SOLDERING

BRAZING
AND
BRAZE WELDING
OBJECTIVES
Define the terms soldering, brazing, and braze welding

Advantages and disadvantages of liquid-solid phase bonding

Properly clean, assemble, and perform required practice joints

Functions of fluxes in making proper liquid-solid phase bonded

joints
INTRODUCTION
Soldering and brazing are classified by the AWS as liquid-solid
phase bonding processes
• Base material stays solid and filler material is liquid
• Hot Gluing
Phase is the temperature at which bonding takes place
Soldering and brazing differ
• Soldering takes place below 840° Fahrenheit
• FAA says its 800F?????????????????????
Capillary action is the force that pulls water up into a paper towel
Braze welding does not need capillary action
SOLDERING/BRAZING
APPLICATIONS
Steps in Sweat Soldering

1) Copper pipe is cleaned

2) Flux is applied
3) Heat is applied
4) Solder is added
5) Solder is drawn into fitting
via heat (capillary Action)
6) Pipe is wiped cleaned
7) Brazing steps are the
same except for Brazing
filler metal s added instead
of solder.
BRAZE WELDING

Steps in Braze Welding

1) Base material is cleaned

2) Flux is applied
3) Heat is applied
4) Braze is added
5) Braze material is added
into a joint. Capillary Action
is not used.
6) Post Braze weld is
cleaned
Figure 31-2 Capillary action pulls water into a thin tube.
ADVANTAGES OF SOLDERING AND
BRAZING
Some advantages of soldering and brazing:
• Low temperature
• Permanently or temporarily joined
• Dissimilar materials can be joined
• Speed of joining
• Less chance of damaging parts
• Slow rate of heating and cooling
• Parts of varying thicknesses can be joined
• Easy realignment
Disadvantage
• Service Temp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MECHANICAL
PROPERTIES
TENSILE AND SHEAR STRENGTH
Tensile strength of a joint is its
ability to withstand being pulled
apart
Brazed joints have a tensile
strength 4-5 times higher than the
filler metal itself
As joint spacing decreases,
surface tension increases the
tensile strength
Shear strength is ability of a joint
to withstand a force parallel to the
joint
For a solder or braze joint, the
shear strength depends upon the
amount of overlapping area
The greater the area overlapped, the
greater the strength
DUCTILITY
Ductility is the ability of a
metal to plastically
deform without breaking
or fracturing, with the
cohesion between the
molecules remaining
sufficient to hold them
together to bend without
failing.
Most soldering and
brazing alloys are ductile
metals
FATIGUE RESISTANCE
Fatigue resistance is the
ability to be bent repeatedly
without exceeding the elastic
limit
Elastic Limit
Plastic Limit

For most soldering or

brazing joints, fatigue
resistance is low
Fatigue failures may occur
as a result of vibration
and/or cycles of load.
FLUXES
Fluxes used in soldering and brazing have three major functions:
• Remove oxides that result from heating parts
• Promote wetting
• Aid in capillary action (if soldering or brazing)
Flux must be thin, when heated to its reacting temperature
Fluxes are available in many forms
Paste
Liquid
Powder
SOLDERING AND BRAZING
METHODS
Grouped according to method of applying heat:
• Torch (TB)
• Furnace
• Induction
• Dip
TORCH SOLDERING AND
TORCH BRAZING
Advantages of using a torch:
• Versatility
• Portability
• Speed
Disadvantages of using a torch:
• Overheating
• Skill
• Fires
FURNACE SOLDERING AND
BRAZING
Advantages of using a furnace:
• Furnace brazing is a semi-automatic process
• Temperature control
• Controlled atmosphere (Common atmospheres used include: inert,
reducing or vacuum atmospheres all of which protect the part from
oxidation)
• Uniform heating
• Mass production
Disadvantages of using a furnace:
• Size
• Heat damage
Figure 31-20 Furnace brazing permits the rapid joining of parts on a production basis.
INDUCTION SOLDERING AND
BRAZING
Induction heating is the process of heating an electrically
conducting object (usually a metal) by electromagnetic induction,
where eddy currents (also called Foucault currents) are generated
within the metal and resistance leads to Joule heating of the metal.
Advantage of the induction method is speed
Disadvantages of the induction method:
• Distortion
• Lack of temperature control
• Incomplete penetration
DIP SOLDERING AND BRAZING
The parts to be joined are fixtured and the brazing compound applied to
the mating surfaces, typically in slurry form. Then the assemblies are
dipped into a bath of molten salt (typically NaCl, KCl and other
compounds) which functions both as heat transfer medium and flux.
Advantages of dip processing:
• Mass production
• Corrosion protection
• Distortion minimized
Disadvantages of dip processing:
• Steam explosions
• Corrosion
• Size
• Quantity
FILLER METALS
Should be selected by considering as many of the criteria as
possible
Welders decide most important criteria
Soldering and brazing metals are alloys
Figure 31-27 Solder being shaped as it cools to its paste range.
SOLDERING ALLOYS
Usually identified by their major alloying elements
Base metal can be joined by more than one solder alloy
TIN-LEAD
Most popular solder
Least expensive
Most commonly used on electrical connections
Never used for water piping
BRAZING ALLOYS
The AWS 's classification system for brazing alloys uses the letter B
Next series of letters indicate the atomic symbol of metals used
Not all available brazing alloys have an AWS classification
Some special alloys are known by their trade names
COPPER-ZINC
Most popular brazing alloys
Available as regular and low-fuming alloys
Tendency to burn out when overheated
If breathed in, it can cause zinc poisoning
If you think you have zinc poisoning, get medical treatment
immediately
COPPER-ZINC AND COPPER-
PHOSPHORUS A5.8
Known as brazing rods
Referred to as phos-copper
Vast differences among the five classifications
Five classifications of copper-zinc filler rods:
• BRCuZn
• BRCuZn-A
• BRCuZn-B
• BRCuZn-C
• BRCuZn-D
If overheated will cause zinc fumes
JOINT DESIGN
Spacing between parts being joined greatly affects tensile strength
Strongest joints are obtained when parts use lap or scarf joints
Some joints can be designed so that the flux and filler metal may be
preplaced
Joint preparation is very important
Figure 31-28 The joining area should be three times the thickness of the thinnest joint
member.
BUILDING UP SURFACES AND
FILLING HOLES
Surfaces on worn parts are built up again with braze metal
Ideal for parts that receive limited abrasive wear
Braze buildup has no hard spots
• Good for flat and round stock
Holes in light-gauge metal can be filled using braze metal
Figure 31-51 When building up a surface, alternate the direction of each layer.
SILVER BRAZING
Melting temperature for alloys is around 1400° Fahrenheit
Copper pipe glows a dull red
Best types of flame to use:
• Air acetylene
• Air MAPP
• Air propane
• Any air fuel-gas mixture
SOLDERING
Practices use tin-lead or tin-antimony solders
Both have low melting temperature
Best type of flame:
• Air acetylene
• Air MAPP
• Air propane
• Any fuel-gas mixture
SUMMARY
Brazing and soldering have many advantages
• Very versatile
• Ability to join many different materials with a limited variety of fluxes
and filler metals
Soldering can be permanent or temporary
Be creative in the way you apply these processes