When there is a desire to assemble your own electronic device, you need to stock up with a soldering iron, solder and rosin. Of course, we should not forget about the details of the circuit itself, but now we are interested in increasing the quality of the soldering process. That's what rosin is for? We’ll talk about her now.
What is rosin?
You have probably noticed in stores aimed at selling components for creating your products, a transparent glassy substance that is somewhat similar to amber in both its appearance and color.
This is pine
rosin . For the first time, this substance was obtained in the Greek city of Colophon and was originally called the “colophon resin.” They got it from tar resin. She was obtained from different species of pine, releasing turpentine and other volatile substances from it using a
steam bath. At the same time, all non-volatile impurities merged. Distillation was carried out using a couple, the temperature of which was 200 degrees. Such an indicator does not lead to the decomposition of rosin.
Modernity
Now rosin can be obtained from crushed pine wood using special solvents or extracted from taly oil or cellulose. Depending on the method, these types are distinguished:
- Pine tree.
- Tall.
- Extraction.
60–90 percent of modern rosin consists of tar abietic acid, 1–12% of fatty acids and neutral substances (such as triterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, and diterpenoids). It cannot be dissolved with water, but alcohol, ether, benzene, acetone and slightly worse kerosene can do this with it. At 40 degrees, the rosin begins to soften, and at 100 it already melts. When the temperature reaches 250 degrees, it boils. If you add mineral and organic substances to it, you get soap. If you dissolve it in polyhydric alcohol, then you will have rosin ether. As you can see, there are many applications. Of course, it is safest to do something when pine rosin is at hand. The manufacturer must ensure that the products meet all the requirements of state standards (there were no third-party impurities or anything else).
The properties
Pine rosin has the best characteristics. GOST 19113-84 ensures that products for this purpose meet the quality and safety standards for the people who work with it. It begins to soften at 68 degrees Celsius. It also has almost no fatty acids. This rosin is considered a completely natural and environmentally friendly substance. It has an amber yellow color. Extraction and thaw rosins are considered artificial. They differ in their color. But, despite the different methods of preparation, their properties are considered close to those that have a natural product, which is pine rosin. Reinforced traction, which is between the surfaces when using this design, is very much appreciated. Rosin also has good detergent and penetrating (for ether and alcohol solutions) properties. The latter led to its use as a waterproofing agent. It can also be used as glue.
Practical application
The main scope today is to provide assistance during the soldering of metal parts. So, pine rosin as a solder flux shows a positive result. Despite the fact that there are a significant number of more modern chemical developments, it is still used in electronics and radio engineering. So, pine molten rosin can easily eliminate the oxide layer that is on the surface of soldered parts. It is also important that it reduces the
surface tension of the solder. Due to this, it spreads more evenly along the working plane. The use of such a flux increases the quality of use of solder. It also has a certain protective effect against various environmental fumes. Acid neutrality also affects the continued popularity. This is possible due to the use of raw materials of natural origin. Therefore, the soldering point does not corrode over time and no current leakage occurs. This is of particular importance during the assembly of electronic circuits. Pine, tal and rosin rosin can also be used together with pure ethyl alcohol in a ratio of 4 to 6 to obtain liquid flux. Even those who hold a soldering iron for the first time in their life can take advantage of rosin. First you need to warm up the sting and dip it into the frozen substance. Then they take solder, which is applied to the soldered surface and the part. If necessary, use a soldering iron tip to evenly distribute it. As a result, a monolithic mass should be obtained that will combine everything that is needed together. There are applications in other areas of human activity. So, rosin is traditionally used to rub strings of stringed musical instruments, and if you grind it to a powder state, you can get high-quality smoke effects.
Conclusion
As you can see, rosin is a very effective remedy in many areas. And confident leadership among all species is held by natural pine substance. If you want to know in detail what pine rosin is, GOST 19113-84 will help you with this.