Condensation Soldering
Through condensing vapor, heat can be transferred. This principle is applied in the vapor phase soldering process to attach electronic components in a reflow soldering process. Water vapor, however, is an unsuitable material. A number of restrictions pertain to the medium used, such as that it may not have any corrosive tendencies, that it is electrically not conductive and that it permits high vapor temperatures without attendant high pressures. The mediums used have precisely defined boiling points that lie within the range of standard soldering temperatures. They are composed of fluorocarbons. In opposition to normal convection, with the carrier medium being air or gas, the heat transfer to the assembly to be soldered can be sped up by a factor or 10 in the condensation soldering process. Condensation soldering is also referred to as “vapor phase soldering”.