Hybrid fluxes – balancing act between sustainability and short drying times

Often the decision to use water-based or partially water-based fluxes in electronics manufacturing depends on the drying behaviour of the flux. The aim is to achieve short drying times that do not have a negative impact on cycle and production times. In order to achieve these short drying times, alcohol-based fluxes are used in most cases, because due to the volatile properties of alcohol, these times are quite short. However, the demand for alcohol-water-based fluxes, so-called hybrid fluxes, is steadily increasing. There are various reasons for this, such as non-classification as hazardous goods and thus cheaper transport and storage costs, price stability and the desire for more sustainable electronics production. However, these reasons are also often combined by end consumers with the desire for short drying times. A balancing act between economic and ecological sustainability as well as short drying times, which is now possible.

Fluxes with special alcoholic additives that help stabilise and improve drying times have been introduced this year. Compared to conventional fluxes, these new developments are based on water or partial water. For this reason, this flux can replace pure alcohol-based fluxes very well. Due to the combination of special alcohols and an alcohol content of only 15 %, this flux does not fall into the area of dangerous goods, which means that transport and storage are not subject to any special regulations. Furthermore, due to the low alcohol content, the flux is more price-stable than pure alcohol-based fluxes, as fluctuating alcohol prices, as experienced during the first lockdown of the Corona pandemic, have little to no influence due to the low quantity.