Can a soldering iron heat up in the absence of oxygen?
Electric soldering iron can be heated in an environment without oxygen. Because oxygen does not participate in the heating process of the soldering iron.
An electric soldering iron is heated by the heating phenomenon when current passes through an alloy resistance wire. Electric soldering irons can generally be divided into two types: internally heated and externally heated.
The external heating type places the soldering iron tip at the center of the heating element, and is called the external heating type because the heat source comes from outside the soldering iron tip. The internal heating type makes the soldering iron tip hollow and the heating element is placed inside the cavity, so the volume is relatively small.
The oxygen mentioned by the questioner, although it does not play any role in the heating process of the soldering iron, still makes a significant contribution in interfering with soldering and shortening the lifespan of the soldering iron.
Heating wires in a high-temperature state will undergo oxidation in an aerobic environment. Over time, the oxide layer will peel off, causing the heating wire to become thinner and damaged, shortening the service life of the soldering iron. In addition, oxygen can also cause an oxide layer on the surface of the molten tin and the welded metal, blocking the welding process. For this reason, soldering work cannot do without flux, which serves to prevent oxidation.
When using an electric soldering iron in practice, the following points should be noted: ① Choose an electric soldering iron with the appropriate wattage, do not let the iron overheat, otherwise it will not only waste electricity but also accelerate the oxidation process and affect welding. ② Learn to observe and judge the temperature and fluidity of the solder. When the soldering temperature is suitable, the surface will appear bright silver white and have good fluidity. If the surface turns blue quickly, it indicates that the temperature is too high and needs to be reduced in wattage or replaced with a constant temperature soldering iron Prevent severe vibrations. Because the high-temperature resistant materials used to make soldering iron cores are all made of ceramics or mica, they are prone to breakage and should be handled with care during use It is strictly prohibited to use acidic soldering flux when soldering electronic components to prevent corrosion and leakage. The best soldering flux is rosin. But when welding steel components, if there is difficulty in tinning, you can first use acidic soldering flux to do the tinning work, then carefully clean it, and finally use rosin to assist in welding completely.
