The fraction represent percentage of tin first, then lead, totaling 100%: Any movement during the plastic phase may result in cracks, resulting in an unreliable joint.Д¬ommon solder formulations based on tin and lead are listed below. A non-eutectic formulation must remain still as the temperature drops through the liquidus and solidus temperatures. And, having no plastic phase allows for quicker wetting as the solder heats up, and quicker setup as the solder cools. Having the lowest possible melting point minimizes heat stress on electronic components during soldering. Some examples of soft-solder are tin-lead for general purposes, tin-zinc for joining aluminium, lead-silver for strength at higher than room temperature, cadmium-silver for strength at high temperatures, zinc-aluminium for aluminium and corrosion resistance, and tin-silver and tin-bismuth for electronics.ДЄ eutectic formulation has advantages when applied to soldering: the liquidus and solidus temperatures are the same, so there is no plastic phase, and it has the lowest possible melting point. Other alloys are used for plumbing, mechanical assembly, and other applications. In electronics assembly, the eutectic alloy with 63% tin and 37% lead (or 60/40, which is almost identical in melting point) has been the alloy of choice. Soldering filler materials are available in many different alloys for differing applications. Brass bodies are often soldered together, while keywork and braces are most often brazed.

Musical instruments, especially brass and woodwind instruments, use a combination of soldering and brazing in their assembly. Automated methods such as wave soldering or use of ovens can make many joints on a complex circuit board in one operation, vastly reducing production cost of electronic devices. Electronic connections may be hand-soldered with a soldering iron. Soldering is also used to join lead came and copper foil in stained glass work.Д®lectronic soldering connects electrical wiring to devices, and electronic components to printed circuit boards. Small mechanical parts are often soldered or brazed as well. Jewelry components, machine tools and some refrigeration and plumbing components are often assembled and repaired by the higher temperature silver soldering process. Soldering provides reasonably permanent but reversible connections between copper pipes in plumbing systems as well as joints in sheet metal objects such as food cans, roof flashing, rain gutters and automobile radiators. Soldering is used in plumbing, electronics, and metalwork from flashing to jewelry and musical instruments. Soldering was historically used to make jewelry, cookware and cooking tools, assembling stained glass, as well as other uses. 3000 BC were assembled using hard soldering. Soldering and brazing are thought to have originated very early in the history of metal-working, probably before 4000 BC. There is evidence that soldering was employed as early as 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia.

Small figurine being created by soldering

Reflow soldering