Alternatives to CFCs. New solvents for the electronics industry

CFC-113 has been the most highly used solvent in the defluxing of printed wiring assemblies (PWAs) and surface mount assemblies (SMAs) in the printed circuit board (PCB) industry. This is because of some of its properties such as its excellent stability, material compatibility, low toxicity, nonflammability, and its ability to form azeotropic mixtures with active ingredients such as lower molecular weight primary alcohols, which enhance its cleaning power. However, because of the global crisis surrounding the CFC/ozone issue and possible phase out of CFCs, replacements for CFC-113 are being actively sought. One possible replacement may be a recently developed solvent. The performance characteristics of this stratospherically safe alternative to CFC-113 in lab solubility studies and actual defluxing performance of PWAs and SMAs is discussed.