Liquid magnets

Yale researchers have come up with a new soldering material that could eliminate lead in this area of electronics as well, using magnets, rather than heat, to bond materials.

Because lead has a high strength and a low melting point, it's a preferred metal for soldering in electronics because it can be melted onto components without damaging them. Non-lead alternatives have so far been weaker or require more heat to melt, which of course means electronics manufacturers aren't willing to eliminate lead in this area. At least not yet. Cleantechnica reports that a new "liquid magnet" material from Yale could be a solution for getting lead out of soldering in electronics, and it has a revolutionary way of melding with materials.

Rather than applying heat from an external source, the compound is exposed to a magnetic field. That excites the iron particles, which causes the solder to heat up and melt internally. The result is a highly localized melt that has little or no effect on the components around it.

Source: treehugger.comAdded: 9 March 2010