What is soldering?

16th March 2020

	What is soldering?
			Shop for Plumbing Irons
			The word ‘solder’ comes from the Latin term ‘Solidare’ meaning to make solid. Soldering is the process of joining two pieces of metal together. This is done by bonding them using another metal in a liquid state.

			Soldering is commonly known as sweating; the connection between the pipe and fitting is sometimes called the sweated joint.

			Traditionally, soldering is carried out using a gas blow torch.

			What makes up solder?
			Solder is an alloy made up of two or more metals, usually a combination of: aluminium, zinc, nickel, silver, copper, lead, bismuth, antimony or palladium, and comes in the form of wire.

			What is the difference between hard and soft solder?
			Hard solder Hard solder usually contains zinc, copper or silver, it has a melting point of above 450 ̊C, and is mostly used for silver soldering, which is can be called brazing.


			Soft solder Soft solder uses alloys with a melting point between 180 – 190 ̊C, and is used for intricate and detailed areas such as plumbing and electrical circuit boards.

			For plumbing in water systems, a lead-free solder is used. This type of solder contains less than 0.2% lead, meeting the requirements set by law. It is usually soft, but it can be harder to melt as it has a higher melting point.

			Is there a difference between soldering and brazing?
			Soldering and brazing are often confused. Brazing is distinguished from soldering by having a much higher melting point than hard solder.

			Soldering is mainly used in plumbing, electronics and jewellery making, and uses a lower temperatures to melt the soft solder.