Modelling the solder and resource consumption in lead-free soldering

Abstract

The electronics industry is shifting towards lead-free soldering. However, lead-free soldering arises concern because of the consumption of scarce resources like silver. Tin does not receive much attention, but compared to lead is scarce as well and the recycling rates are contentious. Sustainability considerations require careful use of resources, especially of scarcer and non-renewable ones. A dynamic model will help to assess the current status and future development of solder consumption and the resulting resource consumption. The current status of solder consumption and recycling shows the resource consumption for metals in (lead-free) solders. The use of silver and of additional tin in lead-free solders should not endanger the supply security. However, interlinkage of silver, lead and tin in ores, as well as the forecasted strong market growth of electronics may have strong influences. The forecasted increasing market of electronics devices requires miniaturization and integration as well as proper recycling to save scarce resources. A tool for sustainability evaluation will help to properly align alloy selection, recycling and legal regulations for most sustainable implementation of lead-free interconnection technologies.