significantly increase the ductility and strength of the finished product, which has a positive effect on the quality of the latter. This article is devoted to welding copper pipes using fluxes.

In a nutshell about copper pipes

Copper pipes are a material known for its durability and reliability. Therefore, they are widely used in the installation of heating communications and water supply, as well as gas pipes, regardless of their price.

Copper pipes are often used in private construction.

In addition to reliability and durability, copper pipes have other advantages: immunity to corrosion and precipitation, resistance to elevated temperatures.

The average service life of copper pipes is about 50 years. However, to work with copper pipes, experience in welding is required.

Copper pipes are connected by soldering, which can be carried out in two temperature conditions: at low and at high temperatures. The choice of soldering temperature is based on the purpose of the welding work.

For example, for soldering connections that require special reliability, such as gas pipes, it is recommended to carry out the welding process at higher temperatures than usual and using flux.

This will avoid gas leakage due to the formation of a particularly strong seam. For all other types of work, low-temperature soldering can be used.

Flux during soldering

Improvised means as flux for soldering

Fluxes are substances of organic or inorganic composition used in soldering metals. Their purpose is to reduce the surface tension forces of the molten solder and ensure better uniform spreading.

In addition, the flux protects the soldering surface from exposure to oxygen, and thereby prevents oxidation. In many cases, homemade flux can replace liquid or powder prepared in production. You just need to know what materials to use for it.

Main types

Fluxes are active (acidic) and passive (acid-free).

The former actively influence the top layer of metal during the soldering process, partially changing its chemical structure, the latter simply wash away oxides from the surface and create a thin film that prevents the access of oxygen.

After use, active fluxes must be washed off from the surfaces of brazed parts, as residual substances can cause corrosion. You can wash it off with water with a little added alkali.

Soldering acid, rosin, solder fat, and flux pastes are used as fluxes. The quality of soldering of various metals depends on the type of material and its characteristics.

After all, for each specific case, ideally, you need to select the most suitable composition.

The flux can be included in the solder paste or sealed into a hollow solder tube to improve soldering ease.

There are many ready-made soldering fluxes available in solid, liquid and gel form. If you urgently need to carry out soldering work, but there are no consumables at hand, you can prepare such a composition yourself, using improvised means.

Of course, a homemade, hastily prepared flux will be inferior in quality and characteristics to that produced in a factory, but it will be able to ensure high-quality soldering.

Aspirin and citric acid

Good flux for soldering:

Soldering flux is an auxiliary substance, the use of which helps clean the surfaces of metal elements being joined from oxidation. When resorting to soldering without the use of flux, you should not count on high-quality work and reliable fastening of the necessary parts. Therefore, before you begin joining parts using a soldering iron, you need to select a good, high-quality flux.

Purpose

Fluxes are used primarily to remove all kinds of contaminants from the surface of the metal. Moreover, when soldering joints, they protect the heated solder from oxidation. This, in turn, promotes the spreadability of solder and, accordingly, improves the quality of soldering.

A good flux for soldering can only be selected based on the nature of the metal joints and the alloy of the solder. Residues of any fluxes, regardless of their type, must be removed from the joints after completing the work, since they themselves contaminate the metal and can lead to the development of corrosion processes.

Types of fluxes for soldering

DIY soldering with flux for aluminum

Quite often you can hear the opinion that aluminum alloys and aluminum itself are quite difficult to solder. However, this opinion will be valid only if the same fluxes and solders are used for it as for copper, steel and a number of other materials. Today you can find special materials on sale that were developed directly for soldering aluminum. As a result, it became as possible to solder it as copper.

The difficulty of soldering aluminum when using standard solders and fluxes lies in a number of chemical and physical properties of such a material. First of all, it should be noted that on the surface of this metal there is always a fairly strong oxide film, which is also capable of well resisting the effects of a wide variety of chemical compounds.

The oxide film prevents solder from contacting the metal surface directly. To overcome it, they resort to one of 2 methods:

  1. Mechanical processing , due to which the film is removed from the surface of the wire, after which it can begin to be soldered.
  2. The use of strong fluxes , which simply dissolve it and expose the surface of pure metal.

The difficulty when soldering aluminum also lies in the fact that this metal has a low melting point, which is only 660 degrees. The strength of the wire when heated to 250-300 degrees becomes significantly lower, which is why it becomes unstable.

Soldering temperature should be between 500 and 640 degrees. This is not too long an interval, especially if you plan to use high-temperature soldering, where there is a very high probability of overheating of the material, after which the wire melts.

Unlike almost all metals used in low-melting solders:

  • lead;
  • cadmium;
  • bismuth;
  • antimony, etc., aluminum has the characteristic of low mutual solubility. This leads to the fact that the strength of the joints obtained as a result of soldering leaves much to be desired.

What to use?

The choice of flux for aluminum depends on a number of important factors. In particular, the most popular is the so-called binary flux, which is a solution of concentrated phosphoric acid.

It has a large number of positive aspects:

  1. This composition is no-clean , that is, it will not require additional washing after completion of soldering work.
  2. It acts very quickly , so you can start soldering almost immediately after applying it to the surface of the wire.
  3. The substance is universal , therefore it is suitable for a number of other metals, in particular steel or copper.

To make aluminum soldering as good as possible, you need to use solders that contain aluminum, silver, silicon, zinc and copper. You can find consumables on sale that contain all these materials.

When choosing solder, take into account that the connection will have the highest ability to resist corrosion processes if the solder contains a large amount of zinc.

It is quite acceptable to use solders made on the basis of lead and tin for soldering aluminum , but here it will be impossible to do without either mechanical stripping of the material or without the use of reliable fluxes. It is not recommended to use this type of solder as aluminum will not bond to it reliably. Another negative point is the susceptibility of the connection to corrosion.

To solder aluminum, you should purchase only high-temperature solders, without which it will be quite problematic to achieve a high-quality connection of wires.

In addition to solder and flux, you will need a soldering iron. The width of the tip here will directly depend on how large the cross-section of the wire is - the higher it is, the wider the tip should be selected. It is worth noting that soldering irons with unregulated heating temperatures are now gradually becoming a thing of the past.

They are being replaced by so-called soldering stations. These products are good because they have a temperature regulator for heating the soldering iron tip, as well as a whole set of these replacement tips. When working with a material such as aluminum, this is a very useful point. On the display you can set the required temperature to the nearest degree and get to work.

How to solder?

Flux for soldering copper pipes

Few people know what soldering flux means. Flux is a substance consisting of chemical elements that helps solder better fill the joint space.

In addition, one of the functions of flux is to clean a metal product from dirt and products of the oxidation process, such as boric and hydrochloric acid. In addition, it forms a layer of protective film against air oxygen .

It is taking these features into account that it is necessary to correctly select the types of metal products that need to be connected and the substances that will fill the connecting gap, and also keep the temperature heater parameters under control.

Types of flux

  1. The first type of chemical assistant includes substances that do an excellent job of preventing corrosive formations. This connecting substance consists mainly of substances that dissolve the liquid and an element such as phosphorus. As a result of their mutual work, an integral connecting substance is formed.

    When using this type, there is no need to use substances that are designed to clean after the soldering process. It is very profitable and not at all troublesome.

  2. The second type of flux can be classified as a substance consisting of salicylic acid, which is perfectly soluble in organic solvents. In addition to this component of the connecting substance, Vaseline, alcohol and gold derivatives can also serve as a base.

    If you use this type of flux, you can achieve excellent results with your seams; in addition to cleanliness, they will acquire a neat appearance.

  3. The third type of soft connector includes rosin and sodium salt of boric acid. Sodium salt begins to melt at temperatures above 70 degrees Celsius.

    It is necessary to pay special attention to the fact that this substance and its melting products are absolutely not harmful to human life and health.
    You can create your own connecting substances by mixing all the components into one.

Submerged Copper Soldering

What is the difference between soldering and flux?

DIY flux for soldering copper

Reading time: 4 minutes

Soldering copper with your own hands is a simple process that even beginners can handle. The post soldering technology is understandable; it does not require many years of experience and professional skills. This is why working with copper is so popular among home craftsmen.

But it is not enough for you to know soldering technology alone to achieve decent quality connections. It is important to know how to use the tool and choose the right flux for copper. Flux improves the strength of the connection, protects the soldering area from external factors and, in general, allows you to obtain connections of the best quality. In this article we will briefly describe how to choose a flux for copper soldering and how to use it in your work.

Types of fluxes

Fluxes are divided according to two characteristics: chemical composition and consistency. Let's start with the chemical composition.

Chemical composition

How to make soldering flux at home

› Crafts

articles Best products from AliExpress HERE ⬇

To prepare soldering flux from soap, we will need. Plant-based “Duru” soap, acid (I used hydrochloric acid, or acetic acid) and rosin.

If you use soap based on animal fats, then when soldering, the flux will smell very unpleasant. Soldering flux, made from plant-based soap, does not smell when soldering. The only smell you will smell is the aroma of the soap used and the rosin.

Preparing flux for soldering

This soldering flux recipe is quite competitive with sold fluxes. But of course, it’s up to you to decide what’s better, buy or make it yourself.

Required components for soldering flux

Source: https://homius.ru/kak-pajat-med.html

Flux for soldering copper with a torch


Flux for soldering copper with a torch

Dear readers, today we will talk about the construction of a copper pipeline. During the installation process, reliable connection of the elements that make up the structure is important. Capillary soldering is considered one of the simplest and most reliable methods of connecting pipes. This installation method requires the appropriate tools - a special soldering iron or torch for soldering copper pipes.

Rules, features and methods of soldering copper pipes

Rules, features and methods of soldering copper pipes

Pipe soldering is the joining of pipeline elements by adding molten solder. After the solder hardens, the connection becomes inseparable; the cooled solder firmly fixes the soldered elements.

It is important to remember that the melting temperature of the solder must be lower than the melting temperature of the parts being joined. This soldering method ensures uniform distribution of solder throughout the joint.

Copper pipes are soldered in two ways:

  1. The low-temperature method is used when installing household pipelines. In this case, both hard solder, which is heated to a temperature of at least 450 degrees, and soft solder, heated to 400 degrees, can be used.
  2. The high-temperature method is used for the installation of more serious pipelines that are subject to heavy loads. When connecting using this method, the solder is heated to a temperature of 600-900C.

What is needed for soldering

What is needed for soldering

To make a capillary connection of copper pipes, you will need the following tools and materials:

  • tools for pre-processing of joined elements;
  • flux and solder;
  • special fum tape;
  • threading tools and ferrules;

Types of solders

Types of solders

There are two types of solders - hard and soft. Soft solder is a wire made of metals and alloys with a low melting point (tin, lead, silver, etc.). The diameter of such solder is no more than 3 mm.

Brazing alloys are made from refractory metals and have a larger diameter.

A connection made using hard solder can withstand heavy loads.

Flux and soldering paste

Flux and soldering paste

To ensure reliable connection, flux or paste is used. This substance prevents foreign elements from entering the joint, and the seam is reliable and without pores. Flux is based on boric or hydrochloric acid, zinc chloride. In order to create a protective film at the joint, resins, rosin, and wax are used.

Soldering fluxes are divided into liquid, solid and special pastes. The ready-made mixture is more expensive than other materials, but it is also much more convenient to work with.

Fitting

Fitting

Fittings are special parts that are installed at the junction of workpieces of different diameters, connecting several pipes at one point, or when switching to another pipeline material.

During installation, fittings made of the same material as the pipes are used.

If you have to use fittings made of a different material, it is important that the coefficient of thermal expansion and other technical parameters of the material of the pipes and fittings match.

Tools

Tools

To solder a copper pipeline you will need:

  1. pipe cutter;
  2. chamfer;
  3. pipe expander;
  4. brushes, pipe cleaners, sponges.

Types of burners

Types of burners

The equipment presented on the construction market is divided into several types.

Burners with stationary and disposable cylinders

Burners with stationary and disposable cylinders

Such devices are equipped with disposable gas cylinders with propane, acetylene, etc. The advantages of using this type of equipment include mobility, ease of operation, and safety.

The only drawback of burners with disposable cylinders is that the cylinder must be changed every time after use.

You can use such a tool both when installing plumbing and heating systems.

Hand torches

Hand torches

The advantages of such equipment include, first of all, compactness. Using a hand soldering iron, it is convenient to assemble a pipeline in a small room and solder pipes in the most inaccessible places.

The hand torch operates on a disposable flammable gas cylinder. The tool is equipped with a flame length regulator; the kit usually includes nozzles of different diameters. The tool does not require connection to an electrical outlet. If you follow all operating rules, the connection is reliable and durable. Hand tools can easily cope with the installation of air conditioning systems and other household communications.

Professional burners

Professional burners

Equipment classified as professional is capable of working with particularly refractory solder. It is used when installing structures at industrial facilities where the pipeline is subjected to significant loads.

The advantage of industrial burners is the high flame temperature.

The large weight and dimensions will not allow you to work in a cramped apartment. It is not advisable to purchase such devices for domestic and personal use - household communications do not require such a quality connection, and the cost of the device is higher than that of other types.

Homemade burners

Homemade burners

Sometimes craftsmen use devices assembled with their own hands. They differ in their characteristics and belong to both manual and stationary types. Homemade burners consist of the same basic elements as purchased ones. However, it is not recommended to use such devices, as there is no guarantee of operational safety. And in terms of performance characteristics, they are usually inferior to factory equipment.

How to choose a burner

How to choose a burner

When choosing equipment, the main attention should be paid to the class and performance characteristics.

If you buy a torch only for soldering household pipelines, you can get by with a manual or semi-professional device. Such a device is cheaper than a professional burner and will cope with the tasks. To install communications subject to high loads, you will need to use hard solders, so you will have to purchase professional equipment.

The most popular models and manufacturers

The most popular models and manufacturers

The construction market today offers a large number of devices from various manufacturers. Domestic gas burners are popular: Profi-Tools; Allgas; Donmet. Foreign manufacturers also enjoy a good reputation: Rothenberger; Kemper; Virax; Rems; Uniweld.

Most companies offer burners of different classes - from hand-held mobile devices to professional powerful devices. A semi-professional propane burner costs from 1.5 to 10 thousand rubles. Professional units will cost more – the minimum cost is 20 thousand rubles.

Soldering process

Soldering process

Before proceeding directly to joining the cut pieces, they must be pre-processed. First, the joint is cleaned, minor defects and burrs are eliminated. After this, the surfaces of the connected pipes are treated with brushes and cleaners from the outside and inside. Do not use abrasive tools, otherwise scratches will occur.

If required, one tube is expanded. The diameter of the copper pipes must be such that one piece fits freely into the other. Before this, it must be heated, otherwise mechanical damage will occur, which will subsequently affect the tightness of the connection.

To protect against air getting into the seam and for better adhesion, flux or paste is applied to the surface.

Only after completing the preparatory work should you start heating the solder and pipes using a torch. Heating must be done evenly to prevent overheating.

After the pipes have heated up, solder wire is introduced into the gap between them. It melts and fills the gap at the junction of the pipes, forming a seam. After cooling, the flux is removed.

Safety precautions

Safety precautions

To avoid injuries and other unpleasant consequences, it is important to comply with safety requirements: install and repair pipelines only with protective gloves and goggles, in work overalls, do not allow the burner flame to come into contact with unprotected skin, do not allow the heated metal to touch unprotected skin, do not work with open fire near flammable materials.

After soldering is completed, the gas supply must stop.

Basic mistakes

Basic mistakes

The process of soldering copper pipes is not particularly complicated, however, beginners often make mistakes that subsequently affect the quality of the connection. Common mistakes made by beginners:

  • insufficient pre-treatment of the soldering site;
  • pressing - failure to maintain a sufficient gap between the pipes, resulting in an uneven seam;
  • using the wrong solder;
  • overheating of pipes, which leads to deterioration in performance;
  • insufficiently thorough cleaning of flux after soldering, which causes corrosion.

In addition, it is required to follow a pre-prepared design diagram.

process

process

For a clearer understanding of the installation process, watch the video here:

Subscribe to new articles - there is a lot of interesting things ahead!

Source: https://rem-serv.com/flyus-dlya-payki-medi-gorelkoy/

Do-it-yourself copper brazing

Do-it-yourself copper brazing

Welding copper is not the most justified technological solution. Having specific characteristics, the metal, when heated, tends to form a compound with oxygen and hydrogen, which is commonly called cuprous oxide.

Saturation of the weld zone with hydrogen leads to the appearance of a significant number of cracks and a decrease in the quality of the joint. Taking into account the above, it is not surprising that it is often more convenient to connect capricious materials by soldering.

This process does not require complex equipment and soldering copper with your own hands at home is possible in the same way as in production. The main thing is to choose the right tool, purchase the right materials and gain experience.

Depends on the task

Depends on the task

The choice of tools and materials used primarily depends on the work being performed.

  • It’s one thing if we are talking about soldering wires or electronic circuits. Little energy is spent on heating them, and the connection area is limited. Here it is quite possible to get by with an electric soldering iron, ordinary tin-lead solder and rosin as a flux.
  • Other problems have to be solved by connecting parts of significant thickness and mass. They absorb a significant amount of heat and, due to their high thermal conductivity, quickly cool, releasing heat into the atmosphere. Gas burners or blowtorches, as well as fluxes that are more efficient than traditional rosin, help solve the problem.

Before you begin selecting equipment and materials, you should decide on the nature of the upcoming task and its volume.

Classic example

Classic example

Let's consider an option that can be considered classic. Elastic, with high corrosion resistance and even bactericidal properties, copper is well suited for the manufacture of pipes. Such pipes are the optimal choice for water supply equipment, use in the food industry, as well as in various hydraulic systems. You can make new parts or restore damaged parts using soldering.

If we are talking about products of significant size, let’s put the electric soldering iron, the temperature of which reaches a maximum of 500 degrees Celsius, aside and proceed to choosing a gas burner, since blowtorches are less convenient for work. The following criteria should be taken into account:

  • Flame temperature. If for a home workshop you can limit yourself to purchasing a device in which this parameter reaches 1000 - 1500 degrees, then a professional needs the temperature to reach 2000 degrees. This will allow you to work with large parts and use refractory solders and fluxes.
  • Flame shape and size. For point work, it is important that it has a pencil shape and is as compact as possible. But for soldering large volumes of copper, a wide swirl flame is used. It is convenient when a gas burner has several replaceable nozzles and an adjustment system that allows for precise adjustments.
  • Convenience. Devices mounted on portable gas cylinders are also suitable for home use. But in production it is better to use burners connected to large gas cylinders using a hose. They are more convenient to use and designed for long-term use.

The burner must be supplied with a bracket for securing replacement blades and a set of blades of various sizes and cross-sections. Some people try to make a burner with their own hands. But this requires special knowledge and accurate calculations. It is much easier to buy a ready-made tool.

If solder, what kind?

If solder, what kind?

Having decided on the tool, we proceed to the choice of solder. First of all, you should make sure that the material corresponds to a certain temperature regime. According to their characteristics, solders are conventionally divided into three groups.

  • Low temperature. They should be preferred if the soldering iron or torch is unable to provide good heating. However, the strength of the connection in this case will not be too high. This option is not suitable for parts operating under heavy loads.
  • Medium temperature. If the soldering torch has sufficient power, using such material it will be possible to create a durable seam with acceptable performance properties. But, for a number of reasons, such compositions are not widely used.
  • High temperature. As a rule, when using them, the highest joint strength is achieved. It should be remembered that not all copper alloys can withstand significant heat. Everything will depend on the compounds included in their composition. But if you want the resulting seam to withstand high loads, you will have to choose this option.

But it’s not just the melting point that distinguishes one solder from another. Their chemical composition is no less important. Brazing of copper is the most common method. In the course of this work, mixtures prepared according to various recipes are used. They are divided into several main categories.

  • Tin-copper and silver-copper. These are fairly easy-to-use low-temperature solders.
  • Copper-phosphorus. These high-temperature solders are convenient because, if necessary, they can be used without fluxes. But at low temperatures its mechanical properties deteriorate and, as a result, the strength of the connecting seam decreases.
  • Copper-silver-zinc. They also have high refractoriness. Their advantages include good ductility and high corrosion resistance.
  • High-temperature silver solders have good mechanical properties, however, flux is required for their use. An important disadvantage is the high cost of the material.

With the abundance of offers on the market, making solder yourself is not very justified.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ck-F5251tQ

For the manufacture of water pipes and products in contact with food, it is unacceptable to use compounds containing lead. The reason is obvious - lead is poisonous. A separate problem is soldering stainless steel with copper. But this can also be solved by choosing the right solder and flux.

Flux solves a lot

Flux solves a lot

The best fluxes for soldering copper should be considered active compounds, such as ZIL-2 or F-38N. Phosphoric acid or solder fat work well. Even taking into account the high corrosion resistance of the metal, the joints must be thoroughly washed after completion of work. The reliability of the connection with stainless steels or aluminum alloys also depends on the choice of flux for soldering.

Clear actions

Clear actions

During the soldering process, it is imperative to follow a clear sequence of operations.

  • The metal surface is cleaned of dirt and oxides, and then degreased. To do this, metal brushes, various abrasives and solvents are used. Alternatively, alcohol.
  • The details are carefully recorded. If we are talking about soldering pipes, it is recommended to fix them using special clamps. This is important not only when making butt joints, but also when pipes are inserted into one another.
  • The metal warms up properly. Only after this, if necessary, is flux applied to its surface. The easiest way to do this is with a brush.
  • It is impossible to distribute pre-crushed solder over the surface of pipes. Therefore, it should be applied gradually, increasing the mass and evenly distributing the composition over the surface of the part. You should ensure that the material does not stick to the tip by cleaning the tool in a timely manner. Care must be taken to ensure that there are no gaps left and that the seam is sealed.

Pipes or other copper parts connected in this way will be able to withstand significant loads and will last a long time.

Why do you need solder paste?

Why do you need solder paste?

As for the use of soldering paste, this material is characterized by a low melting point. It is used, as a rule, in radio electronics. The resulting connections cannot boast of high strength, but have good electrical conductivity. Since the paste already contains both flux and solder, it can be used to quickly perform a large number of small solderings using a regular electric soldering iron.

The main thing is patience

The main thing is patience

If you are planning to master soldering copper with your own hands, you should be patient. This technology requires experience and skill, which does not come immediately. Failed first attempts are not a reason to be upset. Practice, and the moment when you succeed will definitely come.

Source: https://svarkalegko.com/tehonology/pajka-medi.html

Flux for soldering copper pipes: what types are there, features and properties, how to use

Flux for soldering copper pipes: what types are there, features and properties, how to use

When welding metals (and when soldering copper pipes), flux is used - a material produced in the form of pastes, powders or granules.

It is needed to protect parts from oxidation and slag, and to isolate the weld seam from air oxygen.

Such properties of the flux significantly increase the ductility and strength of the finished product, which has a positive effect on the quality of the latter. This article is devoted to welding copper pipes using fluxes.

In a nutshell about copper pipes

In a nutshell about copper pipes

Copper pipes are a material known for its durability and reliability. Therefore, they are widely used in the installation of heating communications and water supply, as well as gas pipes, regardless of their price.

Copper pipes are often used in private construction.

In addition to reliability and durability, copper pipes have other advantages: immunity to corrosion and precipitation, resistance to elevated temperatures.

The average service life of copper pipes is about 50 years. However, to work with copper pipes, experience in welding is required.

Copper pipes are connected by soldering, which can be carried out in two temperature conditions: at low and at high temperatures. The choice of soldering temperature is based on the purpose of the welding work.

For example, for soldering connections that require special reliability, such as gas pipes, it is recommended to carry out the welding process at higher temperatures than usual and using flux.

This will avoid gas leakage due to the formation of a particularly strong seam. For all other types of work, low-temperature soldering can be used.

Flux during soldering

Flux during soldering

Experienced welders who have worked in production for many years, of course, can do without the compounds in question.

However, if you are a second-class specialist or are just starting to use a welding machine, flux is your faithful friend, because its use simplifies the process and improves the quality of the resulting products.

Judge for yourself: even if you don’t have much experience, submerged arc soldering guarantees a much better result than arc welding.

This is due to the fact that in the first case the seams are reliable and even, and the work itself takes much less of your time.

In addition, the soldering technique under consideration ensures deeper melting of the part due to the choice of current with increased density.

True, in this case the temperature of action on the electrode also increases, as a result of which it may lose part of the coating, but this is not at all a cause for concern.

Moreover, the use of a special composition during soldering will help to avoid the appearance of pores and, subsequently, foreign bodies at the weld site, because when soldering with a submerged arc torch, pores in principle are not formed.

Let's look at some important features of flux. Those who decide to use such compounds in their practice need to know them.

For example, inexperienced craftsmen form an oxide film on the outside of the product, the thickness of which sometimes exceeds 1 mm. To avoid such a process, it is recommended:

  • Closely monitor the temperature. It is very important to maintain the soldering temperatures of solder and pipes at the same level. This temperature regime allows you to prevent critical situations, because in this case you can determine the degree of overheating by eye.
  • Use high-quality flux from recommended manufacturers. A composition made without observing quality standards will only interfere with work, because a poorly prepared substance can worsen the condition of the resulting seam.

How to choose flux

How to choose flux

To buy a high-quality soldering flux, the use of which guarantees a reliable connection of copper pipes, it is recommended to adhere to the following criteria:

  • The viscosity of the solder must be greater than the viscosity of the flux itself.
  • The consistency of the mixture (paste, powder or liquid) does not affect the quality of welding. You can choose the composition in any form, the main thing is that when applied to the metal surface it is distributed without lumps, evenly covering the entire available area.
  • High-quality material dissolves the oxide film as it forms during welding. In addition, it protects the product from re-oxidation. In order to determine the quality of the flux, you can use it immediately before welding on unnecessary copper parts.
  • A composition of poor quality may be destroyed during operation. This indicates that such material needs to be replaced, because high-quality flux does not lose its properties even during high-temperature welding.
  • A weld seam using a high-quality composition most often comes out smooth and neat.
  • When using high-quality flux, all dirt remaining after soldering copper can be easily removed from the product.
  • Using high-quality material, both vertical and horizontal seams are obtained.

If the substance you choose meets all the specified points, it is suitable for soldering and guarantees a good result.

In addition, after soldering, you don’t have to worry about the cleanliness of the welding surfaces, because the high-quality composition can be removed without a trace with a regular solvent.

Some types of flux for soldering copper pipes

Some types of flux for soldering copper pipes

In the 21st century, the range offered by flux manufacturers for copper soldering is simply huge. Previously, there was no such variety in choice; only a fairly limited set was available to the average person.

However, now manufacturers are constantly changing the composition of the mixture, which is why the quantity of goods offered is also increasing. In all this diversity, the most commonly purchased and used types of materials are:

Fluxes containing rosin

Fluxes containing rosin

These materials are economical and therefore very popular. Such mixtures are easy to prepare, as they require a minimum set of ingredients: sodium salts and the already mentioned rosin.

It is believed that a similar composition can be made at home. It will be practically no different from the usual one produced at the factory, and the price will be cheaper.

However, its preparation will take some time. Those who value their time can purchase a rosin-based composition in a specialized store.

The disadvantages of such mixtures include the need for increased attention to the temperature conditions during soldering.

This is due to the properties of rosin: when critically high temperatures are reached, this material can become charred, which spoils all the work done.

Fluxes containing salicylate

Fluxes containing salicylate

These mixtures also contain few ingredients, which makes them accessible for making at home. To prepare, you need to crush acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) tablets.

The resulting powder is mixed with special petroleum jelly (an alternative is ethyl alcohol). This mixture can be used when soldering small parts and equipment.

The use of this type of composition on copper pipes is not recommended. The factory version is more suitable for this. This material is quite in demand among novice craftsmen, because it guarantees a neat and even seam.

Anti-corrosion fluxes

Anti-corrosion fluxes

They consist of a large number of different components, so it is hardly possible to make them at home.

Such mixtures, as the name suggests, have protective properties, protecting the weld from early rusting and oxidation, while removing unnecessary moisture from the soldering area.

As already mentioned, fluxes are commercially available in various forms: liquids, pastes and powders. The consistency of the composition has no influence on the result of welding work, so the choice of shape is based on the tastes of each master.

Some people find it more convenient to work with a paste-like material that remains on the surface of copper pipes without spreading, while others, on the contrary, like a liquid composition.

It is believed that flux, which has the consistency of a powder, is the least convenient for beginners, since its use takes longer than the use of other forms, and also requires a certain skill.

Liquid mixtures, which are sold and stored in bottles, are usually cheaper than others, but paste mixtures are considered the most expensive. The liquid composition requires the simultaneous use of solder.

The mixture in the form of a paste simplifies and speeds up the soldering work, since it is most convenient to apply. In addition, the weld strength when using paste material is the highest.

Therefore, novice craftsmen can be recommended to use paste mixtures for welding copper pipes. Such compositions represent options that are optimal in terms of convenience and price-quality ratio.

P.S

P.S

A few tips for those who decide to use flux when welding (soldering) copper pipes:

  • Buy several formulations of different types and forms and try them to determine which one is best for your operation.
  • Don't chase low prices and choose products from manufacturers you trust.
  • You can ask advice from masters with experience (for example, in the comments under this post).

We wish you good luck in choosing and using flux for soldering copper pipes!

Source: https://prosvarku.info/tehnika-svarki/flyus-dlya-pajki-mednyh-trub

Improvised means as flux for soldering

Improvised means as flux for soldering

Fluxes are substances of organic or inorganic composition used in soldering metals. Their purpose is to reduce the surface tension forces of the molten solder and ensure better uniform spreading.

In addition, the flux protects the soldering surface from exposure to oxygen, and thereby prevents oxidation. In many cases, homemade flux can replace liquid or powder prepared in production. You just need to know what materials to use for it.

Main types

Main types

Fluxes are active (acidic) and passive (acid-free).

The former actively influence the top layer of metal during the soldering process, partially changing its chemical structure, the latter simply wash away oxides from the surface and create a thin film that prevents the access of oxygen.

After use, active fluxes must be washed off from the surfaces of brazed parts, as residual substances can cause corrosion. You can wash it off with water with a little added alkali.

Soldering acid, rosin, solder fat, and flux pastes are used as fluxes. The quality of soldering of various metals depends on the type of material and its characteristics.

After all, for each specific case, ideally, you need to select the most suitable composition.

The flux can be included in the solder paste or sealed into a hollow solder tube to improve soldering ease.

There are many ready-made soldering fluxes available in solid, liquid and gel form. If you urgently need to carry out soldering work, but there are no consumables at hand, you can prepare such a composition yourself, using improvised means.

Of course, a homemade, hastily prepared flux will be inferior in quality and characteristics to that produced in a factory, but it will be able to ensure high-quality soldering.

Aspirin and citric acid

Aspirin and citric acid

To make flux, you can use any substances that have good solvent and antioxidant properties.

It can be:

  • alcohols;
  • acids;
  • vegetable and animal oils.

The simplest flux is prepared by dissolving a tablet or powder of acetylsalicylic acid in water. Acetylsalicylic acid is in the medicine cabinet in almost every home (this is the most common cheap aspirin). It is necessary to dissolve the tablets or powder until the sediment disappears.

Citric acid powder (white granules) is also used.

There are tips to use lemon juice, but it is quite weak, so the effect of its use will be subtle.

When soldering with aspirin or lemon juice, a lot of gas is released, so the room in which they are worked must be equipped with an exhaust hood or well ventilated.

Alcohol, glycerin, rosin

Alcohol, glycerin, rosin

You can get a good alcohol-rosin flux by dissolving rosin in ethyl alcohol. First you need to crush the rosin in a mortar as finely as possible.

Rosin dissolves very slowly in alcohol, and the speed of flux preparation will depend on its thorough grinding. After mixing the alcohol with rosin, it is better to leave the future flux for several hours to complete the dissolution.

You can speed up the process by placing the solution in a sealable glass container and heating it to 80 ℃ in a water bath. Alcohol rosin flux is completely neutral and does not even require rinsing after soldering.

Ethyl alcohol can be successfully replaced with glycerin. This glycerin flux will be thicker than alcohol rosin and will be more convenient to use. In this case, the dissolution of rosin will slow down.

It will be much more effective to first dissolve it in alcohol and then mix it with glycerin. In this case, the activity of the composition will significantly increase, but you will have to wash off the residue from the soldered workpieces.

It’s even possible to make rosin yourself, although it will take time. It is necessary to collect resin from pine trunks in warm, dry weather and melt it.

Can be used for soldering as a flux or its component, rosin for bowed string instruments. It is of very high quality and well cleaned. But its price is much higher than that of soldering rosin.

Hydrochloric and phosphoric acid

Hydrochloric and phosphoric acid

A very effective flux is obtained by dissolving zinc granules in hydrochloric acid. To do this, concentrated acid must be diluted in equal parts with water and the granules placed in a glass container should be poured with this solution. For complete dissolution, zinc will be required at the rate of 412 g per 1 liter of hydrochloric acid.

The dissolution process will be accompanied by a rapid release of hydrogen from the acid, so it is better to prepare in rooms with very good ventilation and away from open fire.

Using flux obtained from hydrochloric acid, steel workpieces are successfully soldered. If you add ammonia to the solution (the same amount as zinc), then this composition can be used when soldering absolutely any metals and alloys.

A good flux is phosphoric acid. It is used when soldering nichrome and stainless steel.

Liquid fluxes are best applied with a thin brush, and should be stored in a tightly sealed glass container with a narrow neck.

Application of fat

Application of fat

Soldering flux can be made from fat with a fairly high melting point. Then at room temperature it will not soften on its own, which will make it easier to work with.

To obtain such a flux, the fat must be melted and mixed with crushed rosin and ammonia in a certain proportion. For three parts of fat by volume you will need the same amount of ammonia and one part of rosin.

For ease of use, the finished flux can be placed in the body of a medical disposable syringe and, if necessary, squeeze out the required amount.

If you are not sure whether a homemade flux is suitable for soldering a part, then you can do a little research. It is necessary to distribute the prepared substance over the surface of a piece of the same metal that is to be soldered.

If, when heated, the flux is evenly distributed over the surface, then it is considered suitable for soldering. If it collects in balls and flows down, then it will be able to provide satisfactory wettability of the part.

The ability to dissolve the oxide film on the metal surface is checked by washing off the applied flux. If the surface remains clean after washing, then the flux dissolves oxides well. On the contrary, if traces of an oxide film or rust remain, then soldering with this flux cannot be performed.

Source: https://svaring.com/soldering/flus/izgotovlenie-svoimi-rukami

Good flux for soldering:

Good flux for soldering:

Soldering flux is an auxiliary substance, the use of which helps clean the surfaces of metal elements being joined from oxidation. When resorting to soldering without the use of flux, you should not count on high-quality work and reliable fastening of the necessary parts. Therefore, before you begin joining parts using a soldering iron, you need to select a good, high-quality flux.

Purpose

Purpose

Fluxes are used primarily to remove all kinds of contaminants from the surface of the metal. Moreover, when soldering joints, they protect the heated solder from oxidation. This, in turn, promotes the spreadability of solder and, accordingly, improves the quality of soldering.

A good flux for soldering can only be selected based on the nature of the metal joints and the alloy of the solder. Residues of any fluxes, regardless of their type, must be removed from the joints after completing the work, since they themselves contaminate the metal and can lead to the development of corrosion processes.

Types of fluxes for soldering

Types of fluxes for soldering

Conventionally, fluxes are divided into two main categories - oxidizing and reducing. Also, depending on the need to perform certain tasks, fluxes are used for metal smelting, welding, electrolysis, growing single crystals, soldering non-ferrous and jewelry alloys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1mQng5Okk8

In general, according to the effect that is exerted on the metal during soldering, the following fluxes are distinguished:

  • active (acidic);
  • acid-free;
  • anti-corrosion;
  • activated;
  • protective.

Active fluxes

Active fluxes

This soldering flux often contains hydrochloric acid, fluoride and chloride metals. The action of active fluxes involves the active dissolution of oxide films on the surface of metal parts. Thanks to these properties, maximum mechanical strength of the resulting joints is ensured.

Despite their wide distribution, active fluxes are not suitable for use in the installation and soldering of electrical equipment, because their residues quickly corrode the joint of parts.

Acid-free fluxes

Acid-free fluxes

Acid-free soldering flux, commonly known as rosin, is a substance made from alcohol, glycerin and turpentine. When the soldering iron is heated to a temperature of more than 150 °C, the use of such a flux makes it possible to dissolve the oxides of lead, copper, and tin, reliably cleaning the metal surfaces.

The main advantage of flux in the form of rosin is the absence of the effect of separation of the joined surfaces during soldering. This flux is widely used for soldering copper, bronze, and brass.

Activated fluxes

Activated fluxes

This type of flux is prepared on the basis of phosphoric or hydrochloric acid aniline, diethylamine or salicylic acid. This option is suitable for soldering a wide range of metals and alloys, such as iron, copper, steel, nickel, zinc, silver, as well as copper parts without the need for pre-cleaning.

Anti-corrosion fluxes

Anti-corrosion fluxes

Based on the definition itself, it is easy to guess that anti-corrosion flux is used for soldering most often when it is necessary to connect parts that are potentially susceptible to the development of corrosion processes.

The composition of soldering flux with anti-corrosion properties includes the use of technical petroleum jelly, salicylic acid, triethanolamine and ethyl alcohol. Despite its main purpose, this type of flux requires careful removal of its residues upon completion of soldering by wiping the parts with acetone or alcohol.

Protective fluxes

Protective fluxes

Since there is no destructive chemical effect on metals during use, protective flux can be used for soldering microcircuits. Like most other types of fluxes, such substances protect previously cleaned metal surfaces from oxidation. The category of protective fluxes primarily includes petroleum jelly, wax, powdered sugar, olive oil, and other substances with weak chemical activity.

Storage

Storage

The most common alcohol-based fluxes usually have a liquid consistency. Therefore, they need to be stored in a carefully sealed, airtight container. Otherwise, there is a loss of their basic properties and even complete evaporation.

Soldering flux paste also needs to be stored in a closed container. The optimal conditions for such flux are a room with a low level. Despite the fact that the paste does not absorb moisture from the environment, there is a danger of moisture condensation on the walls of the container and surfaces located nearby.

It is recommended to store flux gel for soldering away from flammable substances, objects and sources of open flame, since most fluxes in this category are highly flammable. In this case, the storage temperature should be no lower than 10 and no more than 25 degrees Celsius.

Application of flux

Application of flux

When soldering, the joints are thoroughly cleaned, coated with flux and heated with a soldering iron. At the point of application, the flux begins to foam and smoke. At this moment, a small amount of solder must be applied to the tip of the soldering iron, which will subsequently cover the surfaces to be connected.

It’s probably not worth talking about the properties and advantages of using fluxes for soldering once again. You just need to take a soldering iron and try to connect the parts without flux. In this case, the soldering process will be truly lengthy, and the result will be frankly of poor quality, since the solder will be too unreliably fixed to the surface being soldered.

How to prepare flux for soldering yourself?

How to prepare flux for soldering yourself?

The simplest option for making your own flux is to use a rosin-alcohol base. To begin with, rosin powder is poured into the container, after which it is filled with an alcohol solution. After some time, the alcohol will evaporate and the flux will acquire a moderately thick consistency, convenient for applying the substance to metal parts during soldering.

As a self-prepared flux, which is suitable for tinning steel and copper surfaces, you can use acetylsalicylic acid dissolved in a small amount of water, acetone or alcohol. It is convenient to store such liquid flux in a varnish container, using a lid with a brush when applying.

How to choose the right flux?

How to choose the right flux?

According to avid radio amateurs who are well versed in soldering, choosing the right flux is an almost 100% guarantee of successful completion of the job. Here you should first of all focus on the material of the parts being connected, as well as the nature of the soldering.

For soldering radio components, copper parts and wires, it is advisable to use inactive fluxes based on rosin. Such fluxes are a modified version of ordinary rosin as a result of the addition of a number of components known as activators.

Inactive fluxes have improved antioxidant properties. Due to their paste or liquid state, such fluxes can be applied directly to circuit boards or soldering joints of metal joints. This flux is ideal for soldering aluminum. Additionally, it is worth noting their wide availability and relatively low cost.

As for medium-active fluxes, it is advisable to use them for soldering the most delicate contacts, for example, when repairing mobile phones and other modern portable devices. Suitable for this purpose are fluxes that do not foam or boil during operation, have minimal corrosion, and are also easy to apply to boards.

Often, medium-active fluxes are used by service center technicians for the repair of digital mobile devices. They are usually used for soldering the smallest microcircuits. Moreover, they are suitable for use not only with lead, but also with lead-free solders.

The most versatile are gel fluxes. They can be used for almost any type of soldering. Gel-like flux is especially effective for soldering aluminum, copper, and other common materials using lead solders.

Finally

Finally

The correct selection of suitable consumables when performing soldering is a guarantee of quality work done. In addition to choosing a good flux, you need to select a solder that matches the nature of the soldering, a hair dryer attachment, a soldering iron tip, and other things.

Even if you use the most advanced soldering stations in your work, if you have the wrong flux, solder or tip, you can end up getting a completely different result than you expected.

Enough water has flown under the bridge since then, when specialists actively used classic soldering irons with a power of up to 60 W with a homemade copper tip turned by a file, as well as ordinary rosin as a flux.

Currently, the use of such material and technical base is extremely ineffective.

Source: https://www.syl.ru/article/183923/new_horoshiy-flyus-dlya-payki

DIY soldering with flux for aluminum

DIY soldering with flux for aluminum

Quite often you can hear the opinion that aluminum alloys and aluminum itself are quite difficult to solder. However, this opinion will be valid only if the same fluxes and solders are used for it as for copper, steel and a number of other materials. Today you can find special materials on sale that were developed directly for soldering aluminum. As a result, it became as possible to solder it as copper.

The difficulty of soldering aluminum when using standard solders and fluxes lies in a number of chemical and physical properties of such a material. First of all, it should be noted that on the surface of this metal there is always a fairly strong oxide film, which is also capable of well resisting the effects of a wide variety of chemical compounds.

The oxide film prevents solder from contacting the metal surface directly. To overcome it, they resort to one of 2 methods:

  1. Mechanical processing , due to which the film is removed from the surface of the wire, after which it can begin to be soldered.
  2. The use of strong fluxes , which simply dissolve it and expose the surface of pure metal.

The difficulty when soldering aluminum also lies in the fact that this metal has a low melting point, which is only 660 degrees. The strength of the wire when heated to 250-300 degrees becomes significantly lower, which is why it becomes unstable.

Soldering temperature should be between 500 and 640 degrees. This is not too long an interval, especially if you plan to use high-temperature soldering, where there is a very high probability of overheating of the material, after which the wire melts.

Unlike almost all metals used in low-melting solders:

  • lead;
  • cadmium;
  • bismuth;
  • antimony, etc., aluminum has the characteristic of low mutual solubility. This leads to the fact that the strength of the joints obtained as a result of soldering leaves much to be desired.

What to use?

What to use?

The choice of flux for aluminum depends on a number of important factors. In particular, the most popular is the so-called binary flux, which is a solution of concentrated phosphoric acid.

It has a large number of positive aspects:

  1. This composition is no-clean , that is, it will not require additional washing after completion of soldering work.
  2. It acts very quickly , so you can start soldering almost immediately after applying it to the surface of the wire.
  3. The substance is universal , therefore it is suitable for a number of other metals, in particular steel or copper.

To make aluminum soldering as good as possible, you need to use solders that contain aluminum, silver, silicon, zinc and copper. You can find consumables on sale that contain all these materials.

When choosing solder, take into account that the connection will have the highest ability to resist corrosion processes if the solder contains a large amount of zinc.

It is quite acceptable to use solders made on the basis of lead and tin for soldering aluminum , but here it will be impossible to do without either mechanical stripping of the material or without the use of reliable fluxes. It is not recommended to use this type of solder as aluminum will not bond to it reliably. Another negative point is the susceptibility of the connection to corrosion.

To solder aluminum, you should purchase only high-temperature solders, without which it will be quite problematic to achieve a high-quality connection of wires.

In addition to solder and flux, you will need a soldering iron. The width of the tip here will directly depend on how large the cross-section of the wire is - the higher it is, the wider the tip should be selected. It is worth noting that soldering irons with unregulated heating temperatures are now gradually becoming a thing of the past.

They are being replaced by so-called soldering stations. These products are good because they have a temperature regulator for heating the soldering iron tip, as well as a whole set of these replacement tips. When working with a material such as aluminum, this is a very useful point. On the display you can set the required temperature to the nearest degree and get to work.

How to solder?

How to solder?

Before proceeding with direct soldering, it is necessary to properly prepare the surface of the wires. First, the surface must be degreased. This is achieved by treating the soldering area with acetone, gasoline or another type of solvent.

If there is no flux on hand, it is necessary to mechanically remove the oxide film from the surface of the wire. This is done using sandpaper, a steel brush, etching fluid, and so on.

It must be remembered that it will not be possible to remove the abrasive film by mechanical means, since a new, albeit thinner, oxide film immediately forms on the metal surface due to contact with air. Flux is much better in this regard, as it removes all the oxide film and prevents air from penetrating the metal.

When the oxide is removed, the wires are fixed, heated with a soldering iron and solder is applied to the heated area.

Blitz tips

Blitz tips

  1. If it is not possible to prepare everything you need , you can take rosin as a flux and remove the oxide film from the surface of the aluminum under the molten rosin. In this case, the soldering iron will be used not only for its intended purpose, but also as a tool capable of removing the oxide layer.
  2. without the use of special materials , especially since the quality of such products will not be very high, and therefore it is best to use specialized tools for soldering this metal.

Source: https://housetronic.ru/electro/pajka-alyuminiya-flusom.html

Flux for soldering copper pipes

Flux for soldering copper pipes

Few people know what soldering flux means. Flux is a substance consisting of chemical elements that helps solder better fill the joint space.

In addition, one of the functions of flux is to clean a metal product from dirt and products of the oxidation process, such as boric and hydrochloric acid. In addition, it forms a layer of protective film against air oxygen .

It is taking these features into account that it is necessary to correctly select the types of metal products that need to be connected and the substances that will fill the connecting gap, and also keep the temperature heater parameters under control.

Types of flux

Types of flux

  1. The first type of chemical assistant includes substances that do an excellent job of preventing corrosive formations. This connecting substance consists mainly of substances that dissolve the liquid and an element such as phosphorus. As a result of their mutual work, an integral connecting substance is formed.

    When using this type, there is no need to use substances that are designed to clean after the soldering process. It is very profitable and not at all troublesome.

  2. The second type of flux can be classified as a substance consisting of salicylic acid, which is perfectly soluble in organic solvents. In addition to this component of the connecting substance, Vaseline, alcohol and gold derivatives can also serve as a base.

    If you use this type of flux, you can achieve excellent results with your seams; in addition to cleanliness, they will acquire a neat appearance.

  3. The third type of soft connector includes rosin and sodium salt of boric acid. Sodium salt begins to melt at temperatures above 70 degrees Celsius.

    It is necessary to pay special attention to the fact that this substance and its melting products are absolutely not harmful to human life and health.
    You can create your own connecting substances by mixing all the components into one.

Submerged Copper Soldering

What is the difference between soldering and flux?

What is the difference between soldering and flux?

First you need to understand its differences from conventional arc soldering. So, compared to welding with hands, the process of soldering with flux becomes more effective. The return level increases by about 4–5 times .

And this is understandable, since electric current passes through the electrode wire only as it extends. Therefore, the use of flux in the welding process of copper makes it possible to use current with increased density.

You don’t even have to worry about the fact that the electrode will be exposed to high temperatures for a long time, which will lead to detachment of the coating material.

Materials for soldering copper pipes

In addition, in the process of using high currents, the melting depth of the metal product increases to quite high levels.
Even because of this, the soldering process can be carried out without cutting the thickened edge. We must pay tribute to the fact that while providing high protection of the metal in the molten state from contact with air flows, metal seams and connections are of high quality.

DIY copper pipe soldering

The minimum amount of foreign inclusions is achieved by the absence of pores in metal seams. There is an explanation for this: the rate of formation of metal crystals increases, since slag formations are present on the coating of the connecting seams.

The disadvantage of using soft connectors is that the metal in the molten state becomes as liquid and fluid as possible.

Before purchasing flux for copper products, pay attention to its special features.
First of all, in order to avoid the formation of a film of oxides, it is necessary to take some measures:

  • Always keep the temperature limits of the soft connector and solder under control to ensure they are the same. When choosing a flux, focus on its performance, depending on the type of solder.
  • In the case when an ideal coincidence of temperature indicators is achieved, the possibility of using it as a device for measuring temperature changes occurring during the soldering process opens up. Therefore, overheating of elements during soldering is impossible.

Today, fluxes are commercially available in dry, paste and liquid form. In most cases, liquid connectors find their way into the liquid solder process.

Flux in dry form is inconvenient to use.
Paste-like flux for copper products is quite convenient, since it does not require delay in its use.

Particular attention should be paid to the quality of the flux in order to obtain a high-quality result of the work done.

Quality can be determined by the following criteria:

  • the surface after soldering is completely covered with it;
  • has a viscous base and high density, which ensures the availability of solder to its destination;
  • protects against film formation and cleans it efficiently;
  • has a homogeneous composition of chemicals;
  • with its help, all seams during the soldering process are visible;
  • using it, it becomes possible to work in a vertical position;
  • easily removed contaminants.

To achieve a high-quality product, you need to get rid of it after the soldering process using solvents intended for this purpose.

Source: https://o-trubah.com/materialy/mednye-truby/fljus-dlja-pajki/

DIY flux for soldering copper

DIY flux for soldering copper

Reading time: 4 minutes

Soldering copper with your own hands is a simple process that even beginners can handle. The post soldering technology is understandable; it does not require many years of experience and professional skills. This is why working with copper is so popular among home craftsmen.

But it is not enough for you to know soldering technology alone to achieve decent quality connections. It is important to know how to use the tool and choose the right flux for copper. Flux improves the strength of the connection, protects the soldering area from external factors and, in general, allows you to obtain connections of the best quality. In this article we will briefly describe how to choose a flux for copper soldering and how to use it in your work.

Types of fluxes

Types of fluxes

Fluxes are divided according to two characteristics: chemical composition and consistency. Let's start with the chemical composition.

Chemical composition

Chemical composition

There are 3 types of fluxes: anti-corrosion with phosphorus, salicylic acid-based fluxes and boric acid-based rosin/flux. Let's look at each type in more detail.

Anti-corrosion fluxes are made from phosphorus and solvents. Such fluxes make it possible to obtain a compound that is resistant to the formation and spread of corrosion. Also, this type of flux does not need to be removed after soldering, which saves time. Anti-corrosion fluxes are acidic.

The second type of acid flux is a flux based on salicylic acid with the addition of technical petroleum jelly. Such fluxes are also called VTS. The resulting connections are neat and aesthetic. The soldering itself is clean; there is no need to further clean the metal. Most often used for electrical installation work.

For soldering work, either ordinary rosin is often used (it is also called natural), or its solutions in alcohol (this includes CE flux, for example).

Rosin can improve the spreading of solder during soldering, distributing it evenly along the junction of two workpieces. Also, molten rosin can dissolve oxides, thereby protecting the soldering area and improving the quality of the connection.

Consistency

Consistency

Flux for soldering copper is available in liquid, paste and dry form. We recommend using paste fluxes, since they are very convenient to work with when soldering copper pipes. Dry fluxes are absolutely unsuitable for such work, and liquid fluxes do not always achieve the desired result.

Pay attention to the consistency. It should be homogeneous, without lumps or foreign inclusions. If you use low-quality flux in your work, the result of the work done will be unsatisfactory.

Features of application

Features of application

First of all, decide on the type of soldering work. After all, the technology for soldering copper wires and for soldering copper pipes will be different. We will talk about soldering copper pipes, since flux is required for such work.

Let's start with the tool. You will need a quality soldering iron, a metal knife or pipe cutter, a chamfer, a wire brush, a pipe expander, a hammer and a tape measure. Take the part and cut the pieces to the required size using a pipe cutter or metal knife.

Then clean the edges of the pipe using a wire brush. There should be no traces of dirt, oil, dust, paint, etc. on the metal surface. Take a pipe expander and expand the edge of one of the blanks. This way you can connect one pipe to another.

Now the flux. As we said earlier, it is better to use paste flux. Apply it to the ends of the workpieces in the place of future soldering. Can be applied using a brush or fingers. Insert one pipe into the other. The workpieces must fit tightly together and squeeze out excess flux. Remove them with a rag.

Next, you need to warm up the place of future soldering using a gas burner. Pay close attention to the color of the flux, it will be our indicator. As soon as the flux turns gray or silver, heating should be stopped.

Now you need to bring solder to the soldering area. This can be filler wire or rod. The solder does not need to be heated, since the temperature of the heated workpiece is sufficient to melt the wire. As soon as the rod begins to melt, we need to fill the entire joint with it.

All is ready! Wait for the part to cool completely, then remove any remaining solder and flux from the surface of the pipe, if necessary.

Instead of a conclusion

Instead of a conclusion

As you can see, to perform soldering you need basic knowledge, the right and convenient tool, flux and wire for welding copper. This can be copper-plated welding wire or solder containing silver. For example, copper solder with 15 percent silver. As for flux, it is recommended to use a paste-like material, since it is easier and more convenient to work with.

What do you think about this? What flux and filler material do you use? Share your experiences with soldering copper, including copper wires, in the comments below. Any advice or recommendation will be useful for novice welders. We wish you good luck in your work!

Five thousand years ago, minters from Egypt discovered a new type of joining metals using the soldering method. The essence of the method is to create a connection between different metals by filling the seams with solder, which is a molten material with a melting point lower than that of the parts of the product being connected.

Unlike steel, it is more expedient to connect copper parts by soldering rather than welding. This is especially important if you have to work with thin-walled copper pipes, which are widely used in heating, plumbing, gas and refrigeration systems. Even a beginner can handle this kind of work.

Source: https://crast.ru/instrumenty/fljus-dlja-pajki-medi-svoimi-rukami

How to make soldering flux at home

How to make soldering flux at home

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To prepare soldering flux from soap, we will need. Plant-based “Duru” soap, acid (I used hydrochloric acid, or acetic acid) and rosin.

If you use soap based on animal fats, then when soldering, the flux will smell very unpleasant. Soldering flux, made from plant-based soap, does not smell when soldering. The only smell you will smell is the aroma of the soap used and the rosin.

Preparing flux for soldering

Preparing flux for soldering

This soldering flux recipe is quite competitive with sold fluxes. But of course, it’s up to you to decide what’s better, buy or make it yourself.

Required components for soldering flux

Required components for soldering flux

So let's get started, we need.

Obtaining stearin

Obtaining stearin

I took 3 pieces of soap (you can take a half or a quarter of a piece of soap for testing), and grated it on a coarse grater.

Next, I added hot (no matter) water to the soap and put it on the stove to warm up. Stir occasionally as it heats up. As soon as the soap dissolved, I turned off the gas stove.

In order not to spoil the pan with hydrochloric acid, I poured the soap solution into a plastic basin (if you use table vinegar, you do not need to pour it).

I poured about half of this product containing hydrochloric acid into a hot soapy solution. The solution began to coagulate, and flakes of stearin began to float on the surface.

At this stage, you need to check the presence of acid in the solution; to do this, add baking soda to the container at the tip of the knife. The acid should react with the soda in the form of a hiss. If there is no reaction, then you need to add more acid.

Remember, this is important, the acid content in the solution must be in excess.

If there is no fizz, then the reaction will not be complete and the yield of the finished product will not be complete (you need to pour soda into the solution itself, clearing the way to it by stirring with a stick, and not just on top of the stearin, I think this is clear).

I let the solution stand for 20 minutes and put it in water (in the bath) to cool. As soon as it cooled down to room temperature, I took it out onto the balcony for the convenience of further separating the solution from the resulting one (it was +1 degree outside). In the summer, you can limit yourself only to cooling in cold water.

Stearin purification

Source: https://homius.ru/kak-pajat-med.html

Flux for soldering copper with a torch


Dear readers, today we will talk about the construction of a copper pipeline. During the installation process, reliable connection of the elements that make up the structure is important. Capillary soldering is considered one of the simplest and most reliable methods of connecting pipes. This installation method requires the appropriate tools - a special soldering iron or torch for soldering copper pipes.

Rules, features and methods of soldering copper pipes

Pipe soldering is the joining of pipeline elements by adding molten solder. After the solder hardens, the connection becomes inseparable; the cooled solder firmly fixes the soldered elements.

It is important to remember that the melting temperature of the solder must be lower than the melting temperature of the parts being joined. This soldering method ensures uniform distribution of solder throughout the joint.

Copper pipes are soldered in two ways:

  1. The low-temperature method is used when installing household pipelines. In this case, both hard solder, which is heated to a temperature of at least 450 degrees, and soft solder, heated to 400 degrees, can be used.
  2. The high-temperature method is used for the installation of more serious pipelines that are subject to heavy loads. When connecting using this method, the solder is heated to a temperature of 600-900C.

What is needed for soldering

To make a capillary connection of copper pipes, you will need the following tools and materials:

  • tools for pre-processing of joined elements;
  • flux and solder;
  • special fum tape;
  • threading tools and ferrules;

Types of solders

There are two types of solders - hard and soft. Soft solder is a wire made of metals and alloys with a low melting point (tin, lead, silver, etc.). The diameter of such solder is no more than 3 mm.

Brazing alloys are made from refractory metals and have a larger diameter.

A connection made using hard solder can withstand heavy loads.

Flux and soldering paste

To ensure reliable connection, flux or paste is used. This substance prevents foreign elements from entering the joint, and the seam is reliable and without pores. Flux is based on boric or hydrochloric acid, zinc chloride. In order to create a protective film at the joint, resins, rosin, and wax are used.

Soldering fluxes are divided into liquid, solid and special pastes. The ready-made mixture is more expensive than other materials, but it is also much more convenient to work with.

Fitting

Fittings are special parts that are installed at the junction of workpieces of different diameters, connecting several pipes at one point, or when switching to another pipeline material.

During installation, fittings made of the same material as the pipes are used.

If you have to use fittings made of a different material, it is important that the coefficient of thermal expansion and other technical parameters of the material of the pipes and fittings match.

Tools

To solder a copper pipeline you will need:

  1. pipe cutter;
  2. chamfer;
  3. pipe expander;
  4. brushes, pipe cleaners, sponges.

Types of burners

The equipment presented on the construction market is divided into several types.

Burners with stationary and disposable cylinders

Such devices are equipped with disposable gas cylinders with propane, acetylene, etc. The advantages of using this type of equipment include mobility, ease of operation, and safety.

The only drawback of burners with disposable cylinders is that the cylinder must be changed every time after use.

You can use such a tool both when installing plumbing and heating systems.

Hand torches

The advantages of such equipment include, first of all, compactness. Using a hand soldering iron, it is convenient to assemble a pipeline in a small room and solder pipes in the most inaccessible places.

The hand torch operates on a disposable flammable gas cylinder. The tool is equipped with a flame length regulator; the kit usually includes nozzles of different diameters. The tool does not require connection to an electrical outlet. If you follow all operating rules, the connection is reliable and durable. Hand tools can easily cope with the installation of air conditioning systems and other household communications.

Professional burners

Equipment classified as professional is capable of working with particularly refractory solder. It is used when installing structures at industrial facilities where the pipeline is subjected to significant loads.

The advantage of industrial burners is the high flame temperature.

The large weight and dimensions will not allow you to work in a cramped apartment. It is not advisable to purchase such devices for domestic and personal use - household communications do not require such a quality connection, and the cost of the device is higher than that of other types.

Homemade burners

Sometimes craftsmen use devices assembled with their own hands. They differ in their characteristics and belong to both manual and stationary types. Homemade burners consist of the same basic elements as purchased ones. However, it is not recommended to use such devices, as there is no guarantee of operational safety. And in terms of performance characteristics, they are usually inferior to factory equipment.

How to choose a burner

When choosing equipment, the main attention should be paid to the class and performance characteristics.

If you buy a torch only for soldering household pipelines, you can get by with a manual or semi-professional device. Such a device is cheaper than a professional burner and will cope with the tasks. To install communications subject to high loads, you will need to use hard solders, so you will have to purchase professional equipment.

The most popular models and manufacturers

The construction market today offers a large number of devices from various manufacturers. Domestic gas burners are popular: Profi-Tools; Allgas; Donmet. Foreign manufacturers also enjoy a good reputation: Rothenberger; Kemper; Virax; Rems; Uniweld.

Most companies offer burners of different classes - from hand-held mobile devices to professional powerful devices. A semi-professional propane burner costs from 1.5 to 10 thousand rubles. Professional units will cost more – the minimum cost is 20 thousand rubles.

Soldering process

Before proceeding directly to joining the cut pieces, they must be pre-processed. First, the joint is cleaned, minor defects and burrs are eliminated. After this, the surfaces of the connected pipes are treated with brushes and cleaners from the outside and inside. Do not use abrasive tools, otherwise scratches will occur.

If required, one tube is expanded. The diameter of the copper pipes must be such that one piece fits freely into the other. Before this, it must be heated, otherwise mechanical damage will occur, which will subsequently affect the tightness of the connection.

To protect against air getting into the seam and for better adhesion, flux or paste is applied to the surface.

Only after completing the preparatory work should you start heating the solder and pipes using a torch. Heating must be done evenly to prevent overheating.

After the pipes have heated up, solder wire is introduced into the gap between them. It melts and fills the gap at the junction of the pipes, forming a seam. After cooling, the flux is removed.

Safety precautions

To avoid injuries and other unpleasant consequences, it is important to comply with safety requirements: install and repair pipelines only with protective gloves and goggles, in work overalls, do not allow the burner flame to come into contact with unprotected skin, do not allow the heated metal to touch unprotected skin, do not work with open fire near flammable materials.

After soldering is completed, the gas supply must stop.

Basic mistakes

The process of soldering copper pipes is not particularly complicated, however, beginners often make mistakes that subsequently affect the quality of the connection. Common mistakes made by beginners:

  • insufficient pre-treatment of the soldering site;
  • pressing - failure to maintain a sufficient gap between the pipes, resulting in an uneven seam;
  • using the wrong solder;
  • overheating of pipes, which leads to deterioration in performance;
  • insufficiently thorough cleaning of flux after soldering, which causes corrosion.

In addition, it is required to follow a pre-prepared design diagram.

process

For a clearer understanding of the installation process, watch the video here:

Subscribe to new articles - there is a lot of interesting things ahead!

Source: https://rem-serv.com/flyus-dlya-payki-medi-gorelkoy/

Do-it-yourself copper brazing

Welding copper is not the most justified technological solution. Having specific characteristics, the metal, when heated, tends to form a compound with oxygen and hydrogen, which is commonly called cuprous oxide.

Saturation of the weld zone with hydrogen leads to the appearance of a significant number of cracks and a decrease in the quality of the joint. Taking into account the above, it is not surprising that it is often more convenient to connect capricious materials by soldering.

This process does not require complex equipment and soldering copper with your own hands at home is possible in the same way as in production. The main thing is to choose the right tool, purchase the right materials and gain experience.

Depends on the task

The choice of tools and materials used primarily depends on the work being performed.

  • It’s one thing if we are talking about soldering wires or electronic circuits. Little energy is spent on heating them, and the connection area is limited. Here it is quite possible to get by with an electric soldering iron, ordinary tin-lead solder and rosin as a flux.
  • Other problems have to be solved by connecting parts of significant thickness and mass. They absorb a significant amount of heat and, due to their high thermal conductivity, quickly cool, releasing heat into the atmosphere. Gas burners or blowtorches, as well as fluxes that are more efficient than traditional rosin, help solve the problem.

Before you begin selecting equipment and materials, you should decide on the nature of the upcoming task and its volume.

Classic example

Let's consider an option that can be considered classic. Elastic, with high corrosion resistance and even bactericidal properties, copper is well suited for the manufacture of pipes. Such pipes are the optimal choice for water supply equipment, use in the food industry, as well as in various hydraulic systems. You can make new parts or restore damaged parts using soldering.

If we are talking about products of significant size, let’s put the electric soldering iron, the temperature of which reaches a maximum of 500 degrees Celsius, aside and proceed to choosing a gas burner, since blowtorches are less convenient for work. The following criteria should be taken into account:

  • Flame temperature. If for a home workshop you can limit yourself to purchasing a device in which this parameter reaches 1000 - 1500 degrees, then a professional needs the temperature to reach 2000 degrees. This will allow you to work with large parts and use refractory solders and fluxes.
  • Flame shape and size. For point work, it is important that it has a pencil shape and is as compact as possible. But for soldering large volumes of copper, a wide swirl flame is used. It is convenient when a gas burner has several replaceable nozzles and an adjustment system that allows for precise adjustments.
  • Convenience. Devices mounted on portable gas cylinders are also suitable for home use. But in production it is better to use burners connected to large gas cylinders using a hose. They are more convenient to use and designed for long-term use.

The burner must be supplied with a bracket for securing replacement blades and a set of blades of various sizes and cross-sections. Some people try to make a burner with their own hands. But this requires special knowledge and accurate calculations. It is much easier to buy a ready-made tool.

If solder, what kind?

Having decided on the tool, we proceed to the choice of solder. First of all, you should make sure that the material corresponds to a certain temperature regime. According to their characteristics, solders are conventionally divided into three groups.

  • Low temperature. They should be preferred if the soldering iron or torch is unable to provide good heating. However, the strength of the connection in this case will not be too high. This option is not suitable for parts operating under heavy loads.
  • Medium temperature. If the soldering torch has sufficient power, using such material it will be possible to create a durable seam with acceptable performance properties. But, for a number of reasons, such compositions are not widely used.
  • High temperature. As a rule, when using them, the highest joint strength is achieved. It should be remembered that not all copper alloys can withstand significant heat. Everything will depend on the compounds included in their composition. But if you want the resulting seam to withstand high loads, you will have to choose this option.

But it’s not just the melting point that distinguishes one solder from another. Their chemical composition is no less important. Brazing of copper is the most common method. In the course of this work, mixtures prepared according to various recipes are used. They are divided into several main categories.

  • Tin-copper and silver-copper. These are fairly easy-to-use low-temperature solders.
  • Copper-phosphorus. These high-temperature solders are convenient because, if necessary, they can be used without fluxes. But at low temperatures its mechanical properties deteriorate and, as a result, the strength of the connecting seam decreases.
  • Copper-silver-zinc. They also have high refractoriness. Their advantages include good ductility and high corrosion resistance.
  • High-temperature silver solders have good mechanical properties, however, flux is required for their use. An important disadvantage is the high cost of the material.

With the abundance of offers on the market, making solder yourself is not very justified.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ck-F5251tQ

For the manufacture of water pipes and products in contact with food, it is unacceptable to use compounds containing lead. The reason is obvious - lead is poisonous. A separate problem is soldering stainless steel with copper. But this can also be solved by choosing the right solder and flux.

Flux solves a lot

The best fluxes for soldering copper should be considered active compounds, such as ZIL-2 or F-38N. Phosphoric acid or solder fat work well. Even taking into account the high corrosion resistance of the metal, the joints must be thoroughly washed after completion of work. The reliability of the connection with stainless steels or aluminum alloys also depends on the choice of flux for soldering.

Clear actions

During the soldering process, it is imperative to follow a clear sequence of operations.

  • The metal surface is cleaned of dirt and oxides, and then degreased. To do this, metal brushes, various abrasives and solvents are used. Alternatively, alcohol.
  • The details are carefully recorded. If we are talking about soldering pipes, it is recommended to fix them using special clamps. This is important not only when making butt joints, but also when pipes are inserted into one another.
  • The metal warms up properly. Only after this, if necessary, is flux applied to its surface. The easiest way to do this is with a brush.
  • It is impossible to distribute pre-crushed solder over the surface of pipes. Therefore, it should be applied gradually, increasing the mass and evenly distributing the composition over the surface of the part. You should ensure that the material does not stick to the tip by cleaning the tool in a timely manner. Care must be taken to ensure that there are no gaps left and that the seam is sealed.

Pipes or other copper parts connected in this way will be able to withstand significant loads and will last a long time.

Why do you need solder paste?

As for the use of soldering paste, this material is characterized by a low melting point. It is used, as a rule, in radio electronics. The resulting connections cannot boast of high strength, but have good electrical conductivity. Since the paste already contains both flux and solder, it can be used to quickly perform a large number of small solderings using a regular electric soldering iron.

The main thing is patience

If you are planning to master soldering copper with your own hands, you should be patient. This technology requires experience and skill, which does not come immediately. Failed first attempts are not a reason to be upset. Practice, and the moment when you succeed will definitely come.

Source: https://svarkalegko.com/tehonology/pajka-medi.html

Flux for soldering copper pipes: what types are there, features and properties, how to use

When welding metals (and when soldering copper pipes), flux is used - a material produced in the form of pastes, powders or granules.

It is needed to protect parts from oxidation and slag, and to isolate the weld seam from air oxygen.

Such properties of the flux significantly increase the ductility and strength of the finished product, which has a positive effect on the quality of the latter. This article is devoted to welding copper pipes using fluxes.

In a nutshell about copper pipes

Copper pipes are a material known for its durability and reliability. Therefore, they are widely used in the installation of heating communications and water supply, as well as gas pipes, regardless of their price.

Copper pipes are often used in private construction.

In addition to reliability and durability, copper pipes have other advantages: immunity to corrosion and precipitation, resistance to elevated temperatures.

The average service life of copper pipes is about 50 years. However, to work with copper pipes, experience in welding is required.

Copper pipes are connected by soldering, which can be carried out in two temperature conditions: at low and at high temperatures. The choice of soldering temperature is based on the purpose of the welding work.

For example, for soldering connections that require special reliability, such as gas pipes, it is recommended to carry out the welding process at higher temperatures than usual and using flux.

This will avoid gas leakage due to the formation of a particularly strong seam. For all other types of work, low-temperature soldering can be used.

Flux during soldering

Experienced welders who have worked in production for many years, of course, can do without the compounds in question.

However, if you are a second-class specialist or are just starting to use a welding machine, flux is your faithful friend, because its use simplifies the process and improves the quality of the resulting products.

Judge for yourself: even if you don’t have much experience, submerged arc soldering guarantees a much better result than arc welding.

This is due to the fact that in the first case the seams are reliable and even, and the work itself takes much less of your time.

In addition, the soldering technique under consideration ensures deeper melting of the part due to the choice of current with increased density.

True, in this case the temperature of action on the electrode also increases, as a result of which it may lose part of the coating, but this is not at all a cause for concern.

Moreover, the use of a special composition during soldering will help to avoid the appearance of pores and, subsequently, foreign bodies at the weld site, because when soldering with a submerged arc torch, pores in principle are not formed.

Let's look at some important features of flux. Those who decide to use such compounds in their practice need to know them.

For example, inexperienced craftsmen form an oxide film on the outside of the product, the thickness of which sometimes exceeds 1 mm. To avoid such a process, it is recommended:

  • Closely monitor the temperature. It is very important to maintain the soldering temperatures of solder and pipes at the same level. This temperature regime allows you to prevent critical situations, because in this case you can determine the degree of overheating by eye.
  • Use high-quality flux from recommended manufacturers. A composition made without observing quality standards will only interfere with work, because a poorly prepared substance can worsen the condition of the resulting seam.

How to choose flux

To buy a high-quality soldering flux, the use of which guarantees a reliable connection of copper pipes, it is recommended to adhere to the following criteria:

  • The viscosity of the solder must be greater than the viscosity of the flux itself.
  • The consistency of the mixture (paste, powder or liquid) does not affect the quality of welding. You can choose the composition in any form, the main thing is that when applied to the metal surface it is distributed without lumps, evenly covering the entire available area.
  • High-quality material dissolves the oxide film as it forms during welding. In addition, it protects the product from re-oxidation. In order to determine the quality of the flux, you can use it immediately before welding on unnecessary copper parts.
  • A composition of poor quality may be destroyed during operation. This indicates that such material needs to be replaced, because high-quality flux does not lose its properties even during high-temperature welding.
  • A weld seam using a high-quality composition most often comes out smooth and neat.
  • When using high-quality flux, all dirt remaining after soldering copper can be easily removed from the product.
  • Using high-quality material, both vertical and horizontal seams are obtained.

If the substance you choose meets all the specified points, it is suitable for soldering and guarantees a good result.

In addition, after soldering, you don’t have to worry about the cleanliness of the welding surfaces, because the high-quality composition can be removed without a trace with a regular solvent.

Some types of flux for soldering copper pipes

In the 21st century, the range offered by flux manufacturers for copper soldering is simply huge. Previously, there was no such variety in choice; only a fairly limited set was available to the average person.

However, now manufacturers are constantly changing the composition of the mixture, which is why the quantity of goods offered is also increasing. In all this diversity, the most commonly purchased and used types of materials are:

Fluxes containing rosin

These materials are economical and therefore very popular. Such mixtures are easy to prepare, as they require a minimum set of ingredients: sodium salts and the already mentioned rosin.

It is believed that a similar composition can be made at home. It will be practically no different from the usual one produced at the factory, and the price will be cheaper.

However, its preparation will take some time. Those who value their time can purchase a rosin-based composition in a specialized store.

The disadvantages of such mixtures include the need for increased attention to the temperature conditions during soldering.

This is due to the properties of rosin: when critically high temperatures are reached, this material can become charred, which spoils all the work done.

Fluxes containing salicylate

These mixtures also contain few ingredients, which makes them accessible for making at home. To prepare, you need to crush acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) tablets.

The resulting powder is mixed with special petroleum jelly (an alternative is ethyl alcohol). This mixture can be used when soldering small parts and equipment.

The use of this type of composition on copper pipes is not recommended. The factory version is more suitable for this. This material is quite in demand among novice craftsmen, because it guarantees a neat and even seam.

Anti-corrosion fluxes

They consist of a large number of different components, so it is hardly possible to make them at home.

Such mixtures, as the name suggests, have protective properties, protecting the weld from early rusting and oxidation, while removing unnecessary moisture from the soldering area.

As already mentioned, fluxes are commercially available in various forms: liquids, pastes and powders. The consistency of the composition has no influence on the result of welding work, so the choice of shape is based on the tastes of each master.

Some people find it more convenient to work with a paste-like material that remains on the surface of copper pipes without spreading, while others, on the contrary, like a liquid composition.

It is believed that flux, which has the consistency of a powder, is the least convenient for beginners, since its use takes longer than the use of other forms, and also requires a certain skill.

Liquid mixtures, which are sold and stored in bottles, are usually cheaper than others, but paste mixtures are considered the most expensive. The liquid composition requires the simultaneous use of solder.

The mixture in the form of a paste simplifies and speeds up the soldering work, since it is most convenient to apply. In addition, the weld strength when using paste material is the highest.

Therefore, novice craftsmen can be recommended to use paste mixtures for welding copper pipes. Such compositions represent options that are optimal in terms of convenience and price-quality ratio.

P.S

A few tips for those who decide to use flux when welding (soldering) copper pipes:

  • Buy several formulations of different types and forms and try them to determine which one is best for your operation.
  • Don't chase low prices and choose products from manufacturers you trust.
  • You can ask advice from masters with experience (for example, in the comments under this post).

We wish you good luck in choosing and using flux for soldering copper pipes!

Source: https://prosvarku.info/tehnika-svarki/flyus-dlya-pajki-mednyh-trub

Improvised means as flux for soldering

Fluxes are substances of organic or inorganic composition used in soldering metals. Their purpose is to reduce the surface tension forces of the molten solder and ensure better uniform spreading.

In addition, the flux protects the soldering surface from exposure to oxygen, and thereby prevents oxidation. In many cases, homemade flux can replace liquid or powder prepared in production. You just need to know what materials to use for it.

Main types

Fluxes are active (acidic) and passive (acid-free).

The former actively influence the top layer of metal during the soldering process, partially changing its chemical structure, the latter simply wash away oxides from the surface and create a thin film that prevents the access of oxygen.

After use, active fluxes must be washed off from the surfaces of brazed parts, as residual substances can cause corrosion. You can wash it off with water with a little added alkali.

Soldering acid, rosin, solder fat, and flux pastes are used as fluxes. The quality of soldering of various metals depends on the type of material and its characteristics.

After all, for each specific case, ideally, you need to select the most suitable composition.

The flux can be included in the solder paste or sealed into a hollow solder tube to improve soldering ease.

There are many ready-made soldering fluxes available in solid, liquid and gel form. If you urgently need to carry out soldering work, but there are no consumables at hand, you can prepare such a composition yourself, using improvised means.

Of course, a homemade, hastily prepared flux will be inferior in quality and characteristics to that produced in a factory, but it will be able to ensure high-quality soldering.

Aspirin and citric acid

To make flux, you can use any substances that have good solvent and antioxidant properties.

It can be:

  • alcohols;
  • acids;
  • vegetable and animal oils.

The simplest flux is prepared by dissolving a tablet or powder of acetylsalicylic acid in water. Acetylsalicylic acid is in the medicine cabinet in almost every home (this is the most common cheap aspirin). It is necessary to dissolve the tablets or powder until the sediment disappears.

Citric acid powder (white granules) is also used.

There are tips to use lemon juice, but it is quite weak, so the effect of its use will be subtle.

When soldering with aspirin or lemon juice, a lot of gas is released, so the room in which they are worked must be equipped with an exhaust hood or well ventilated.

Alcohol, glycerin, rosin

You can get a good alcohol-rosin flux by dissolving rosin in ethyl alcohol. First you need to crush the rosin in a mortar as finely as possible.

Rosin dissolves very slowly in alcohol, and the speed of flux preparation will depend on its thorough grinding. After mixing the alcohol with rosin, it is better to leave the future flux for several hours to complete the dissolution.

You can speed up the process by placing the solution in a sealable glass container and heating it to 80 ℃ in a water bath. Alcohol rosin flux is completely neutral and does not even require rinsing after soldering.

Ethyl alcohol can be successfully replaced with glycerin. This glycerin flux will be thicker than alcohol rosin and will be more convenient to use. In this case, the dissolution of rosin will slow down.

It will be much more effective to first dissolve it in alcohol and then mix it with glycerin. In this case, the activity of the composition will significantly increase, but you will have to wash off the residue from the soldered workpieces.

It’s even possible to make rosin yourself, although it will take time. It is necessary to collect resin from pine trunks in warm, dry weather and melt it.

Can be used for soldering as a flux or its component, rosin for bowed string instruments. It is of very high quality and well cleaned. But its price is much higher than that of soldering rosin.

Hydrochloric and phosphoric acid

A very effective flux is obtained by dissolving zinc granules in hydrochloric acid. To do this, concentrated acid must be diluted in equal parts with water and the granules placed in a glass container should be poured with this solution. For complete dissolution, zinc will be required at the rate of 412 g per 1 liter of hydrochloric acid.

The dissolution process will be accompanied by a rapid release of hydrogen from the acid, so it is better to prepare in rooms with very good ventilation and away from open fire.

Using flux obtained from hydrochloric acid, steel workpieces are successfully soldered. If you add ammonia to the solution (the same amount as zinc), then this composition can be used when soldering absolutely any metals and alloys.

A good flux is phosphoric acid. It is used when soldering nichrome and stainless steel.

Liquid fluxes are best applied with a thin brush, and should be stored in a tightly sealed glass container with a narrow neck.

Application of fat

Soldering flux can be made from fat with a fairly high melting point. Then at room temperature it will not soften on its own, which will make it easier to work with.

To obtain such a flux, the fat must be melted and mixed with crushed rosin and ammonia in a certain proportion. For three parts of fat by volume you will need the same amount of ammonia and one part of rosin.

For ease of use, the finished flux can be placed in the body of a medical disposable syringe and, if necessary, squeeze out the required amount.

If you are not sure whether a homemade flux is suitable for soldering a part, then you can do a little research. It is necessary to distribute the prepared substance over the surface of a piece of the same metal that is to be soldered.

If, when heated, the flux is evenly distributed over the surface, then it is considered suitable for soldering. If it collects in balls and flows down, then it will be able to provide satisfactory wettability of the part.

The ability to dissolve the oxide film on the metal surface is checked by washing off the applied flux. If the surface remains clean after washing, then the flux dissolves oxides well. On the contrary, if traces of an oxide film or rust remain, then soldering with this flux cannot be performed.

Source: https://svaring.com/soldering/flus/izgotovlenie-svoimi-rukami

Good flux for soldering:

Soldering flux is an auxiliary substance, the use of which helps clean the surfaces of metal elements being joined from oxidation. When resorting to soldering without the use of flux, you should not count on high-quality work and reliable fastening of the necessary parts. Therefore, before you begin joining parts using a soldering iron, you need to select a good, high-quality flux.

Purpose

Fluxes are used primarily to remove all kinds of contaminants from the surface of the metal. Moreover, when soldering joints, they protect the heated solder from oxidation. This, in turn, promotes the spreadability of solder and, accordingly, improves the quality of soldering.

A good flux for soldering can only be selected based on the nature of the metal joints and the alloy of the solder. Residues of any fluxes, regardless of their type, must be removed from the joints after completing the work, since they themselves contaminate the metal and can lead to the development of corrosion processes.

Types of fluxes for soldering

Conventionally, fluxes are divided into two main categories - oxidizing and reducing. Also, depending on the need to perform certain tasks, fluxes are used for metal smelting, welding, electrolysis, growing single crystals, soldering non-ferrous and jewelry alloys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1mQng5Okk8

In general, according to the effect that is exerted on the metal during soldering, the following fluxes are distinguished:

  • active (acidic);
  • acid-free;
  • anti-corrosion;
  • activated;
  • protective.

Active fluxes

This soldering flux often contains hydrochloric acid, fluoride and chloride metals. The action of active fluxes involves the active dissolution of oxide films on the surface of metal parts. Thanks to these properties, maximum mechanical strength of the resulting joints is ensured.

Despite their wide distribution, active fluxes are not suitable for use in the installation and soldering of electrical equipment, because their residues quickly corrode the joint of parts.

Acid-free fluxes

Acid-free soldering flux, commonly known as rosin, is a substance made from alcohol, glycerin and turpentine. When the soldering iron is heated to a temperature of more than 150 °C, the use of such a flux makes it possible to dissolve the oxides of lead, copper, and tin, reliably cleaning the metal surfaces.

The main advantage of flux in the form of rosin is the absence of the effect of separation of the joined surfaces during soldering. This flux is widely used for soldering copper, bronze, and brass.

Activated fluxes

This type of flux is prepared on the basis of phosphoric or hydrochloric acid aniline, diethylamine or salicylic acid. This option is suitable for soldering a wide range of metals and alloys, such as iron, copper, steel, nickel, zinc, silver, as well as copper parts without the need for pre-cleaning.

Anti-corrosion fluxes

Based on the definition itself, it is easy to guess that anti-corrosion flux is used for soldering most often when it is necessary to connect parts that are potentially susceptible to the development of corrosion processes.

The composition of soldering flux with anti-corrosion properties includes the use of technical petroleum jelly, salicylic acid, triethanolamine and ethyl alcohol. Despite its main purpose, this type of flux requires careful removal of its residues upon completion of soldering by wiping the parts with acetone or alcohol.

Protective fluxes

Since there is no destructive chemical effect on metals during use, protective flux can be used for soldering microcircuits. Like most other types of fluxes, such substances protect previously cleaned metal surfaces from oxidation. The category of protective fluxes primarily includes petroleum jelly, wax, powdered sugar, olive oil, and other substances with weak chemical activity.

Storage

The most common alcohol-based fluxes usually have a liquid consistency. Therefore, they need to be stored in a carefully sealed, airtight container. Otherwise, there is a loss of their basic properties and even complete evaporation.

Soldering flux paste also needs to be stored in a closed container. The optimal conditions for such flux are a room with a low level. Despite the fact that the paste does not absorb moisture from the environment, there is a danger of moisture condensation on the walls of the container and surfaces located nearby.

It is recommended to store flux gel for soldering away from flammable substances, objects and sources of open flame, since most fluxes in this category are highly flammable. In this case, the storage temperature should be no lower than 10 and no more than 25 degrees Celsius.

Application of flux

When soldering, the joints are thoroughly cleaned, coated with flux and heated with a soldering iron. At the point of application, the flux begins to foam and smoke. At this moment, a small amount of solder must be applied to the tip of the soldering iron, which will subsequently cover the surfaces to be connected.

It’s probably not worth talking about the properties and advantages of using fluxes for soldering once again. You just need to take a soldering iron and try to connect the parts without flux. In this case, the soldering process will be truly lengthy, and the result will be frankly of poor quality, since the solder will be too unreliably fixed to the surface being soldered.

How to prepare flux for soldering yourself?

The simplest option for making your own flux is to use a rosin-alcohol base. To begin with, rosin powder is poured into the container, after which it is filled with an alcohol solution. After some time, the alcohol will evaporate and the flux will acquire a moderately thick consistency, convenient for applying the substance to metal parts during soldering.

As a self-prepared flux, which is suitable for tinning steel and copper surfaces, you can use acetylsalicylic acid dissolved in a small amount of water, acetone or alcohol. It is convenient to store such liquid flux in a varnish container, using a lid with a brush when applying.

How to choose the right flux?

According to avid radio amateurs who are well versed in soldering, choosing the right flux is an almost 100% guarantee of successful completion of the job. Here you should first of all focus on the material of the parts being connected, as well as the nature of the soldering.

For soldering radio components, copper parts and wires, it is advisable to use inactive fluxes based on rosin. Such fluxes are a modified version of ordinary rosin as a result of the addition of a number of components known as activators.

Inactive fluxes have improved antioxidant properties. Due to their paste or liquid state, such fluxes can be applied directly to circuit boards or soldering joints of metal joints. This flux is ideal for soldering aluminum. Additionally, it is worth noting their wide availability and relatively low cost.

As for medium-active fluxes, it is advisable to use them for soldering the most delicate contacts, for example, when repairing mobile phones and other modern portable devices. Suitable for this purpose are fluxes that do not foam or boil during operation, have minimal corrosion, and are also easy to apply to boards.

Often, medium-active fluxes are used by service center technicians for the repair of digital mobile devices. They are usually used for soldering the smallest microcircuits. Moreover, they are suitable for use not only with lead, but also with lead-free solders.

The most versatile are gel fluxes. They can be used for almost any type of soldering. Gel-like flux is especially effective for soldering aluminum, copper, and other common materials using lead solders.

Finally

The correct selection of suitable consumables when performing soldering is a guarantee of quality work done. In addition to choosing a good flux, you need to select a solder that matches the nature of the soldering, a hair dryer attachment, a soldering iron tip, and other things.

Even if you use the most advanced soldering stations in your work, if you have the wrong flux, solder or tip, you can end up getting a completely different result than you expected.

Enough water has flown under the bridge since then, when specialists actively used classic soldering irons with a power of up to 60 W with a homemade copper tip turned by a file, as well as ordinary rosin as a flux.

Currently, the use of such material and technical base is extremely ineffective.

Source: https://www.syl.ru/article/183923/new_horoshiy-flyus-dlya-payki

DIY soldering with flux for aluminum

Quite often you can hear the opinion that aluminum alloys and aluminum itself are quite difficult to solder. However, this opinion will be valid only if the same fluxes and solders are used for it as for copper, steel and a number of other materials. Today you can find special materials on sale that were developed directly for soldering aluminum. As a result, it became as possible to solder it as copper.

The difficulty of soldering aluminum when using standard solders and fluxes lies in a number of chemical and physical properties of such a material. First of all, it should be noted that on the surface of this metal there is always a fairly strong oxide film, which is also capable of well resisting the effects of a wide variety of chemical compounds.

The oxide film prevents solder from contacting the metal surface directly. To overcome it, they resort to one of 2 methods:

  1. Mechanical processing , due to which the film is removed from the surface of the wire, after which it can begin to be soldered.
  2. The use of strong fluxes , which simply dissolve it and expose the surface of pure metal.

The difficulty when soldering aluminum also lies in the fact that this metal has a low melting point, which is only 660 degrees. The strength of the wire when heated to 250-300 degrees becomes significantly lower, which is why it becomes unstable.

Soldering temperature should be between 500 and 640 degrees. This is not too long an interval, especially if you plan to use high-temperature soldering, where there is a very high probability of overheating of the material, after which the wire melts.

Unlike almost all metals used in low-melting solders:

  • lead;
  • cadmium;
  • bismuth;
  • antimony, etc., aluminum has the characteristic of low mutual solubility. This leads to the fact that the strength of the joints obtained as a result of soldering leaves much to be desired.

What to use?

The choice of flux for aluminum depends on a number of important factors. In particular, the most popular is the so-called binary flux, which is a solution of concentrated phosphoric acid.

It has a large number of positive aspects:

  1. This composition is no-clean , that is, it will not require additional washing after completion of soldering work.
  2. It acts very quickly , so you can start soldering almost immediately after applying it to the surface of the wire.
  3. The substance is universal , therefore it is suitable for a number of other metals, in particular steel or copper.

To make aluminum soldering as good as possible, you need to use solders that contain aluminum, silver, silicon, zinc and copper. You can find consumables on sale that contain all these materials.

When choosing solder, take into account that the connection will have the highest ability to resist corrosion processes if the solder contains a large amount of zinc.

It is quite acceptable to use solders made on the basis of lead and tin for soldering aluminum , but here it will be impossible to do without either mechanical stripping of the material or without the use of reliable fluxes. It is not recommended to use this type of solder as aluminum will not bond to it reliably. Another negative point is the susceptibility of the connection to corrosion.

To solder aluminum, you should purchase only high-temperature solders, without which it will be quite problematic to achieve a high-quality connection of wires.

In addition to solder and flux, you will need a soldering iron. The width of the tip here will directly depend on how large the cross-section of the wire is - the higher it is, the wider the tip should be selected. It is worth noting that soldering irons with unregulated heating temperatures are now gradually becoming a thing of the past.

They are being replaced by so-called soldering stations. These products are good because they have a temperature regulator for heating the soldering iron tip, as well as a whole set of these replacement tips. When working with a material such as aluminum, this is a very useful point. On the display you can set the required temperature to the nearest degree and get to work.

How to solder?

Before proceeding with direct soldering, it is necessary to properly prepare the surface of the wires. First, the surface must be degreased. This is achieved by treating the soldering area with acetone, gasoline or another type of solvent.

If there is no flux on hand, it is necessary to mechanically remove the oxide film from the surface of the wire. This is done using sandpaper, a steel brush, etching fluid, and so on.

It must be remembered that it will not be possible to remove the abrasive film by mechanical means, since a new, albeit thinner, oxide film immediately forms on the metal surface due to contact with air. Flux is much better in this regard, as it removes all the oxide film and prevents air from penetrating the metal.

When the oxide is removed, the wires are fixed, heated with a soldering iron and solder is applied to the heated area.

Blitz tips

  1. If it is not possible to prepare everything you need , you can take rosin as a flux and remove the oxide film from the surface of the aluminum under the molten rosin. In this case, the soldering iron will be used not only for its intended purpose, but also as a tool capable of removing the oxide layer.
  2. without the use of special materials , especially since the quality of such products will not be very high, and therefore it is best to use specialized tools for soldering this metal.

Source: https://housetronic.ru/electro/pajka-alyuminiya-flusom.html

Flux for soldering copper pipes

Few people know what soldering flux means. Flux is a substance consisting of chemical elements that helps solder better fill the joint space.

In addition, one of the functions of flux is to clean a metal product from dirt and products of the oxidation process, such as boric and hydrochloric acid. In addition, it forms a layer of protective film against air oxygen .

It is taking these features into account that it is necessary to correctly select the types of metal products that need to be connected and the substances that will fill the connecting gap, and also keep the temperature heater parameters under control.

Types of flux

  1. The first type of chemical assistant includes substances that do an excellent job of preventing corrosive formations. This connecting substance consists mainly of substances that dissolve the liquid and an element such as phosphorus. As a result of their mutual work, an integral connecting substance is formed.

    When using this type, there is no need to use substances that are designed to clean after the soldering process. It is very profitable and not at all troublesome.

  2. The second type of flux can be classified as a substance consisting of salicylic acid, which is perfectly soluble in organic solvents. In addition to this component of the connecting substance, Vaseline, alcohol and gold derivatives can also serve as a base.

    If you use this type of flux, you can achieve excellent results with your seams; in addition to cleanliness, they will acquire a neat appearance.

  3. The third type of soft connector includes rosin and sodium salt of boric acid. Sodium salt begins to melt at temperatures above 70 degrees Celsius.

    It is necessary to pay special attention to the fact that this substance and its melting products are absolutely not harmful to human life and health.
    You can create your own connecting substances by mixing all the components into one.

Submerged Copper Soldering

What is the difference between soldering and flux?

First you need to understand its differences from conventional arc soldering. So, compared to welding with hands, the process of soldering with flux becomes more effective. The return level increases by about 4–5 times .

And this is understandable, since electric current passes through the electrode wire only as it extends. Therefore, the use of flux in the welding process of copper makes it possible to use current with increased density.

You don’t even have to worry about the fact that the electrode will be exposed to high temperatures for a long time, which will lead to detachment of the coating material.

Materials for soldering copper pipes

In addition, in the process of using high currents, the melting depth of the metal product increases to quite high levels.
Even because of this, the soldering process can be carried out without cutting the thickened edge. We must pay tribute to the fact that while providing high protection of the metal in the molten state from contact with air flows, metal seams and connections are of high quality.

DIY copper pipe soldering

The minimum amount of foreign inclusions is achieved by the absence of pores in metal seams. There is an explanation for this: the rate of formation of metal crystals increases, since slag formations are present on the coating of the connecting seams.

The disadvantage of using soft connectors is that the metal in the molten state becomes as liquid and fluid as possible.

Before purchasing flux for copper products, pay attention to its special features.
First of all, in order to avoid the formation of a film of oxides, it is necessary to take some measures:

  • Always keep the temperature limits of the soft connector and solder under control to ensure they are the same. When choosing a flux, focus on its performance, depending on the type of solder.
  • In the case when an ideal coincidence of temperature indicators is achieved, the possibility of using it as a device for measuring temperature changes occurring during the soldering process opens up. Therefore, overheating of elements during soldering is impossible.

Today, fluxes are commercially available in dry, paste and liquid form. In most cases, liquid connectors find their way into the liquid solder process.

Flux in dry form is inconvenient to use.
Paste-like flux for copper products is quite convenient, since it does not require delay in its use.

Particular attention should be paid to the quality of the flux in order to obtain a high-quality result of the work done.

Quality can be determined by the following criteria:

  • the surface after soldering is completely covered with it;
  • has a viscous base and high density, which ensures the availability of solder to its destination;
  • protects against film formation and cleans it efficiently;
  • has a homogeneous composition of chemicals;
  • with its help, all seams during the soldering process are visible;
  • using it, it becomes possible to work in a vertical position;
  • easily removed contaminants.

To achieve a high-quality product, you need to get rid of it after the soldering process using solvents intended for this purpose.

Source: https://o-trubah.com/materialy/mednye-truby/fljus-dlja-pajki/

DIY flux for soldering copper

Reading time: 4 minutes

Soldering copper with your own hands is a simple process that even beginners can handle. The post soldering technology is understandable; it does not require many years of experience and professional skills. This is why working with copper is so popular among home craftsmen.

But it is not enough for you to know soldering technology alone to achieve decent quality connections. It is important to know how to use the tool and choose the right flux for copper. Flux improves the strength of the connection, protects the soldering area from external factors and, in general, allows you to obtain connections of the best quality. In this article we will briefly describe how to choose a flux for copper soldering and how to use it in your work.

Types of fluxes

Fluxes are divided according to two characteristics: chemical composition and consistency. Let's start with the chemical composition.

Chemical composition

There are 3 types of fluxes: anti-corrosion with phosphorus, salicylic acid-based fluxes and boric acid-based rosin/flux. Let's look at each type in more detail.

Anti-corrosion fluxes are made from phosphorus and solvents. Such fluxes make it possible to obtain a compound that is resistant to the formation and spread of corrosion. Also, this type of flux does not need to be removed after soldering, which saves time. Anti-corrosion fluxes are acidic.

The second type of acid flux is a flux based on salicylic acid with the addition of technical petroleum jelly. Such fluxes are also called VTS. The resulting connections are neat and aesthetic. The soldering itself is clean; there is no need to further clean the metal. Most often used for electrical installation work.

For soldering work, either ordinary rosin is often used (it is also called natural), or its solutions in alcohol (this includes CE flux, for example).

Rosin can improve the spreading of solder during soldering, distributing it evenly along the junction of two workpieces. Also, molten rosin can dissolve oxides, thereby protecting the soldering area and improving the quality of the connection.

Consistency

Flux for soldering copper is available in liquid, paste and dry form. We recommend using paste fluxes, since they are very convenient to work with when soldering copper pipes. Dry fluxes are absolutely unsuitable for such work, and liquid fluxes do not always achieve the desired result.

Pay attention to the consistency. It should be homogeneous, without lumps or foreign inclusions. If you use low-quality flux in your work, the result of the work done will be unsatisfactory.

Features of application

First of all, decide on the type of soldering work. After all, the technology for soldering copper wires and for soldering copper pipes will be different. We will talk about soldering copper pipes, since flux is required for such work.

Let's start with the tool. You will need a quality soldering iron, a metal knife or pipe cutter, a chamfer, a wire brush, a pipe expander, a hammer and a tape measure. Take the part and cut the pieces to the required size using a pipe cutter or metal knife.

Then clean the edges of the pipe using a wire brush. There should be no traces of dirt, oil, dust, paint, etc. on the metal surface. Take a pipe expander and expand the edge of one of the blanks. This way you can connect one pipe to another.

Now the flux. As we said earlier, it is better to use paste flux. Apply it to the ends of the workpieces in the place of future soldering. Can be applied using a brush or fingers. Insert one pipe into the other. The workpieces must fit tightly together and squeeze out excess flux. Remove them with a rag.

Next, you need to warm up the place of future soldering using a gas burner. Pay close attention to the color of the flux, it will be our indicator. As soon as the flux turns gray or silver, heating should be stopped.

Now you need to bring solder to the soldering area. This can be filler wire or rod. The solder does not need to be heated, since the temperature of the heated workpiece is sufficient to melt the wire. As soon as the rod begins to melt, we need to fill the entire joint with it.

All is ready! Wait for the part to cool completely, then remove any remaining solder and flux from the surface of the pipe, if necessary.

Instead of a conclusion

As you can see, to perform soldering you need basic knowledge, the right and convenient tool, flux and wire for welding copper. This can be copper-plated welding wire or solder containing silver. For example, copper solder with 15 percent silver. As for flux, it is recommended to use a paste-like material, since it is easier and more convenient to work with.

What do you think about this? What flux and filler material do you use? Share your experiences with soldering copper, including copper wires, in the comments below. Any advice or recommendation will be useful for novice welders. We wish you good luck in your work!

Five thousand years ago, minters from Egypt discovered a new type of joining metals using the soldering method. The essence of the method is to create a connection between different metals by filling the seams with solder, which is a molten material with a melting point lower than that of the parts of the product being connected.

Unlike steel, it is more expedient to connect copper parts by soldering rather than welding. This is especially important if you have to work with thin-walled copper pipes, which are widely used in heating, plumbing, gas and refrigeration systems. Even a beginner can handle this kind of work.

Source: https://crast.ru/instrumenty/fljus-dlja-pajki-medi-svoimi-rukami

How to make soldering flux at home

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To prepare soldering flux from soap, we will need. Plant-based “Duru” soap, acid (I used hydrochloric acid, or acetic acid) and rosin.

If you use soap based on animal fats, then when soldering, the flux will smell very unpleasant. Soldering flux, made from plant-based soap, does not smell when soldering. The only smell you will smell is the aroma of the soap used and the rosin.

Preparing flux for soldering

This soldering flux recipe is quite competitive with sold fluxes. But of course, it’s up to you to decide what’s better, buy or make it yourself.

Required components for soldering flux

So let's get started, we need.

Obtaining stearin

I took 3 pieces of soap (you can take a half or a quarter of a piece of soap for testing), and grated it on a coarse grater.

Next, I added hot (no matter) water to the soap and put it on the stove to warm up. Stir occasionally as it heats up. As soon as the soap dissolved, I turned off the gas stove.

In order not to spoil the pan with hydrochloric acid, I poured the soap solution into a plastic basin (if you use table vinegar, you do not need to pour it).

I poured about half of this product containing hydrochloric acid into a hot soapy solution. The solution began to coagulate, and flakes of stearin began to float on the surface.

At this stage, you need to check the presence of acid in the solution; to do this, add baking soda to the container at the tip of the knife. The acid should react with the soda in the form of a hiss. If there is no reaction, then you need to add more acid.

Remember, this is important, the acid content in the solution must be in excess.

If there is no fizz, then the reaction will not be complete and the yield of the finished product will not be complete (you need to pour soda into the solution itself, clearing the way to it by stirring with a stick, and not just on top of the stearin, I think this is clear).

I let the solution stand for 20 minutes and put it in water (in the bath) to cool. As soon as it cooled down to room temperature, I took it out onto the balcony for the convenience of further separating the solution from the resulting one (it was +1 degree outside). In the summer, you can limit yourself only to cooling in cold water.

Source: https://homius.ru/kak-pajat-med.html

Flux for soldering copper with a torch


Flux for soldering copper with a torch

Dear readers, today we will talk about the construction of a copper pipeline. During the installation process, reliable connection of the elements that make up the structure is important. Capillary soldering is considered one of the simplest and most reliable methods of connecting pipes. This installation method requires the appropriate tools - a special soldering iron or torch for soldering copper pipes.

Rules, features and methods of soldering copper pipes

Rules, features and methods of soldering copper pipes

Pipe soldering is the joining of pipeline elements by adding molten solder. After the solder hardens, the connection becomes inseparable; the cooled solder firmly fixes the soldered elements.

It is important to remember that the melting temperature of the solder must be lower than the melting temperature of the parts being joined. This soldering method ensures uniform distribution of solder throughout the joint.

Copper pipes are soldered in two ways:

  1. The low-temperature method is used when installing household pipelines. In this case, both hard solder, which is heated to a temperature of at least 450 degrees, and soft solder, heated to 400 degrees, can be used.
  2. The high-temperature method is used for the installation of more serious pipelines that are subject to heavy loads. When connecting using this method, the solder is heated to a temperature of 600-900C.

What is needed for soldering

What is needed for soldering

To make a capillary connection of copper pipes, you will need the following tools and materials:

  • tools for pre-processing of joined elements;
  • flux and solder;
  • special fum tape;
  • threading tools and ferrules;

Types of solders

Types of solders

There are two types of solders - hard and soft. Soft solder is a wire made of metals and alloys with a low melting point (tin, lead, silver, etc.). The diameter of such solder is no more than 3 mm.

Brazing alloys are made from refractory metals and have a larger diameter.

A connection made using hard solder can withstand heavy loads.

Flux and soldering paste

Flux and soldering paste

To ensure reliable connection, flux or paste is used. This substance prevents foreign elements from entering the joint, and the seam is reliable and without pores. Flux is based on boric or hydrochloric acid, zinc chloride. In order to create a protective film at the joint, resins, rosin, and wax are used.

Soldering fluxes are divided into liquid, solid and special pastes. The ready-made mixture is more expensive than other materials, but it is also much more convenient to work with.

Fitting

Fitting

Fittings are special parts that are installed at the junction of workpieces of different diameters, connecting several pipes at one point, or when switching to another pipeline material.

During installation, fittings made of the same material as the pipes are used.

If you have to use fittings made of a different material, it is important that the coefficient of thermal expansion and other technical parameters of the material of the pipes and fittings match.

Tools

Tools

To solder a copper pipeline you will need:

  1. pipe cutter;
  2. chamfer;
  3. pipe expander;
  4. brushes, pipe cleaners, sponges.

Types of burners

Types of burners

The equipment presented on the construction market is divided into several types.

Burners with stationary and disposable cylinders

Burners with stationary and disposable cylinders

Such devices are equipped with disposable gas cylinders with propane, acetylene, etc. The advantages of using this type of equipment include mobility, ease of operation, and safety.

The only drawback of burners with disposable cylinders is that the cylinder must be changed every time after use.

You can use such a tool both when installing plumbing and heating systems.

Hand torches

Hand torches

The advantages of such equipment include, first of all, compactness. Using a hand soldering iron, it is convenient to assemble a pipeline in a small room and solder pipes in the most inaccessible places.

The hand torch operates on a disposable flammable gas cylinder. The tool is equipped with a flame length regulator; the kit usually includes nozzles of different diameters. The tool does not require connection to an electrical outlet. If you follow all operating rules, the connection is reliable and durable. Hand tools can easily cope with the installation of air conditioning systems and other household communications.

Professional burners

Professional burners

Equipment classified as professional is capable of working with particularly refractory solder. It is used when installing structures at industrial facilities where the pipeline is subjected to significant loads.

The advantage of industrial burners is the high flame temperature.

The large weight and dimensions will not allow you to work in a cramped apartment. It is not advisable to purchase such devices for domestic and personal use - household communications do not require such a quality connection, and the cost of the device is higher than that of other types.

Homemade burners

Homemade burners

Sometimes craftsmen use devices assembled with their own hands. They differ in their characteristics and belong to both manual and stationary types. Homemade burners consist of the same basic elements as purchased ones. However, it is not recommended to use such devices, as there is no guarantee of operational safety. And in terms of performance characteristics, they are usually inferior to factory equipment.

How to choose a burner

How to choose a burner

When choosing equipment, the main attention should be paid to the class and performance characteristics.

If you buy a torch only for soldering household pipelines, you can get by with a manual or semi-professional device. Such a device is cheaper than a professional burner and will cope with the tasks. To install communications subject to high loads, you will need to use hard solders, so you will have to purchase professional equipment.

The most popular models and manufacturers

The most popular models and manufacturers

The construction market today offers a large number of devices from various manufacturers. Domestic gas burners are popular: Profi-Tools; Allgas; Donmet. Foreign manufacturers also enjoy a good reputation: Rothenberger; Kemper; Virax; Rems; Uniweld.

Most companies offer burners of different classes - from hand-held mobile devices to professional powerful devices. A semi-professional propane burner costs from 1.5 to 10 thousand rubles. Professional units will cost more – the minimum cost is 20 thousand rubles.

Soldering process

Soldering process

Before proceeding directly to joining the cut pieces, they must be pre-processed. First, the joint is cleaned, minor defects and burrs are eliminated. After this, the surfaces of the connected pipes are treated with brushes and cleaners from the outside and inside. Do not use abrasive tools, otherwise scratches will occur.

If required, one tube is expanded. The diameter of the copper pipes must be such that one piece fits freely into the other. Before this, it must be heated, otherwise mechanical damage will occur, which will subsequently affect the tightness of the connection.

To protect against air getting into the seam and for better adhesion, flux or paste is applied to the surface.

Only after completing the preparatory work should you start heating the solder and pipes using a torch. Heating must be done evenly to prevent overheating.

After the pipes have heated up, solder wire is introduced into the gap between them. It melts and fills the gap at the junction of the pipes, forming a seam. After cooling, the flux is removed.

Safety precautions

Safety precautions

To avoid injuries and other unpleasant consequences, it is important to comply with safety requirements: install and repair pipelines only with protective gloves and goggles, in work overalls, do not allow the burner flame to come into contact with unprotected skin, do not allow the heated metal to touch unprotected skin, do not work with open fire near flammable materials.

After soldering is completed, the gas supply must stop.

Basic mistakes

Basic mistakes

The process of soldering copper pipes is not particularly complicated, however, beginners often make mistakes that subsequently affect the quality of the connection. Common mistakes made by beginners:

  • insufficient pre-treatment of the soldering site;
  • pressing - failure to maintain a sufficient gap between the pipes, resulting in an uneven seam;
  • using the wrong solder;
  • overheating of pipes, which leads to deterioration in performance;
  • insufficiently thorough cleaning of flux after soldering, which causes corrosion.

In addition, it is required to follow a pre-prepared design diagram.

process

process

For a clearer understanding of the installation process, watch the video here:

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Source: https://rem-serv.com/flyus-dlya-payki-medi-gorelkoy/

Do-it-yourself copper brazing

Do-it-yourself copper brazing

Welding copper is not the most justified technological solution. Having specific characteristics, the metal, when heated, tends to form a compound with oxygen and hydrogen, which is commonly called cuprous oxide.

Saturation of the weld zone with hydrogen leads to the appearance of a significant number of cracks and a decrease in the quality of the joint. Taking into account the above, it is not surprising that it is often more convenient to connect capricious materials by soldering.

This process does not require complex equipment and soldering copper with your own hands at home is possible in the same way as in production. The main thing is to choose the right tool, purchase the right materials and gain experience.

Depends on the task

Depends on the task

The choice of tools and materials used primarily depends on the work being performed.

  • It’s one thing if we are talking about soldering wires or electronic circuits. Little energy is spent on heating them, and the connection area is limited. Here it is quite possible to get by with an electric soldering iron, ordinary tin-lead solder and rosin as a flux.
  • Other problems have to be solved by connecting parts of significant thickness and mass. They absorb a significant amount of heat and, due to their high thermal conductivity, quickly cool, releasing heat into the atmosphere. Gas burners or blowtorches, as well as fluxes that are more efficient than traditional rosin, help solve the problem.

Before you begin selecting equipment and materials, you should decide on the nature of the upcoming task and its volume.

Classic example

Classic example

Let's consider an option that can be considered classic. Elastic, with high corrosion resistance and even bactericidal properties, copper is well suited for the manufacture of pipes. Such pipes are the optimal choice for water supply equipment, use in the food industry, as well as in various hydraulic systems. You can make new parts or restore damaged parts using soldering.

If we are talking about products of significant size, let’s put the electric soldering iron, the temperature of which reaches a maximum of 500 degrees Celsius, aside and proceed to choosing a gas burner, since blowtorches are less convenient for work. The following criteria should be taken into account:

  • Flame temperature. If for a home workshop you can limit yourself to purchasing a device in which this parameter reaches 1000 - 1500 degrees, then a professional needs the temperature to reach 2000 degrees. This will allow you to work with large parts and use refractory solders and fluxes.
  • Flame shape and size. For point work, it is important that it has a pencil shape and is as compact as possible. But for soldering large volumes of copper, a wide swirl flame is used. It is convenient when a gas burner has several replaceable nozzles and an adjustment system that allows for precise adjustments.
  • Convenience. Devices mounted on portable gas cylinders are also suitable for home use. But in production it is better to use burners connected to large gas cylinders using a hose. They are more convenient to use and designed for long-term use.

The burner must be supplied with a bracket for securing replacement blades and a set of blades of various sizes and cross-sections. Some people try to make a burner with their own hands. But this requires special knowledge and accurate calculations. It is much easier to buy a ready-made tool.

If solder, what kind?

If solder, what kind?

Having decided on the tool, we proceed to the choice of solder. First of all, you should make sure that the material corresponds to a certain temperature regime. According to their characteristics, solders are conventionally divided into three groups.

  • Low temperature. They should be preferred if the soldering iron or torch is unable to provide good heating. However, the strength of the connection in this case will not be too high. This option is not suitable for parts operating under heavy loads.
  • Medium temperature. If the soldering torch has sufficient power, using such material it will be possible to create a durable seam with acceptable performance properties. But, for a number of reasons, such compositions are not widely used.
  • High temperature. As a rule, when using them, the highest joint strength is achieved. It should be remembered that not all copper alloys can withstand significant heat. Everything will depend on the compounds included in their composition. But if you want the resulting seam to withstand high loads, you will have to choose this option.

But it’s not just the melting point that distinguishes one solder from another. Their chemical composition is no less important. Brazing of copper is the most common method. In the course of this work, mixtures prepared according to various recipes are used. They are divided into several main categories.

  • Tin-copper and silver-copper. These are fairly easy-to-use low-temperature solders.
  • Copper-phosphorus. These high-temperature solders are convenient because, if necessary, they can be used without fluxes. But at low temperatures its mechanical properties deteriorate and, as a result, the strength of the connecting seam decreases.
  • Copper-silver-zinc. They also have high refractoriness. Their advantages include good ductility and high corrosion resistance.
  • High-temperature silver solders have good mechanical properties, however, flux is required for their use. An important disadvantage is the high cost of the material.

With the abundance of offers on the market, making solder yourself is not very justified.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ck-F5251tQ

For the manufacture of water pipes and products in contact with food, it is unacceptable to use compounds containing lead. The reason is obvious - lead is poisonous. A separate problem is soldering stainless steel with copper. But this can also be solved by choosing the right solder and flux.

Flux solves a lot

Flux solves a lot

The best fluxes for soldering copper should be considered active compounds, such as ZIL-2 or F-38N. Phosphoric acid or solder fat work well. Even taking into account the high corrosion resistance of the metal, the joints must be thoroughly washed after completion of work. The reliability of the connection with stainless steels or aluminum alloys also depends on the choice of flux for soldering.

Clear actions

Clear actions

During the soldering process, it is imperative to follow a clear sequence of operations.

  • The metal surface is cleaned of dirt and oxides, and then degreased. To do this, metal brushes, various abrasives and solvents are used. Alternatively, alcohol.
  • The details are carefully recorded. If we are talking about soldering pipes, it is recommended to fix them using special clamps. This is important not only when making butt joints, but also when pipes are inserted into one another.
  • The metal warms up properly. Only after this, if necessary, is flux applied to its surface. The easiest way to do this is with a brush.
  • It is impossible to distribute pre-crushed solder over the surface of pipes. Therefore, it should be applied gradually, increasing the mass and evenly distributing the composition over the surface of the part. You should ensure that the material does not stick to the tip by cleaning the tool in a timely manner. Care must be taken to ensure that there are no gaps left and that the seam is sealed.

Pipes or other copper parts connected in this way will be able to withstand significant loads and will last a long time.

Why do you need solder paste?

Why do you need solder paste?

As for the use of soldering paste, this material is characterized by a low melting point. It is used, as a rule, in radio electronics. The resulting connections cannot boast of high strength, but have good electrical conductivity. Since the paste already contains both flux and solder, it can be used to quickly perform a large number of small solderings using a regular electric soldering iron.

The main thing is patience

The main thing is patience

If you are planning to master soldering copper with your own hands, you should be patient. This technology requires experience and skill, which does not come immediately. Failed first attempts are not a reason to be upset. Practice, and the moment when you succeed will definitely come.

Source: https://svarkalegko.com/tehonology/pajka-medi.html

Flux for soldering copper pipes: what types are there, features and properties, how to use

Flux for soldering copper pipes: what types are there, features and properties, how to use

When welding metals (and when soldering copper pipes), flux is used - a material produced in the form of pastes, powders or granules.

It is needed to protect parts from oxidation and slag, and to isolate the weld seam from air oxygen.

Such properties of the flux significantly increase the ductility and strength of the finished product, which has a positive effect on the quality of the latter. This article is devoted to welding copper pipes using fluxes.

In a nutshell about copper pipes

In a nutshell about copper pipes

Copper pipes are a material known for its durability and reliability. Therefore, they are widely used in the installation of heating communications and water supply, as well as gas pipes, regardless of their price.

Copper pipes are often used in private construction.

In addition to reliability and durability, copper pipes have other advantages: immunity to corrosion and precipitation, resistance to elevated temperatures.

The average service life of copper pipes is about 50 years. However, to work with copper pipes, experience in welding is required.

Copper pipes are connected by soldering, which can be carried out in two temperature conditions: at low and at high temperatures. The choice of soldering temperature is based on the purpose of the welding work.

For example, for soldering connections that require special reliability, such as gas pipes, it is recommended to carry out the welding process at higher temperatures than usual and using flux.

This will avoid gas leakage due to the formation of a particularly strong seam. For all other types of work, low-temperature soldering can be used.

Flux during soldering

Flux during soldering

Experienced welders who have worked in production for many years, of course, can do without the compounds in question.

However, if you are a second-class specialist or are just starting to use a welding machine, flux is your faithful friend, because its use simplifies the process and improves the quality of the resulting products.

Judge for yourself: even if you don’t have much experience, submerged arc soldering guarantees a much better result than arc welding.

This is due to the fact that in the first case the seams are reliable and even, and the work itself takes much less of your time.

In addition, the soldering technique under consideration ensures deeper melting of the part due to the choice of current with increased density.

True, in this case the temperature of action on the electrode also increases, as a result of which it may lose part of the coating, but this is not at all a cause for concern.

Moreover, the use of a special composition during soldering will help to avoid the appearance of pores and, subsequently, foreign bodies at the weld site, because when soldering with a submerged arc torch, pores in principle are not formed.

Let's look at some important features of flux. Those who decide to use such compounds in their practice need to know them.

For example, inexperienced craftsmen form an oxide film on the outside of the product, the thickness of which sometimes exceeds 1 mm. To avoid such a process, it is recommended:

  • Closely monitor the temperature. It is very important to maintain the soldering temperatures of solder and pipes at the same level. This temperature regime allows you to prevent critical situations, because in this case you can determine the degree of overheating by eye.
  • Use high-quality flux from recommended manufacturers. A composition made without observing quality standards will only interfere with work, because a poorly prepared substance can worsen the condition of the resulting seam.

How to choose flux

How to choose flux

To buy a high-quality soldering flux, the use of which guarantees a reliable connection of copper pipes, it is recommended to adhere to the following criteria:

  • The viscosity of the solder must be greater than the viscosity of the flux itself.
  • The consistency of the mixture (paste, powder or liquid) does not affect the quality of welding. You can choose the composition in any form, the main thing is that when applied to the metal surface it is distributed without lumps, evenly covering the entire available area.
  • High-quality material dissolves the oxide film as it forms during welding. In addition, it protects the product from re-oxidation. In order to determine the quality of the flux, you can use it immediately before welding on unnecessary copper parts.
  • A composition of poor quality may be destroyed during operation. This indicates that such material needs to be replaced, because high-quality flux does not lose its properties even during high-temperature welding.
  • A weld seam using a high-quality composition most often comes out smooth and neat.
  • When using high-quality flux, all dirt remaining after soldering copper can be easily removed from the product.
  • Using high-quality material, both vertical and horizontal seams are obtained.

If the substance you choose meets all the specified points, it is suitable for soldering and guarantees a good result.

In addition, after soldering, you don’t have to worry about the cleanliness of the welding surfaces, because the high-quality composition can be removed without a trace with a regular solvent.

Some types of flux for soldering copper pipes

Some types of flux for soldering copper pipes

In the 21st century, the range offered by flux manufacturers for copper soldering is simply huge. Previously, there was no such variety in choice; only a fairly limited set was available to the average person.

However, now manufacturers are constantly changing the composition of the mixture, which is why the quantity of goods offered is also increasing. In all this diversity, the most commonly purchased and used types of materials are:

Fluxes containing rosin

Fluxes containing rosin

These materials are economical and therefore very popular. Such mixtures are easy to prepare, as they require a minimum set of ingredients: sodium salts and the already mentioned rosin.

It is believed that a similar composition can be made at home. It will be practically no different from the usual one produced at the factory, and the price will be cheaper.

However, its preparation will take some time. Those who value their time can purchase a rosin-based composition in a specialized store.

The disadvantages of such mixtures include the need for increased attention to the temperature conditions during soldering.

This is due to the properties of rosin: when critically high temperatures are reached, this material can become charred, which spoils all the work done.

Fluxes containing salicylate

Fluxes containing salicylate

These mixtures also contain few ingredients, which makes them accessible for making at home. To prepare, you need to crush acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) tablets.

The resulting powder is mixed with special petroleum jelly (an alternative is ethyl alcohol). This mixture can be used when soldering small parts and equipment.

The use of this type of composition on copper pipes is not recommended. The factory version is more suitable for this. This material is quite in demand among novice craftsmen, because it guarantees a neat and even seam.

Anti-corrosion fluxes

Anti-corrosion fluxes

They consist of a large number of different components, so it is hardly possible to make them at home.

Such mixtures, as the name suggests, have protective properties, protecting the weld from early rusting and oxidation, while removing unnecessary moisture from the soldering area.

As already mentioned, fluxes are commercially available in various forms: liquids, pastes and powders. The consistency of the composition has no influence on the result of welding work, so the choice of shape is based on the tastes of each master.

Some people find it more convenient to work with a paste-like material that remains on the surface of copper pipes without spreading, while others, on the contrary, like a liquid composition.

It is believed that flux, which has the consistency of a powder, is the least convenient for beginners, since its use takes longer than the use of other forms, and also requires a certain skill.

Liquid mixtures, which are sold and stored in bottles, are usually cheaper than others, but paste mixtures are considered the most expensive. The liquid composition requires the simultaneous use of solder.

The mixture in the form of a paste simplifies and speeds up the soldering work, since it is most convenient to apply. In addition, the weld strength when using paste material is the highest.

Therefore, novice craftsmen can be recommended to use paste mixtures for welding copper pipes. Such compositions represent options that are optimal in terms of convenience and price-quality ratio.

P.S

P.S

A few tips for those who decide to use flux when welding (soldering) copper pipes:

  • Buy several formulations of different types and forms and try them to determine which one is best for your operation.
  • Don't chase low prices and choose products from manufacturers you trust.
  • You can ask advice from masters with experience (for example, in the comments under this post).

We wish you good luck in choosing and using flux for soldering copper pipes!

Source: https://prosvarku.info/tehnika-svarki/flyus-dlya-pajki-mednyh-trub

Improvised means as flux for soldering

Improvised means as flux for soldering

Fluxes are substances of organic or inorganic composition used in soldering metals. Their purpose is to reduce the surface tension forces of the molten solder and ensure better uniform spreading.

In addition, the flux protects the soldering surface from exposure to oxygen, and thereby prevents oxidation. In many cases, homemade flux can replace liquid or powder prepared in production. You just need to know what materials to use for it.

Main types

Main types

Fluxes are active (acidic) and passive (acid-free).

The former actively influence the top layer of metal during the soldering process, partially changing its chemical structure, the latter simply wash away oxides from the surface and create a thin film that prevents the access of oxygen.

After use, active fluxes must be washed off from the surfaces of brazed parts, as residual substances can cause corrosion. You can wash it off with water with a little added alkali.

Soldering acid, rosin, solder fat, and flux pastes are used as fluxes. The quality of soldering of various metals depends on the type of material and its characteristics.

After all, for each specific case, ideally, you need to select the most suitable composition.

The flux can be included in the solder paste or sealed into a hollow solder tube to improve soldering ease.

There are many ready-made soldering fluxes available in solid, liquid and gel form. If you urgently need to carry out soldering work, but there are no consumables at hand, you can prepare such a composition yourself, using improvised means.

Of course, a homemade, hastily prepared flux will be inferior in quality and characteristics to that produced in a factory, but it will be able to ensure high-quality soldering.

Aspirin and citric acid

Aspirin and citric acid

To make flux, you can use any substances that have good solvent and antioxidant properties.

It can be:

  • alcohols;
  • acids;
  • vegetable and animal oils.

The simplest flux is prepared by dissolving a tablet or powder of acetylsalicylic acid in water. Acetylsalicylic acid is in the medicine cabinet in almost every home (this is the most common cheap aspirin). It is necessary to dissolve the tablets or powder until the sediment disappears.

Citric acid powder (white granules) is also used.

There are tips to use lemon juice, but it is quite weak, so the effect of its use will be subtle.

When soldering with aspirin or lemon juice, a lot of gas is released, so the room in which they are worked must be equipped with an exhaust hood or well ventilated.

Alcohol, glycerin, rosin

Alcohol, glycerin, rosin

You can get a good alcohol-rosin flux by dissolving rosin in ethyl alcohol. First you need to crush the rosin in a mortar as finely as possible.

Rosin dissolves very slowly in alcohol, and the speed of flux preparation will depend on its thorough grinding. After mixing the alcohol with rosin, it is better to leave the future flux for several hours to complete the dissolution.

You can speed up the process by placing the solution in a sealable glass container and heating it to 80 ℃ in a water bath. Alcohol rosin flux is completely neutral and does not even require rinsing after soldering.

Ethyl alcohol can be successfully replaced with glycerin. This glycerin flux will be thicker than alcohol rosin and will be more convenient to use. In this case, the dissolution of rosin will slow down.

It will be much more effective to first dissolve it in alcohol and then mix it with glycerin. In this case, the activity of the composition will significantly increase, but you will have to wash off the residue from the soldered workpieces.

It’s even possible to make rosin yourself, although it will take time. It is necessary to collect resin from pine trunks in warm, dry weather and melt it.

Can be used for soldering as a flux or its component, rosin for bowed string instruments. It is of very high quality and well cleaned. But its price is much higher than that of soldering rosin.

Hydrochloric and phosphoric acid

Hydrochloric and phosphoric acid

A very effective flux is obtained by dissolving zinc granules in hydrochloric acid. To do this, concentrated acid must be diluted in equal parts with water and the granules placed in a glass container should be poured with this solution. For complete dissolution, zinc will be required at the rate of 412 g per 1 liter of hydrochloric acid.

The dissolution process will be accompanied by a rapid release of hydrogen from the acid, so it is better to prepare in rooms with very good ventilation and away from open fire.

Using flux obtained from hydrochloric acid, steel workpieces are successfully soldered. If you add ammonia to the solution (the same amount as zinc), then this composition can be used when soldering absolutely any metals and alloys.

A good flux is phosphoric acid. It is used when soldering nichrome and stainless steel.

Liquid fluxes are best applied with a thin brush, and should be stored in a tightly sealed glass container with a narrow neck.

Application of fat

Application of fat

Soldering flux can be made from fat with a fairly high melting point. Then at room temperature it will not soften on its own, which will make it easier to work with.

To obtain such a flux, the fat must be melted and mixed with crushed rosin and ammonia in a certain proportion. For three parts of fat by volume you will need the same amount of ammonia and one part of rosin.

For ease of use, the finished flux can be placed in the body of a medical disposable syringe and, if necessary, squeeze out the required amount.

If you are not sure whether a homemade flux is suitable for soldering a part, then you can do a little research. It is necessary to distribute the prepared substance over the surface of a piece of the same metal that is to be soldered.

If, when heated, the flux is evenly distributed over the surface, then it is considered suitable for soldering. If it collects in balls and flows down, then it will be able to provide satisfactory wettability of the part.

The ability to dissolve the oxide film on the metal surface is checked by washing off the applied flux. If the surface remains clean after washing, then the flux dissolves oxides well. On the contrary, if traces of an oxide film or rust remain, then soldering with this flux cannot be performed.

Source: https://svaring.com/soldering/flus/izgotovlenie-svoimi-rukami

Good flux for soldering:

Good flux for soldering:

Soldering flux is an auxiliary substance, the use of which helps clean the surfaces of metal elements being joined from oxidation. When resorting to soldering without the use of flux, you should not count on high-quality work and reliable fastening of the necessary parts. Therefore, before you begin joining parts using a soldering iron, you need to select a good, high-quality flux.

Purpose

Purpose

Fluxes are used primarily to remove all kinds of contaminants from the surface of the metal. Moreover, when soldering joints, they protect the heated solder from oxidation. This, in turn, promotes the spreadability of solder and, accordingly, improves the quality of soldering.

A good flux for soldering can only be selected based on the nature of the metal joints and the alloy of the solder. Residues of any fluxes, regardless of their type, must be removed from the joints after completing the work, since they themselves contaminate the metal and can lead to the development of corrosion processes.

Types of fluxes for soldering

Types of fluxes for soldering

Conventionally, fluxes are divided into two main categories - oxidizing and reducing. Also, depending on the need to perform certain tasks, fluxes are used for metal smelting, welding, electrolysis, growing single crystals, soldering non-ferrous and jewelry alloys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1mQng5Okk8

In general, according to the effect that is exerted on the metal during soldering, the following fluxes are distinguished:

  • active (acidic);
  • acid-free;
  • anti-corrosion;
  • activated;
  • protective.

Active fluxes

Active fluxes

This soldering flux often contains hydrochloric acid, fluoride and chloride metals. The action of active fluxes involves the active dissolution of oxide films on the surface of metal parts. Thanks to these properties, maximum mechanical strength of the resulting joints is ensured.

Despite their wide distribution, active fluxes are not suitable for use in the installation and soldering of electrical equipment, because their residues quickly corrode the joint of parts.

Acid-free fluxes

Acid-free fluxes

Acid-free soldering flux, commonly known as rosin, is a substance made from alcohol, glycerin and turpentine. When the soldering iron is heated to a temperature of more than 150 °C, the use of such a flux makes it possible to dissolve the oxides of lead, copper, and tin, reliably cleaning the metal surfaces.

The main advantage of flux in the form of rosin is the absence of the effect of separation of the joined surfaces during soldering. This flux is widely used for soldering copper, bronze, and brass.

Activated fluxes

Activated fluxes

This type of flux is prepared on the basis of phosphoric or hydrochloric acid aniline, diethylamine or salicylic acid. This option is suitable for soldering a wide range of metals and alloys, such as iron, copper, steel, nickel, zinc, silver, as well as copper parts without the need for pre-cleaning.

Anti-corrosion fluxes

Anti-corrosion fluxes

Based on the definition itself, it is easy to guess that anti-corrosion flux is used for soldering most often when it is necessary to connect parts that are potentially susceptible to the development of corrosion processes.

The composition of soldering flux with anti-corrosion properties includes the use of technical petroleum jelly, salicylic acid, triethanolamine and ethyl alcohol. Despite its main purpose, this type of flux requires careful removal of its residues upon completion of soldering by wiping the parts with acetone or alcohol.

Protective fluxes

Protective fluxes

Since there is no destructive chemical effect on metals during use, protective flux can be used for soldering microcircuits. Like most other types of fluxes, such substances protect previously cleaned metal surfaces from oxidation. The category of protective fluxes primarily includes petroleum jelly, wax, powdered sugar, olive oil, and other substances with weak chemical activity.

Storage

Storage

The most common alcohol-based fluxes usually have a liquid consistency. Therefore, they need to be stored in a carefully sealed, airtight container. Otherwise, there is a loss of their basic properties and even complete evaporation.

Soldering flux paste also needs to be stored in a closed container. The optimal conditions for such flux are a room with a low level. Despite the fact that the paste does not absorb moisture from the environment, there is a danger of moisture condensation on the walls of the container and surfaces located nearby.

It is recommended to store flux gel for soldering away from flammable substances, objects and sources of open flame, since most fluxes in this category are highly flammable. In this case, the storage temperature should be no lower than 10 and no more than 25 degrees Celsius.

Application of flux

Application of flux

When soldering, the joints are thoroughly cleaned, coated with flux and heated with a soldering iron. At the point of application, the flux begins to foam and smoke. At this moment, a small amount of solder must be applied to the tip of the soldering iron, which will subsequently cover the surfaces to be connected.

It’s probably not worth talking about the properties and advantages of using fluxes for soldering once again. You just need to take a soldering iron and try to connect the parts without flux. In this case, the soldering process will be truly lengthy, and the result will be frankly of poor quality, since the solder will be too unreliably fixed to the surface being soldered.

How to prepare flux for soldering yourself?

How to prepare flux for soldering yourself?

The simplest option for making your own flux is to use a rosin-alcohol base. To begin with, rosin powder is poured into the container, after which it is filled with an alcohol solution. After some time, the alcohol will evaporate and the flux will acquire a moderately thick consistency, convenient for applying the substance to metal parts during soldering.

As a self-prepared flux, which is suitable for tinning steel and copper surfaces, you can use acetylsalicylic acid dissolved in a small amount of water, acetone or alcohol. It is convenient to store such liquid flux in a varnish container, using a lid with a brush when applying.

How to choose the right flux?

How to choose the right flux?

According to avid radio amateurs who are well versed in soldering, choosing the right flux is an almost 100% guarantee of successful completion of the job. Here you should first of all focus on the material of the parts being connected, as well as the nature of the soldering.

For soldering radio components, copper parts and wires, it is advisable to use inactive fluxes based on rosin. Such fluxes are a modified version of ordinary rosin as a result of the addition of a number of components known as activators.

Inactive fluxes have improved antioxidant properties. Due to their paste or liquid state, such fluxes can be applied directly to circuit boards or soldering joints of metal joints. This flux is ideal for soldering aluminum. Additionally, it is worth noting their wide availability and relatively low cost.

As for medium-active fluxes, it is advisable to use them for soldering the most delicate contacts, for example, when repairing mobile phones and other modern portable devices. Suitable for this purpose are fluxes that do not foam or boil during operation, have minimal corrosion, and are also easy to apply to boards.

Often, medium-active fluxes are used by service center technicians for the repair of digital mobile devices. They are usually used for soldering the smallest microcircuits. Moreover, they are suitable for use not only with lead, but also with lead-free solders.

The most versatile are gel fluxes. They can be used for almost any type of soldering. Gel-like flux is especially effective for soldering aluminum, copper, and other common materials using lead solders.

Finally

Finally

The correct selection of suitable consumables when performing soldering is a guarantee of quality work done. In addition to choosing a good flux, you need to select a solder that matches the nature of the soldering, a hair dryer attachment, a soldering iron tip, and other things.

Even if you use the most advanced soldering stations in your work, if you have the wrong flux, solder or tip, you can end up getting a completely different result than you expected.

Enough water has flown under the bridge since then, when specialists actively used classic soldering irons with a power of up to 60 W with a homemade copper tip turned by a file, as well as ordinary rosin as a flux.

Currently, the use of such material and technical base is extremely ineffective.

Source: https://www.syl.ru/article/183923/new_horoshiy-flyus-dlya-payki

DIY soldering with flux for aluminum

DIY soldering with flux for aluminum

Quite often you can hear the opinion that aluminum alloys and aluminum itself are quite difficult to solder. However, this opinion will be valid only if the same fluxes and solders are used for it as for copper, steel and a number of other materials. Today you can find special materials on sale that were developed directly for soldering aluminum. As a result, it became as possible to solder it as copper.

The difficulty of soldering aluminum when using standard solders and fluxes lies in a number of chemical and physical properties of such a material. First of all, it should be noted that on the surface of this metal there is always a fairly strong oxide film, which is also capable of well resisting the effects of a wide variety of chemical compounds.

The oxide film prevents solder from contacting the metal surface directly. To overcome it, they resort to one of 2 methods:

  1. Mechanical processing , due to which the film is removed from the surface of the wire, after which it can begin to be soldered.
  2. The use of strong fluxes , which simply dissolve it and expose the surface of pure metal.

The difficulty when soldering aluminum also lies in the fact that this metal has a low melting point, which is only 660 degrees. The strength of the wire when heated to 250-300 degrees becomes significantly lower, which is why it becomes unstable.

Soldering temperature should be between 500 and 640 degrees. This is not too long an interval, especially if you plan to use high-temperature soldering, where there is a very high probability of overheating of the material, after which the wire melts.

Unlike almost all metals used in low-melting solders:

  • lead;
  • cadmium;
  • bismuth;
  • antimony, etc., aluminum has the characteristic of low mutual solubility. This leads to the fact that the strength of the joints obtained as a result of soldering leaves much to be desired.

What to use?

What to use?

The choice of flux for aluminum depends on a number of important factors. In particular, the most popular is the so-called binary flux, which is a solution of concentrated phosphoric acid.

It has a large number of positive aspects:

  1. This composition is no-clean , that is, it will not require additional washing after completion of soldering work.
  2. It acts very quickly , so you can start soldering almost immediately after applying it to the surface of the wire.
  3. The substance is universal , therefore it is suitable for a number of other metals, in particular steel or copper.

To make aluminum soldering as good as possible, you need to use solders that contain aluminum, silver, silicon, zinc and copper. You can find consumables on sale that contain all these materials.

When choosing solder, take into account that the connection will have the highest ability to resist corrosion processes if the solder contains a large amount of zinc.

It is quite acceptable to use solders made on the basis of lead and tin for soldering aluminum , but here it will be impossible to do without either mechanical stripping of the material or without the use of reliable fluxes. It is not recommended to use this type of solder as aluminum will not bond to it reliably. Another negative point is the susceptibility of the connection to corrosion.

To solder aluminum, you should purchase only high-temperature solders, without which it will be quite problematic to achieve a high-quality connection of wires.

In addition to solder and flux, you will need a soldering iron. The width of the tip here will directly depend on how large the cross-section of the wire is - the higher it is, the wider the tip should be selected. It is worth noting that soldering irons with unregulated heating temperatures are now gradually becoming a thing of the past.

They are being replaced by so-called soldering stations. These products are good because they have a temperature regulator for heating the soldering iron tip, as well as a whole set of these replacement tips. When working with a material such as aluminum, this is a very useful point. On the display you can set the required temperature to the nearest degree and get to work.

How to solder?

How to solder?

Before proceeding with direct soldering, it is necessary to properly prepare the surface of the wires. First, the surface must be degreased. This is achieved by treating the soldering area with acetone, gasoline or another type of solvent.

If there is no flux on hand, it is necessary to mechanically remove the oxide film from the surface of the wire. This is done using sandpaper, a steel brush, etching fluid, and so on.

It must be remembered that it will not be possible to remove the abrasive film by mechanical means, since a new, albeit thinner, oxide film immediately forms on the metal surface due to contact with air. Flux is much better in this regard, as it removes all the oxide film and prevents air from penetrating the metal.

When the oxide is removed, the wires are fixed, heated with a soldering iron and solder is applied to the heated area.

Blitz tips

Blitz tips

  1. If it is not possible to prepare everything you need , you can take rosin as a flux and remove the oxide film from the surface of the aluminum under the molten rosin. In this case, the soldering iron will be used not only for its intended purpose, but also as a tool capable of removing the oxide layer.
  2. without the use of special materials , especially since the quality of such products will not be very high, and therefore it is best to use specialized tools for soldering this metal.

Source: https://housetronic.ru/electro/pajka-alyuminiya-flusom.html

Flux for soldering copper pipes

Flux for soldering copper pipes

Few people know what soldering flux means. Flux is a substance consisting of chemical elements that helps solder better fill the joint space.

In addition, one of the functions of flux is to clean a metal product from dirt and products of the oxidation process, such as boric and hydrochloric acid. In addition, it forms a layer of protective film against air oxygen .

It is taking these features into account that it is necessary to correctly select the types of metal products that need to be connected and the substances that will fill the connecting gap, and also keep the temperature heater parameters under control.

Types of flux

Types of flux

  1. The first type of chemical assistant includes substances that do an excellent job of preventing corrosive formations. This connecting substance consists mainly of substances that dissolve the liquid and an element such as phosphorus. As a result of their mutual work, an integral connecting substance is formed.

    When using this type, there is no need to use substances that are designed to clean after the soldering process. It is very profitable and not at all troublesome.

  2. The second type of flux can be classified as a substance consisting of salicylic acid, which is perfectly soluble in organic solvents. In addition to this component of the connecting substance, Vaseline, alcohol and gold derivatives can also serve as a base.

    If you use this type of flux, you can achieve excellent results with your seams; in addition to cleanliness, they will acquire a neat appearance.

  3. The third type of soft connector includes rosin and sodium salt of boric acid. Sodium salt begins to melt at temperatures above 70 degrees Celsius.

    It is necessary to pay special attention to the fact that this substance and its melting products are absolutely not harmful to human life and health.
    You can create your own connecting substances by mixing all the components into one.

Submerged Copper Soldering

What is the difference between soldering and flux?

What is the difference between soldering and flux?

First you need to understand its differences from conventional arc soldering. So, compared to welding with hands, the process of soldering with flux becomes more effective. The return level increases by about 4–5 times .

And this is understandable, since electric current passes through the electrode wire only as it extends. Therefore, the use of flux in the welding process of copper makes it possible to use current with increased density.

You don’t even have to worry about the fact that the electrode will be exposed to high temperatures for a long time, which will lead to detachment of the coating material.

Materials for soldering copper pipes

In addition, in the process of using high currents, the melting depth of the metal product increases to quite high levels.
Even because of this, the soldering process can be carried out without cutting the thickened edge. We must pay tribute to the fact that while providing high protection of the metal in the molten state from contact with air flows, metal seams and connections are of high quality.

DIY copper pipe soldering

The minimum amount of foreign inclusions is achieved by the absence of pores in metal seams. There is an explanation for this: the rate of formation of metal crystals increases, since slag formations are present on the coating of the connecting seams.

The disadvantage of using soft connectors is that the metal in the molten state becomes as liquid and fluid as possible.

Before purchasing flux for copper products, pay attention to its special features.
First of all, in order to avoid the formation of a film of oxides, it is necessary to take some measures:

  • Always keep the temperature limits of the soft connector and solder under control to ensure they are the same. When choosing a flux, focus on its performance, depending on the type of solder.
  • In the case when an ideal coincidence of temperature indicators is achieved, the possibility of using it as a device for measuring temperature changes occurring during the soldering process opens up. Therefore, overheating of elements during soldering is impossible.

Today, fluxes are commercially available in dry, paste and liquid form. In most cases, liquid connectors find their way into the liquid solder process.

Flux in dry form is inconvenient to use.
Paste-like flux for copper products is quite convenient, since it does not require delay in its use.

Particular attention should be paid to the quality of the flux in order to obtain a high-quality result of the work done.

Quality can be determined by the following criteria:

  • the surface after soldering is completely covered with it;
  • has a viscous base and high density, which ensures the availability of solder to its destination;
  • protects against film formation and cleans it efficiently;
  • has a homogeneous composition of chemicals;
  • with its help, all seams during the soldering process are visible;
  • using it, it becomes possible to work in a vertical position;
  • easily removed contaminants.

To achieve a high-quality product, you need to get rid of it after the soldering process using solvents intended for this purpose.

Source: https://o-trubah.com/materialy/mednye-truby/fljus-dlja-pajki/

DIY flux for soldering copper

DIY flux for soldering copper

Reading time: 4 minutes

Soldering copper with your own hands is a simple process that even beginners can handle. The post soldering technology is understandable; it does not require many years of experience and professional skills. This is why working with copper is so popular among home craftsmen.

But it is not enough for you to know soldering technology alone to achieve decent quality connections. It is important to know how to use the tool and choose the right flux for copper. Flux improves the strength of the connection, protects the soldering area from external factors and, in general, allows you to obtain connections of the best quality. In this article we will briefly describe how to choose a flux for copper soldering and how to use it in your work.

Types of fluxes

Types of fluxes

Fluxes are divided according to two characteristics: chemical composition and consistency. Let's start with the chemical composition.

Chemical composition

Chemical composition

There are 3 types of fluxes: anti-corrosion with phosphorus, salicylic acid-based fluxes and boric acid-based rosin/flux. Let's look at each type in more detail.

Anti-corrosion fluxes are made from phosphorus and solvents. Such fluxes make it possible to obtain a compound that is resistant to the formation and spread of corrosion. Also, this type of flux does not need to be removed after soldering, which saves time. Anti-corrosion fluxes are acidic.

The second type of acid flux is a flux based on salicylic acid with the addition of technical petroleum jelly. Such fluxes are also called VTS. The resulting connections are neat and aesthetic. The soldering itself is clean; there is no need to further clean the metal. Most often used for electrical installation work.

For soldering work, either ordinary rosin is often used (it is also called natural), or its solutions in alcohol (this includes CE flux, for example).

Rosin can improve the spreading of solder during soldering, distributing it evenly along the junction of two workpieces. Also, molten rosin can dissolve oxides, thereby protecting the soldering area and improving the quality of the connection.

Consistency

Consistency

Flux for soldering copper is available in liquid, paste and dry form. We recommend using paste fluxes, since they are very convenient to work with when soldering copper pipes. Dry fluxes are absolutely unsuitable for such work, and liquid fluxes do not always achieve the desired result.

Pay attention to the consistency. It should be homogeneous, without lumps or foreign inclusions. If you use low-quality flux in your work, the result of the work done will be unsatisfactory.

Features of application

Features of application

First of all, decide on the type of soldering work. After all, the technology for soldering copper wires and for soldering copper pipes will be different. We will talk about soldering copper pipes, since flux is required for such work.

Let's start with the tool. You will need a quality soldering iron, a metal knife or pipe cutter, a chamfer, a wire brush, a pipe expander, a hammer and a tape measure. Take the part and cut the pieces to the required size using a pipe cutter or metal knife.

Then clean the edges of the pipe using a wire brush. There should be no traces of dirt, oil, dust, paint, etc. on the metal surface. Take a pipe expander and expand the edge of one of the blanks. This way you can connect one pipe to another.

Now the flux. As we said earlier, it is better to use paste flux. Apply it to the ends of the workpieces in the place of future soldering. Can be applied using a brush or fingers. Insert one pipe into the other. The workpieces must fit tightly together and squeeze out excess flux. Remove them with a rag.

Next, you need to warm up the place of future soldering using a gas burner. Pay close attention to the color of the flux, it will be our indicator. As soon as the flux turns gray or silver, heating should be stopped.

Now you need to bring solder to the soldering area. This can be filler wire or rod. The solder does not need to be heated, since the temperature of the heated workpiece is sufficient to melt the wire. As soon as the rod begins to melt, we need to fill the entire joint with it.

All is ready! Wait for the part to cool completely, then remove any remaining solder and flux from the surface of the pipe, if necessary.

Instead of a conclusion

Instead of a conclusion

As you can see, to perform soldering you need basic knowledge, the right and convenient tool, flux and wire for welding copper. This can be copper-plated welding wire or solder containing silver. For example, copper solder with 15 percent silver. As for flux, it is recommended to use a paste-like material, since it is easier and more convenient to work with.

What do you think about this? What flux and filler material do you use? Share your experiences with soldering copper, including copper wires, in the comments below. Any advice or recommendation will be useful for novice welders. We wish you good luck in your work!

Five thousand years ago, minters from Egypt discovered a new type of joining metals using the soldering method. The essence of the method is to create a connection between different metals by filling the seams with solder, which is a molten material with a melting point lower than that of the parts of the product being connected.

Unlike steel, it is more expedient to connect copper parts by soldering rather than welding. This is especially important if you have to work with thin-walled copper pipes, which are widely used in heating, plumbing, gas and refrigeration systems. Even a beginner can handle this kind of work.

Source: https://crast.ru/instrumenty/fljus-dlja-pajki-medi-svoimi-rukami

How to make soldering flux at home

How to make soldering flux at home

› Crafts

articles Best products from AliExpress HERE ⬇

To prepare soldering flux from soap, we will need. Plant-based “Duru” soap, acid (I used hydrochloric acid, or acetic acid) and rosin.

If you use soap based on animal fats, then when soldering, the flux will smell very unpleasant. Soldering flux, made from plant-based soap, does not smell when soldering. The only smell you will smell is the aroma of the soap used and the rosin.

Preparing flux for soldering

Preparing flux for soldering

This soldering flux recipe is quite competitive with sold fluxes. But of course, it’s up to you to decide what’s better, buy or make it yourself.

Required components for soldering flux

Required components for soldering flux

So let's get started, we need.

Obtaining stearin

Obtaining stearin

I took 3 pieces of soap (you can take a half or a quarter of a piece of soap for testing), and grated it on a coarse grater.

Next, I added hot (no matter) water to the soap and put it on the stove to warm up. Stir occasionally as it heats up. As soon as the soap dissolved, I turned off the gas stove.

In order not to spoil the pan with hydrochloric acid, I poured the soap solution into a plastic basin (if you use table vinegar, you do not need to pour it).

I poured about half of this product containing hydrochloric acid into a hot soapy solution. The solution began to coagulate, and flakes of stearin began to float on the surface.

At this stage, you need to check the presence of acid in the solution; to do this, add baking soda to the container at the tip of the knife. The acid should react with the soda in the form of a hiss. If there is no reaction, then you need to add more acid.

Remember, this is important, the acid content in the solution must be in excess.

If there is no fizz, then the reaction will not be complete and the yield of the finished product will not be complete (you need to pour soda into the solution itself, clearing the way to it by stirring with a stick, and not just on top of the stearin, I think this is clear).

I let the solution stand for 20 minutes and put it in water (in the bath) to cool. As soon as it cooled down to room temperature, I took it out onto the balcony for the convenience of further separating the solution from the resulting one (it was +1 degree outside). In the summer, you can limit yourself only to cooling in cold water.

Stearin purification

Source: https://homius.ru/kak-pajat-med.html

Flux for soldering copper with a torch


Dear readers, today we will talk about the construction of a copper pipeline. During the installation process, reliable connection of the elements that make up the structure is important. Capillary soldering is considered one of the simplest and most reliable methods of connecting pipes. This installation method requires the appropriate tools - a special soldering iron or torch for soldering copper pipes.

Rules, features and methods of soldering copper pipes

Pipe soldering is the joining of pipeline elements by adding molten solder. After the solder hardens, the connection becomes inseparable; the cooled solder firmly fixes the soldered elements.

It is important to remember that the melting temperature of the solder must be lower than the melting temperature of the parts being joined. This soldering method ensures uniform distribution of solder throughout the joint.

Copper pipes are soldered in two ways:

  1. The low-temperature method is used when installing household pipelines. In this case, both hard solder, which is heated to a temperature of at least 450 degrees, and soft solder, heated to 400 degrees, can be used.
  2. The high-temperature method is used for the installation of more serious pipelines that are subject to heavy loads. When connecting using this method, the solder is heated to a temperature of 600-900C.

What is needed for soldering

To make a capillary connection of copper pipes, you will need the following tools and materials:

  • tools for pre-processing of joined elements;
  • flux and solder;
  • special fum tape;
  • threading tools and ferrules;

Types of solders

There are two types of solders - hard and soft. Soft solder is a wire made of metals and alloys with a low melting point (tin, lead, silver, etc.). The diameter of such solder is no more than 3 mm.

Brazing alloys are made from refractory metals and have a larger diameter.

A connection made using hard solder can withstand heavy loads.

Flux and soldering paste

To ensure reliable connection, flux or paste is used. This substance prevents foreign elements from entering the joint, and the seam is reliable and without pores. Flux is based on boric or hydrochloric acid, zinc chloride. In order to create a protective film at the joint, resins, rosin, and wax are used.

Soldering fluxes are divided into liquid, solid and special pastes. The ready-made mixture is more expensive than other materials, but it is also much more convenient to work with.

Fitting

Fittings are special parts that are installed at the junction of workpieces of different diameters, connecting several pipes at one point, or when switching to another pipeline material.

During installation, fittings made of the same material as the pipes are used.

If you have to use fittings made of a different material, it is important that the coefficient of thermal expansion and other technical parameters of the material of the pipes and fittings match.

Tools

To solder a copper pipeline you will need:

  1. pipe cutter;
  2. chamfer;
  3. pipe expander;
  4. brushes, pipe cleaners, sponges.

Types of burners

The equipment presented on the construction market is divided into several types.

Burners with stationary and disposable cylinders

Such devices are equipped with disposable gas cylinders with propane, acetylene, etc. The advantages of using this type of equipment include mobility, ease of operation, and safety.

The only drawback of burners with disposable cylinders is that the cylinder must be changed every time after use.

You can use such a tool both when installing plumbing and heating systems.

Hand torches

The advantages of such equipment include, first of all, compactness. Using a hand soldering iron, it is convenient to assemble a pipeline in a small room and solder pipes in the most inaccessible places.

The hand torch operates on a disposable flammable gas cylinder. The tool is equipped with a flame length regulator; the kit usually includes nozzles of different diameters. The tool does not require connection to an electrical outlet. If you follow all operating rules, the connection is reliable and durable. Hand tools can easily cope with the installation of air conditioning systems and other household communications.

Professional burners

Equipment classified as professional is capable of working with particularly refractory solder. It is used when installing structures at industrial facilities where the pipeline is subjected to significant loads.

The advantage of industrial burners is the high flame temperature.

The large weight and dimensions will not allow you to work in a cramped apartment. It is not advisable to purchase such devices for domestic and personal use - household communications do not require such a quality connection, and the cost of the device is higher than that of other types.

Homemade burners

Sometimes craftsmen use devices assembled with their own hands. They differ in their characteristics and belong to both manual and stationary types. Homemade burners consist of the same basic elements as purchased ones. However, it is not recommended to use such devices, as there is no guarantee of operational safety. And in terms of performance characteristics, they are usually inferior to factory equipment.

How to choose a burner

When choosing equipment, the main attention should be paid to the class and performance characteristics.

If you buy a torch only for soldering household pipelines, you can get by with a manual or semi-professional device. Such a device is cheaper than a professional burner and will cope with the tasks. To install communications subject to high loads, you will need to use hard solders, so you will have to purchase professional equipment.

The most popular models and manufacturers

The construction market today offers a large number of devices from various manufacturers. Domestic gas burners are popular: Profi-Tools; Allgas; Donmet. Foreign manufacturers also enjoy a good reputation: Rothenberger; Kemper; Virax; Rems; Uniweld.

Most companies offer burners of different classes - from hand-held mobile devices to professional powerful devices. A semi-professional propane burner costs from 1.5 to 10 thousand rubles. Professional units will cost more – the minimum cost is 20 thousand rubles.

Soldering process

Before proceeding directly to joining the cut pieces, they must be pre-processed. First, the joint is cleaned, minor defects and burrs are eliminated. After this, the surfaces of the connected pipes are treated with brushes and cleaners from the outside and inside. Do not use abrasive tools, otherwise scratches will occur.

If required, one tube is expanded. The diameter of the copper pipes must be such that one piece fits freely into the other. Before this, it must be heated, otherwise mechanical damage will occur, which will subsequently affect the tightness of the connection.

To protect against air getting into the seam and for better adhesion, flux or paste is applied to the surface.

Only after completing the preparatory work should you start heating the solder and pipes using a torch. Heating must be done evenly to prevent overheating.

After the pipes have heated up, solder wire is introduced into the gap between them. It melts and fills the gap at the junction of the pipes, forming a seam. After cooling, the flux is removed.

Safety precautions

To avoid injuries and other unpleasant consequences, it is important to comply with safety requirements: install and repair pipelines only with protective gloves and goggles, in work overalls, do not allow the burner flame to come into contact with unprotected skin, do not allow the heated metal to touch unprotected skin, do not work with open fire near flammable materials.

After soldering is completed, the gas supply must stop.

Basic mistakes

The process of soldering copper pipes is not particularly complicated, however, beginners often make mistakes that subsequently affect the quality of the connection. Common mistakes made by beginners:

  • insufficient pre-treatment of the soldering site;
  • pressing - failure to maintain a sufficient gap between the pipes, resulting in an uneven seam;
  • using the wrong solder;
  • overheating of pipes, which leads to deterioration in performance;
  • insufficiently thorough cleaning of flux after soldering, which causes corrosion.

In addition, it is required to follow a pre-prepared design diagram.

process

For a clearer understanding of the installation process, watch the video here:

Subscribe to new articles - there is a lot of interesting things ahead!

Source: https://rem-serv.com/flyus-dlya-payki-medi-gorelkoy/

Do-it-yourself copper brazing

Welding copper is not the most justified technological solution. Having specific characteristics, the metal, when heated, tends to form a compound with oxygen and hydrogen, which is commonly called cuprous oxide.

Saturation of the weld zone with hydrogen leads to the appearance of a significant number of cracks and a decrease in the quality of the joint. Taking into account the above, it is not surprising that it is often more convenient to connect capricious materials by soldering.

This process does not require complex equipment and soldering copper with your own hands at home is possible in the same way as in production. The main thing is to choose the right tool, purchase the right materials and gain experience.

Depends on the task

The choice of tools and materials used primarily depends on the work being performed.

  • It’s one thing if we are talking about soldering wires or electronic circuits. Little energy is spent on heating them, and the connection area is limited. Here it is quite possible to get by with an electric soldering iron, ordinary tin-lead solder and rosin as a flux.
  • Other problems have to be solved by connecting parts of significant thickness and mass. They absorb a significant amount of heat and, due to their high thermal conductivity, quickly cool, releasing heat into the atmosphere. Gas burners or blowtorches, as well as fluxes that are more efficient than traditional rosin, help solve the problem.

Before you begin selecting equipment and materials, you should decide on the nature of the upcoming task and its volume.

Classic example

Let's consider an option that can be considered classic. Elastic, with high corrosion resistance and even bactericidal properties, copper is well suited for the manufacture of pipes. Such pipes are the optimal choice for water supply equipment, use in the food industry, as well as in various hydraulic systems. You can make new parts or restore damaged parts using soldering.

If we are talking about products of significant size, let’s put the electric soldering iron, the temperature of which reaches a maximum of 500 degrees Celsius, aside and proceed to choosing a gas burner, since blowtorches are less convenient for work. The following criteria should be taken into account:

  • Flame temperature. If for a home workshop you can limit yourself to purchasing a device in which this parameter reaches 1000 - 1500 degrees, then a professional needs the temperature to reach 2000 degrees. This will allow you to work with large parts and use refractory solders and fluxes.
  • Flame shape and size. For point work, it is important that it has a pencil shape and is as compact as possible. But for soldering large volumes of copper, a wide swirl flame is used. It is convenient when a gas burner has several replaceable nozzles and an adjustment system that allows for precise adjustments.
  • Convenience. Devices mounted on portable gas cylinders are also suitable for home use. But in production it is better to use burners connected to large gas cylinders using a hose. They are more convenient to use and designed for long-term use.

The burner must be supplied with a bracket for securing replacement blades and a set of blades of various sizes and cross-sections. Some people try to make a burner with their own hands. But this requires special knowledge and accurate calculations. It is much easier to buy a ready-made tool.

If solder, what kind?

Having decided on the tool, we proceed to the choice of solder. First of all, you should make sure that the material corresponds to a certain temperature regime. According to their characteristics, solders are conventionally divided into three groups.

  • Low temperature. They should be preferred if the soldering iron or torch is unable to provide good heating. However, the strength of the connection in this case will not be too high. This option is not suitable for parts operating under heavy loads.
  • Medium temperature. If the soldering torch has sufficient power, using such material it will be possible to create a durable seam with acceptable performance properties. But, for a number of reasons, such compositions are not widely used.
  • High temperature. As a rule, when using them, the highest joint strength is achieved. It should be remembered that not all copper alloys can withstand significant heat. Everything will depend on the compounds included in their composition. But if you want the resulting seam to withstand high loads, you will have to choose this option.

But it’s not just the melting point that distinguishes one solder from another. Their chemical composition is no less important. Brazing of copper is the most common method. In the course of this work, mixtures prepared according to various recipes are used. They are divided into several main categories.

  • Tin-copper and silver-copper. These are fairly easy-to-use low-temperature solders.
  • Copper-phosphorus. These high-temperature solders are convenient because, if necessary, they can be used without fluxes. But at low temperatures its mechanical properties deteriorate and, as a result, the strength of the connecting seam decreases.
  • Copper-silver-zinc. They also have high refractoriness. Their advantages include good ductility and high corrosion resistance.
  • High-temperature silver solders have good mechanical properties, however, flux is required for their use. An important disadvantage is the high cost of the material.

With the abundance of offers on the market, making solder yourself is not very justified.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ck-F5251tQ

For the manufacture of water pipes and products in contact with food, it is unacceptable to use compounds containing lead. The reason is obvious - lead is poisonous. A separate problem is soldering stainless steel with copper. But this can also be solved by choosing the right solder and flux.

Flux solves a lot

The best fluxes for soldering copper should be considered active compounds, such as ZIL-2 or F-38N. Phosphoric acid or solder fat work well. Even taking into account the high corrosion resistance of the metal, the joints must be thoroughly washed after completion of work. The reliability of the connection with stainless steels or aluminum alloys also depends on the choice of flux for soldering.

Clear actions

During the soldering process, it is imperative to follow a clear sequence of operations.

  • The metal surface is cleaned of dirt and oxides, and then degreased. To do this, metal brushes, various abrasives and solvents are used. Alternatively, alcohol.
  • The details are carefully recorded. If we are talking about soldering pipes, it is recommended to fix them using special clamps. This is important not only when making butt joints, but also when pipes are inserted into one another.
  • The metal warms up properly. Only after this, if necessary, is flux applied to its surface. The easiest way to do this is with a brush.
  • It is impossible to distribute pre-crushed solder over the surface of pipes. Therefore, it should be applied gradually, increasing the mass and evenly distributing the composition over the surface of the part. You should ensure that the material does not stick to the tip by cleaning the tool in a timely manner. Care must be taken to ensure that there are no gaps left and that the seam is sealed.

Pipes or other copper parts connected in this way will be able to withstand significant loads and will last a long time.

Why do you need solder paste?

As for the use of soldering paste, this material is characterized by a low melting point. It is used, as a rule, in radio electronics. The resulting connections cannot boast of high strength, but have good electrical conductivity. Since the paste already contains both flux and solder, it can be used to quickly perform a large number of small solderings using a regular electric soldering iron.

The main thing is patience

If you are planning to master soldering copper with your own hands, you should be patient. This technology requires experience and skill, which does not come immediately. Failed first attempts are not a reason to be upset. Practice, and the moment when you succeed will definitely come.

Source: https://svarkalegko.com/tehonology/pajka-medi.html

Flux for soldering copper pipes: what types are there, features and properties, how to use

When welding metals (and when soldering copper pipes), flux is used - a material produced in the form of pastes, powders or granules.

It is needed to protect parts from oxidation and slag, and to isolate the weld seam from air oxygen.

Such properties of the flux significantly increase the ductility and strength of the finished product, which has a positive effect on the quality of the latter. This article is devoted to welding copper pipes using fluxes.

In a nutshell about copper pipes

Copper pipes are a material known for its durability and reliability. Therefore, they are widely used in the installation of heating communications and water supply, as well as gas pipes, regardless of their price.

Copper pipes are often used in private construction.

In addition to reliability and durability, copper pipes have other advantages: immunity to corrosion and precipitation, resistance to elevated temperatures.

The average service life of copper pipes is about 50 years. However, to work with copper pipes, experience in welding is required.

Copper pipes are connected by soldering, which can be carried out in two temperature conditions: at low and at high temperatures. The choice of soldering temperature is based on the purpose of the welding work.

For example, for soldering connections that require special reliability, such as gas pipes, it is recommended to carry out the welding process at higher temperatures than usual and using flux.

This will avoid gas leakage due to the formation of a particularly strong seam. For all other types of work, low-temperature soldering can be used.

Flux during soldering

Experienced welders who have worked in production for many years, of course, can do without the compounds in question.

However, if you are a second-class specialist or are just starting to use a welding machine, flux is your faithful friend, because its use simplifies the process and improves the quality of the resulting products.

Judge for yourself: even if you don’t have much experience, submerged arc soldering guarantees a much better result than arc welding.

This is due to the fact that in the first case the seams are reliable and even, and the work itself takes much less of your time.

In addition, the soldering technique under consideration ensures deeper melting of the part due to the choice of current with increased density.

True, in this case the temperature of action on the electrode also increases, as a result of which it may lose part of the coating, but this is not at all a cause for concern.

Moreover, the use of a special composition during soldering will help to avoid the appearance of pores and, subsequently, foreign bodies at the weld site, because when soldering with a submerged arc torch, pores in principle are not formed.

Let's look at some important features of flux. Those who decide to use such compounds in their practice need to know them.

For example, inexperienced craftsmen form an oxide film on the outside of the product, the thickness of which sometimes exceeds 1 mm. To avoid such a process, it is recommended:

  • Closely monitor the temperature. It is very important to maintain the soldering temperatures of solder and pipes at the same level. This temperature regime allows you to prevent critical situations, because in this case you can determine the degree of overheating by eye.
  • Use high-quality flux from recommended manufacturers. A composition made without observing quality standards will only interfere with work, because a poorly prepared substance can worsen the condition of the resulting seam.

How to choose flux

To buy a high-quality soldering flux, the use of which guarantees a reliable connection of copper pipes, it is recommended to adhere to the following criteria:

  • The viscosity of the solder must be greater than the viscosity of the flux itself.
  • The consistency of the mixture (paste, powder or liquid) does not affect the quality of welding. You can choose the composition in any form, the main thing is that when applied to the metal surface it is distributed without lumps, evenly covering the entire available area.
  • High-quality material dissolves the oxide film as it forms during welding. In addition, it protects the product from re-oxidation. In order to determine the quality of the flux, you can use it immediately before welding on unnecessary copper parts.
  • A composition of poor quality may be destroyed during operation. This indicates that such material needs to be replaced, because high-quality flux does not lose its properties even during high-temperature welding.
  • A weld seam using a high-quality composition most often comes out smooth and neat.
  • When using high-quality flux, all dirt remaining after soldering copper can be easily removed from the product.
  • Using high-quality material, both vertical and horizontal seams are obtained.

If the substance you choose meets all the specified points, it is suitable for soldering and guarantees a good result.

In addition, after soldering, you don’t have to worry about the cleanliness of the welding surfaces, because the high-quality composition can be removed without a trace with a regular solvent.

Some types of flux for soldering copper pipes

In the 21st century, the range offered by flux manufacturers for copper soldering is simply huge. Previously, there was no such variety in choice; only a fairly limited set was available to the average person.

However, now manufacturers are constantly changing the composition of the mixture, which is why the quantity of goods offered is also increasing. In all this diversity, the most commonly purchased and used types of materials are:

Fluxes containing rosin

These materials are economical and therefore very popular. Such mixtures are easy to prepare, as they require a minimum set of ingredients: sodium salts and the already mentioned rosin.

It is believed that a similar composition can be made at home. It will be practically no different from the usual one produced at the factory, and the price will be cheaper.

However, its preparation will take some time. Those who value their time can purchase a rosin-based composition in a specialized store.

The disadvantages of such mixtures include the need for increased attention to the temperature conditions during soldering.

This is due to the properties of rosin: when critically high temperatures are reached, this material can become charred, which spoils all the work done.

Fluxes containing salicylate

These mixtures also contain few ingredients, which makes them accessible for making at home. To prepare, you need to crush acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) tablets.

The resulting powder is mixed with special petroleum jelly (an alternative is ethyl alcohol). This mixture can be used when soldering small parts and equipment.

The use of this type of composition on copper pipes is not recommended. The factory version is more suitable for this. This material is quite in demand among novice craftsmen, because it guarantees a neat and even seam.

Anti-corrosion fluxes

They consist of a large number of different components, so it is hardly possible to make them at home.

Such mixtures, as the name suggests, have protective properties, protecting the weld from early rusting and oxidation, while removing unnecessary moisture from the soldering area.

As already mentioned, fluxes are commercially available in various forms: liquids, pastes and powders. The consistency of the composition has no influence on the result of welding work, so the choice of shape is based on the tastes of each master.

Some people find it more convenient to work with a paste-like material that remains on the surface of copper pipes without spreading, while others, on the contrary, like a liquid composition.

It is believed that flux, which has the consistency of a powder, is the least convenient for beginners, since its use takes longer than the use of other forms, and also requires a certain skill.

Liquid mixtures, which are sold and stored in bottles, are usually cheaper than others, but paste mixtures are considered the most expensive. The liquid composition requires the simultaneous use of solder.

The mixture in the form of a paste simplifies and speeds up the soldering work, since it is most convenient to apply. In addition, the weld strength when using paste material is the highest.

Therefore, novice craftsmen can be recommended to use paste mixtures for welding copper pipes. Such compositions represent options that are optimal in terms of convenience and price-quality ratio.

P.S

A few tips for those who decide to use flux when welding (soldering) copper pipes:

  • Buy several formulations of different types and forms and try them to determine which one is best for your operation.
  • Don't chase low prices and choose products from manufacturers you trust.
  • You can ask advice from masters with experience (for example, in the comments under this post).

We wish you good luck in choosing and using flux for soldering copper pipes!

Source: https://prosvarku.info/tehnika-svarki/flyus-dlya-pajki-mednyh-trub

Improvised means as flux for soldering

Fluxes are substances of organic or inorganic composition used in soldering metals. Their purpose is to reduce the surface tension forces of the molten solder and ensure better uniform spreading.

In addition, the flux protects the soldering surface from exposure to oxygen, and thereby prevents oxidation. In many cases, homemade flux can replace liquid or powder prepared in production. You just need to know what materials to use for it.

Main types

Fluxes are active (acidic) and passive (acid-free).

The former actively influence the top layer of metal during the soldering process, partially changing its chemical structure, the latter simply wash away oxides from the surface and create a thin film that prevents the access of oxygen.

After use, active fluxes must be washed off from the surfaces of brazed parts, as residual substances can cause corrosion. You can wash it off with water with a little added alkali.

Soldering acid, rosin, solder fat, and flux pastes are used as fluxes. The quality of soldering of various metals depends on the type of material and its characteristics.

After all, for each specific case, ideally, you need to select the most suitable composition.

The flux can be included in the solder paste or sealed into a hollow solder tube to improve soldering ease.

There are many ready-made soldering fluxes available in solid, liquid and gel form. If you urgently need to carry out soldering work, but there are no consumables at hand, you can prepare such a composition yourself, using improvised means.

Of course, a homemade, hastily prepared flux will be inferior in quality and characteristics to that produced in a factory, but it will be able to ensure high-quality soldering.

Aspirin and citric acid

To make flux, you can use any substances that have good solvent and antioxidant properties.

It can be:

  • alcohols;
  • acids;
  • vegetable and animal oils.

The simplest flux is prepared by dissolving a tablet or powder of acetylsalicylic acid in water. Acetylsalicylic acid is in the medicine cabinet in almost every home (this is the most common cheap aspirin). It is necessary to dissolve the tablets or powder until the sediment disappears.

Citric acid powder (white granules) is also used.

There are tips to use lemon juice, but it is quite weak, so the effect of its use will be subtle.

When soldering with aspirin or lemon juice, a lot of gas is released, so the room in which they are worked must be equipped with an exhaust hood or well ventilated.

Alcohol, glycerin, rosin

You can get a good alcohol-rosin flux by dissolving rosin in ethyl alcohol. First you need to crush the rosin in a mortar as finely as possible.

Rosin dissolves very slowly in alcohol, and the speed of flux preparation will depend on its thorough grinding. After mixing the alcohol with rosin, it is better to leave the future flux for several hours to complete the dissolution.

You can speed up the process by placing the solution in a sealable glass container and heating it to 80 ℃ in a water bath. Alcohol rosin flux is completely neutral and does not even require rinsing after soldering.

Ethyl alcohol can be successfully replaced with glycerin. This glycerin flux will be thicker than alcohol rosin and will be more convenient to use. In this case, the dissolution of rosin will slow down.

It will be much more effective to first dissolve it in alcohol and then mix it with glycerin. In this case, the activity of the composition will significantly increase, but you will have to wash off the residue from the soldered workpieces.

It’s even possible to make rosin yourself, although it will take time. It is necessary to collect resin from pine trunks in warm, dry weather and melt it.

Can be used for soldering as a flux or its component, rosin for bowed string instruments. It is of very high quality and well cleaned. But its price is much higher than that of soldering rosin.

Hydrochloric and phosphoric acid

A very effective flux is obtained by dissolving zinc granules in hydrochloric acid. To do this, concentrated acid must be diluted in equal parts with water and the granules placed in a glass container should be poured with this solution. For complete dissolution, zinc will be required at the rate of 412 g per 1 liter of hydrochloric acid.

The dissolution process will be accompanied by a rapid release of hydrogen from the acid, so it is better to prepare in rooms with very good ventilation and away from open fire.

Using flux obtained from hydrochloric acid, steel workpieces are successfully soldered. If you add ammonia to the solution (the same amount as zinc), then this composition can be used when soldering absolutely any metals and alloys.

A good flux is phosphoric acid. It is used when soldering nichrome and stainless steel.

Liquid fluxes are best applied with a thin brush, and should be stored in a tightly sealed glass container with a narrow neck.

Application of fat

Soldering flux can be made from fat with a fairly high melting point. Then at room temperature it will not soften on its own, which will make it easier to work with.

To obtain such a flux, the fat must be melted and mixed with crushed rosin and ammonia in a certain proportion. For three parts of fat by volume you will need the same amount of ammonia and one part of rosin.

For ease of use, the finished flux can be placed in the body of a medical disposable syringe and, if necessary, squeeze out the required amount.

If you are not sure whether a homemade flux is suitable for soldering a part, then you can do a little research. It is necessary to distribute the prepared substance over the surface of a piece of the same metal that is to be soldered.

If, when heated, the flux is evenly distributed over the surface, then it is considered suitable for soldering. If it collects in balls and flows down, then it will be able to provide satisfactory wettability of the part.

The ability to dissolve the oxide film on the metal surface is checked by washing off the applied flux. If the surface remains clean after washing, then the flux dissolves oxides well. On the contrary, if traces of an oxide film or rust remain, then soldering with this flux cannot be performed.

Source: https://svaring.com/soldering/flus/izgotovlenie-svoimi-rukami

Good flux for soldering:

Soldering flux is an auxiliary substance, the use of which helps clean the surfaces of metal elements being joined from oxidation. When resorting to soldering without the use of flux, you should not count on high-quality work and reliable fastening of the necessary parts. Therefore, before you begin joining parts using a soldering iron, you need to select a good, high-quality flux.

Purpose

Fluxes are used primarily to remove all kinds of contaminants from the surface of the metal. Moreover, when soldering joints, they protect the heated solder from oxidation. This, in turn, promotes the spreadability of solder and, accordingly, improves the quality of soldering.

A good flux for soldering can only be selected based on the nature of the metal joints and the alloy of the solder. Residues of any fluxes, regardless of their type, must be removed from the joints after completing the work, since they themselves contaminate the metal and can lead to the development of corrosion processes.

Types of fluxes for soldering

Conventionally, fluxes are divided into two main categories - oxidizing and reducing. Also, depending on the need to perform certain tasks, fluxes are used for metal smelting, welding, electrolysis, growing single crystals, soldering non-ferrous and jewelry alloys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1mQng5Okk8

In general, according to the effect that is exerted on the metal during soldering, the following fluxes are distinguished:

  • active (acidic);
  • acid-free;
  • anti-corrosion;
  • activated;
  • protective.

Active fluxes

This soldering flux often contains hydrochloric acid, fluoride and chloride metals. The action of active fluxes involves the active dissolution of oxide films on the surface of metal parts. Thanks to these properties, maximum mechanical strength of the resulting joints is ensured.

Despite their wide distribution, active fluxes are not suitable for use in the installation and soldering of electrical equipment, because their residues quickly corrode the joint of parts.

Acid-free fluxes

Acid-free soldering flux, commonly known as rosin, is a substance made from alcohol, glycerin and turpentine. When the soldering iron is heated to a temperature of more than 150 °C, the use of such a flux makes it possible to dissolve the oxides of lead, copper, and tin, reliably cleaning the metal surfaces.

The main advantage of flux in the form of rosin is the absence of the effect of separation of the joined surfaces during soldering. This flux is widely used for soldering copper, bronze, and brass.

Activated fluxes

This type of flux is prepared on the basis of phosphoric or hydrochloric acid aniline, diethylamine or salicylic acid. This option is suitable for soldering a wide range of metals and alloys, such as iron, copper, steel, nickel, zinc, silver, as well as copper parts without the need for pre-cleaning.

Anti-corrosion fluxes

Based on the definition itself, it is easy to guess that anti-corrosion flux is used for soldering most often when it is necessary to connect parts that are potentially susceptible to the development of corrosion processes.

The composition of soldering flux with anti-corrosion properties includes the use of technical petroleum jelly, salicylic acid, triethanolamine and ethyl alcohol. Despite its main purpose, this type of flux requires careful removal of its residues upon completion of soldering by wiping the parts with acetone or alcohol.

Protective fluxes

Since there is no destructive chemical effect on metals during use, protective flux can be used for soldering microcircuits. Like most other types of fluxes, such substances protect previously cleaned metal surfaces from oxidation. The category of protective fluxes primarily includes petroleum jelly, wax, powdered sugar, olive oil, and other substances with weak chemical activity.

Storage

The most common alcohol-based fluxes usually have a liquid consistency. Therefore, they need to be stored in a carefully sealed, airtight container. Otherwise, there is a loss of their basic properties and even complete evaporation.

Soldering flux paste also needs to be stored in a closed container. The optimal conditions for such flux are a room with a low level. Despite the fact that the paste does not absorb moisture from the environment, there is a danger of moisture condensation on the walls of the container and surfaces located nearby.

It is recommended to store flux gel for soldering away from flammable substances, objects and sources of open flame, since most fluxes in this category are highly flammable. In this case, the storage temperature should be no lower than 10 and no more than 25 degrees Celsius.

Application of flux

When soldering, the joints are thoroughly cleaned, coated with flux and heated with a soldering iron. At the point of application, the flux begins to foam and smoke. At this moment, a small amount of solder must be applied to the tip of the soldering iron, which will subsequently cover the surfaces to be connected.

It’s probably not worth talking about the properties and advantages of using fluxes for soldering once again. You just need to take a soldering iron and try to connect the parts without flux. In this case, the soldering process will be truly lengthy, and the result will be frankly of poor quality, since the solder will be too unreliably fixed to the surface being soldered.

How to prepare flux for soldering yourself?

The simplest option for making your own flux is to use a rosin-alcohol base. To begin with, rosin powder is poured into the container, after which it is filled with an alcohol solution. After some time, the alcohol will evaporate and the flux will acquire a moderately thick consistency, convenient for applying the substance to metal parts during soldering.

As a self-prepared flux, which is suitable for tinning steel and copper surfaces, you can use acetylsalicylic acid dissolved in a small amount of water, acetone or alcohol. It is convenient to store such liquid flux in a varnish container, using a lid with a brush when applying.

How to choose the right flux?

According to avid radio amateurs who are well versed in soldering, choosing the right flux is an almost 100% guarantee of successful completion of the job. Here you should first of all focus on the material of the parts being connected, as well as the nature of the soldering.

For soldering radio components, copper parts and wires, it is advisable to use inactive fluxes based on rosin. Such fluxes are a modified version of ordinary rosin as a result of the addition of a number of components known as activators.

Inactive fluxes have improved antioxidant properties. Due to their paste or liquid state, such fluxes can be applied directly to circuit boards or soldering joints of metal joints. This flux is ideal for soldering aluminum. Additionally, it is worth noting their wide availability and relatively low cost.

As for medium-active fluxes, it is advisable to use them for soldering the most delicate contacts, for example, when repairing mobile phones and other modern portable devices. Suitable for this purpose are fluxes that do not foam or boil during operation, have minimal corrosion, and are also easy to apply to boards.

Often, medium-active fluxes are used by service center technicians for the repair of digital mobile devices. They are usually used for soldering the smallest microcircuits. Moreover, they are suitable for use not only with lead, but also with lead-free solders.

The most versatile are gel fluxes. They can be used for almost any type of soldering. Gel-like flux is especially effective for soldering aluminum, copper, and other common materials using lead solders.

Finally

The correct selection of suitable consumables when performing soldering is a guarantee of quality work done. In addition to choosing a good flux, you need to select a solder that matches the nature of the soldering, a hair dryer attachment, a soldering iron tip, and other things.

Even if you use the most advanced soldering stations in your work, if you have the wrong flux, solder or tip, you can end up getting a completely different result than you expected.

Enough water has flown under the bridge since then, when specialists actively used classic soldering irons with a power of up to 60 W with a homemade copper tip turned by a file, as well as ordinary rosin as a flux.

Currently, the use of such material and technical base is extremely ineffective.

Source: https://www.syl.ru/article/183923/new_horoshiy-flyus-dlya-payki

DIY soldering with flux for aluminum

Quite often you can hear the opinion that aluminum alloys and aluminum itself are quite difficult to solder. However, this opinion will be valid only if the same fluxes and solders are used for it as for copper, steel and a number of other materials. Today you can find special materials on sale that were developed directly for soldering aluminum. As a result, it became as possible to solder it as copper.

The difficulty of soldering aluminum when using standard solders and fluxes lies in a number of chemical and physical properties of such a material. First of all, it should be noted that on the surface of this metal there is always a fairly strong oxide film, which is also capable of well resisting the effects of a wide variety of chemical compounds.

The oxide film prevents solder from contacting the metal surface directly. To overcome it, they resort to one of 2 methods:

  1. Mechanical processing , due to which the film is removed from the surface of the wire, after which it can begin to be soldered.
  2. The use of strong fluxes , which simply dissolve it and expose the surface of pure metal.

The difficulty when soldering aluminum also lies in the fact that this metal has a low melting point, which is only 660 degrees. The strength of the wire when heated to 250-300 degrees becomes significantly lower, which is why it becomes unstable.

Soldering temperature should be between 500 and 640 degrees. This is not too long an interval, especially if you plan to use high-temperature soldering, where there is a very high probability of overheating of the material, after which the wire melts.

Unlike almost all metals used in low-melting solders:

  • lead;
  • cadmium;
  • bismuth;
  • antimony, etc., aluminum has the characteristic of low mutual solubility. This leads to the fact that the strength of the joints obtained as a result of soldering leaves much to be desired.

What to use?

The choice of flux for aluminum depends on a number of important factors. In particular, the most popular is the so-called binary flux, which is a solution of concentrated phosphoric acid.

It has a large number of positive aspects:

  1. This composition is no-clean , that is, it will not require additional washing after completion of soldering work.
  2. It acts very quickly , so you can start soldering almost immediately after applying it to the surface of the wire.
  3. The substance is universal , therefore it is suitable for a number of other metals, in particular steel or copper.

To make aluminum soldering as good as possible, you need to use solders that contain aluminum, silver, silicon, zinc and copper. You can find consumables on sale that contain all these materials.

When choosing solder, take into account that the connection will have the highest ability to resist corrosion processes if the solder contains a large amount of zinc.

It is quite acceptable to use solders made on the basis of lead and tin for soldering aluminum , but here it will be impossible to do without either mechanical stripping of the material or without the use of reliable fluxes. It is not recommended to use this type of solder as aluminum will not bond to it reliably. Another negative point is the susceptibility of the connection to corrosion.

To solder aluminum, you should purchase only high-temperature solders, without which it will be quite problematic to achieve a high-quality connection of wires.

In addition to solder and flux, you will need a soldering iron. The width of the tip here will directly depend on how large the cross-section of the wire is - the higher it is, the wider the tip should be selected. It is worth noting that soldering irons with unregulated heating temperatures are now gradually becoming a thing of the past.

They are being replaced by so-called soldering stations. These products are good because they have a temperature regulator for heating the soldering iron tip, as well as a whole set of these replacement tips. When working with a material such as aluminum, this is a very useful point. On the display you can set the required temperature to the nearest degree and get to work.

How to solder?

Before proceeding with direct soldering, it is necessary to properly prepare the surface of the wires. First, the surface must be degreased. This is achieved by treating the soldering area with acetone, gasoline or another type of solvent.

If there is no flux on hand, it is necessary to mechanically remove the oxide film from the surface of the wire. This is done using sandpaper, a steel brush, etching fluid, and so on.

It must be remembered that it will not be possible to remove the abrasive film by mechanical means, since a new, albeit thinner, oxide film immediately forms on the metal surface due to contact with air. Flux is much better in this regard, as it removes all the oxide film and prevents air from penetrating the metal.

When the oxide is removed, the wires are fixed, heated with a soldering iron and solder is applied to the heated area.

Blitz tips

  1. If it is not possible to prepare everything you need , you can take rosin as a flux and remove the oxide film from the surface of the aluminum under the molten rosin. In this case, the soldering iron will be used not only for its intended purpose, but also as a tool capable of removing the oxide layer.
  2. without the use of special materials , especially since the quality of such products will not be very high, and therefore it is best to use specialized tools for soldering this metal.

Source: https://housetronic.ru/electro/pajka-alyuminiya-flusom.html

Flux for soldering copper pipes

Few people know what soldering flux means. Flux is a substance consisting of chemical elements that helps solder better fill the joint space.

In addition, one of the functions of flux is to clean a metal product from dirt and products of the oxidation process, such as boric and hydrochloric acid. In addition, it forms a layer of protective film against air oxygen .

It is taking these features into account that it is necessary to correctly select the types of metal products that need to be connected and the substances that will fill the connecting gap, and also keep the temperature heater parameters under control.

Types of flux

  1. The first type of chemical assistant includes substances that do an excellent job of preventing corrosive formations. This connecting substance consists mainly of substances that dissolve the liquid and an element such as phosphorus. As a result of their mutual work, an integral connecting substance is formed.

    When using this type, there is no need to use substances that are designed to clean after the soldering process. It is very profitable and not at all troublesome.

  2. The second type of flux can be classified as a substance consisting of salicylic acid, which is perfectly soluble in organic solvents. In addition to this component of the connecting substance, Vaseline, alcohol and gold derivatives can also serve as a base.

    If you use this type of flux, you can achieve excellent results with your seams; in addition to cleanliness, they will acquire a neat appearance.

  3. The third type of soft connector includes rosin and sodium salt of boric acid. Sodium salt begins to melt at temperatures above 70 degrees Celsius.

    It is necessary to pay special attention to the fact that this substance and its melting products are absolutely not harmful to human life and health.
    You can create your own connecting substances by mixing all the components into one.

Submerged Copper Soldering

What is the difference between soldering and flux?

First you need to understand its differences from conventional arc soldering. So, compared to welding with hands, the process of soldering with flux becomes more effective. The return level increases by about 4–5 times .

And this is understandable, since electric current passes through the electrode wire only as it extends. Therefore, the use of flux in the welding process of copper makes it possible to use current with increased density.

You don’t even have to worry about the fact that the electrode will be exposed to high temperatures for a long time, which will lead to detachment of the coating material.

Materials for soldering copper pipes

In addition, in the process of using high currents, the melting depth of the metal product increases to quite high levels.
Even because of this, the soldering process can be carried out without cutting the thickened edge. We must pay tribute to the fact that while providing high protection of the metal in the molten state from contact with air flows, metal seams and connections are of high quality.

DIY copper pipe soldering

The minimum amount of foreign inclusions is achieved by the absence of pores in metal seams. There is an explanation for this: the rate of formation of metal crystals increases, since slag formations are present on the coating of the connecting seams.

The disadvantage of using soft connectors is that the metal in the molten state becomes as liquid and fluid as possible.

Before purchasing flux for copper products, pay attention to its special features.
First of all, in order to avoid the formation of a film of oxides, it is necessary to take some measures:

  • Always keep the temperature limits of the soft connector and solder under control to ensure they are the same. When choosing a flux, focus on its performance, depending on the type of solder.
  • In the case when an ideal coincidence of temperature indicators is achieved, the possibility of using it as a device for measuring temperature changes occurring during the soldering process opens up. Therefore, overheating of elements during soldering is impossible.

Today, fluxes are commercially available in dry, paste and liquid form. In most cases, liquid connectors find their way into the liquid solder process.

Flux in dry form is inconvenient to use.
Paste-like flux for copper products is quite convenient, since it does not require delay in its use.

Particular attention should be paid to the quality of the flux in order to obtain a high-quality result of the work done.

Quality can be determined by the following criteria:

  • the surface after soldering is completely covered with it;
  • has a viscous base and high density, which ensures the availability of solder to its destination;
  • protects against film formation and cleans it efficiently;
  • has a homogeneous composition of chemicals;
  • with its help, all seams during the soldering process are visible;
  • using it, it becomes possible to work in a vertical position;
  • easily removed contaminants.

To achieve a high-quality product, you need to get rid of it after the soldering process using solvents intended for this purpose.

Source: https://o-trubah.com/materialy/mednye-truby/fljus-dlja-pajki/

DIY flux for soldering copper

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Soldering copper with your own hands is a simple process that even beginners can handle. The post soldering technology is understandable; it does not require many years of experience and professional skills. This is why working with copper is so popular among home craftsmen.

But it is not enough for you to know soldering technology alone to achieve decent quality connections. It is important to know how to use the tool and choose the right flux for copper. Flux improves the strength of the connection, protects the soldering area from external factors and, in general, allows you to obtain connections of the best quality. In this article we will briefly describe how to choose a flux for copper soldering and how to use it in your work.

Types of fluxes

Fluxes are divided according to two characteristics: chemical composition and consistency. Let's start with the chemical composition.

Chemical composition

There are 3 types of fluxes: anti-corrosion with phosphorus, salicylic acid-based fluxes and boric acid-based rosin/flux. Let's look at each type in more detail.

Anti-corrosion fluxes are made from phosphorus and solvents. Such fluxes make it possible to obtain a compound that is resistant to the formation and spread of corrosion. Also, this type of flux does not need to be removed after soldering, which saves time. Anti-corrosion fluxes are acidic.

The second type of acid flux is a flux based on salicylic acid with the addition of technical petroleum jelly. Such fluxes are also called VTS. The resulting connections are neat and aesthetic. The soldering itself is clean; there is no need to further clean the metal. Most often used for electrical installation work.

For soldering work, either ordinary rosin is often used (it is also called natural), or its solutions in alcohol (this includes CE flux, for example).

Rosin can improve the spreading of solder during soldering, distributing it evenly along the junction of two workpieces. Also, molten rosin can dissolve oxides, thereby protecting the soldering area and improving the quality of the connection.

Consistency

Flux for soldering copper is available in liquid, paste and dry form. We recommend using paste fluxes, since they are very convenient to work with when soldering copper pipes. Dry fluxes are absolutely unsuitable for such work, and liquid fluxes do not always achieve the desired result.

Pay attention to the consistency. It should be homogeneous, without lumps or foreign inclusions. If you use low-quality flux in your work, the result of the work done will be unsatisfactory.

Features of application

First of all, decide on the type of soldering work. After all, the technology for soldering copper wires and for soldering copper pipes will be different. We will talk about soldering copper pipes, since flux is required for such work.

Let's start with the tool. You will need a quality soldering iron, a metal knife or pipe cutter, a chamfer, a wire brush, a pipe expander, a hammer and a tape measure. Take the part and cut the pieces to the required size using a pipe cutter or metal knife.

Then clean the edges of the pipe using a wire brush. There should be no traces of dirt, oil, dust, paint, etc. on the metal surface. Take a pipe expander and expand the edge of one of the blanks. This way you can connect one pipe to another.

Now the flux. As we said earlier, it is better to use paste flux. Apply it to the ends of the workpieces in the place of future soldering. Can be applied using a brush or fingers. Insert one pipe into the other. The workpieces must fit tightly together and squeeze out excess flux. Remove them with a rag.

Next, you need to warm up the place of future soldering using a gas burner. Pay close attention to the color of the flux, it will be our indicator. As soon as the flux turns gray or silver, heating should be stopped.

Now you need to bring solder to the soldering area. This can be filler wire or rod. The solder does not need to be heated, since the temperature of the heated workpiece is sufficient to melt the wire. As soon as the rod begins to melt, we need to fill the entire joint with it.

All is ready! Wait for the part to cool completely, then remove any remaining solder and flux from the surface of the pipe, if necessary.

Instead of a conclusion

As you can see, to perform soldering you need basic knowledge, the right and convenient tool, flux and wire for welding copper. This can be copper-plated welding wire or solder containing silver. For example, copper solder with 15 percent silver. As for flux, it is recommended to use a paste-like material, since it is easier and more convenient to work with.

What do you think about this? What flux and filler material do you use? Share your experiences with soldering copper, including copper wires, in the comments below. Any advice or recommendation will be useful for novice welders. We wish you good luck in your work!

Five thousand years ago, minters from Egypt discovered a new type of joining metals using the soldering method. The essence of the method is to create a connection between different metals by filling the seams with solder, which is a molten material with a melting point lower than that of the parts of the product being connected.

Unlike steel, it is more expedient to connect copper parts by soldering rather than welding. This is especially important if you have to work with thin-walled copper pipes, which are widely used in heating, plumbing, gas and refrigeration systems. Even a beginner can handle this kind of work.

Source: https://crast.ru/instrumenty/fljus-dlja-pajki-medi-svoimi-rukami

How to make soldering flux at home

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To prepare soldering flux from soap, we will need. Plant-based “Duru” soap, acid (I used hydrochloric acid, or acetic acid) and rosin.

If you use soap based on animal fats, then when soldering, the flux will smell very unpleasant. Soldering flux, made from plant-based soap, does not smell when soldering. The only smell you will smell is the aroma of the soap used and the rosin.

Preparing flux for soldering

This soldering flux recipe is quite competitive with sold fluxes. But of course, it’s up to you to decide what’s better, buy or make it yourself.

Required components for soldering flux

So let's get started, we need.

Obtaining stearin

I took 3 pieces of soap (you can take a half or a quarter of a piece of soap for testing), and grated it on a coarse grater.

Next, I added hot (no matter) water to the soap and put it on the stove to warm up. Stir occasionally as it heats up. As soon as the soap dissolved, I turned off the gas stove.

In order not to spoil the pan with hydrochloric acid, I poured the soap solution into a plastic basin (if you use table vinegar, you do not need to pour it).

I poured about half of this product containing hydrochloric acid into a hot soapy solution. The solution began to coagulate, and flakes of stearin began to float on the surface.

At this stage, you need to check the presence of acid in the solution; to do this, add baking soda to the container at the tip of the knife. The acid should react with the soda in the form of a hiss. If there is no reaction, then you need to add more acid.

Remember, this is important, the acid content in the solution must be in excess.

If there is no fizz, then the reaction will not be complete and the yield of the finished product will not be complete (you need to pour soda into the solution itself, clearing the way to it by stirring with a stick, and not just on top of the stearin, I think this is clear).

I let the solution stand for 20 minutes and put it in water (in the bath) to cool. As soon as it cooled down to room temperature, I took it out onto the balcony for the convenience of further separating the solution from the resulting one (it was +1 degree outside). In the summer, you can limit yourself only to cooling in cold water.

Stearin purification

I drained all the liquid and washed it with cold (ice) water. I collected everything in an iron container.

By the way, used containers and accessories can be washed well in warm water with washing powder (I used Tide).

He poured water into the container and put it on low heat. Heated the resulting stearin until it melted. Bring the solution to a boil and cook for 10 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly. Then he took it off the heat and put it in water to cool.

As soon as the mixture cooled, I picked out the resulting stearin, drained the water and removed the loose layer from below (threw it away). I washed the piece with cold (ice) water and wiped it with toilet paper to remove any remaining loose layer and water.

Source: https://moy-instrument.ru/podelki/kak-sdelat-payalnyj-flyus-v-domashnih-usloviyah.html

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