Solder vs. Sauter

Solder

Solder (, or in North America ) is a fusible metal alloy used to create a permanent bond between metal workpieces. The word solder comes from the Middle English word soudur, via Old French solduree and soulder, from the Latin solidare, meaning “to make solid”. In fact, solder must first be melted in order to adhere to and connect the pieces together after cooling, which requires that an alloy suitable for use as solder have a lower melting point than the pieces being joined. The solder should also be resistant to oxidative and corrosive effects that would degrade the joint over time. Solder used in making electrical connections also needs to have favorable electrical characteristics.

Soft solder typically has a melting point range of 90 to 450 °C (190 to 840 °F; 360 to 720 K), and is commonly used in electronics, plumbing, and sheet metal work. Alloys that melt between 180 and 190 °C (360 and 370 °F; 450 and 460 K) are the most commonly used. Soldering performed using alloys with a melting point above 450 °C (840 °F; 720 K) is called “hard soldering”, “silver soldering”, or brazing.

In specific proportions, some alloys can become eutectic — that is, their melting point is the same as their freezing point, and the alloy’s melting point is lower than that of either component. Non-eutectic alloys have markedly different solidus and liquidus temperatures, and within that range they exist as a paste of solid particles in a melt of the lower-melting phase. In electrical work, if the joint is disturbed in the pasty state before it has solidified totally, a poor electrical connection may result; use of eutectic solder reduces this problem. The pasty state of a non-eutectic solder can be exploited in plumbing, as it allows molding of the solder during cooling, e.g. for ensuring watertight joint of pipes, resulting in a so-called “wiped joint”.

For electrical and electronics work, solder wire is available in a range of thicknesses for hand-soldering (manual soldering is performed using a soldering iron or soldering gun), and with cores containing flux. It is also available as a paste, as a preformed foil shaped to match the workpiece, more suitable for mechanized mass-production, or in small “tabs” that can be wrapped around the joint and melted with a flame, for field repairs where an iron isn’t usable or available. Alloys of lead and tin were commonly used in the past and are still available; they are particularly convenient for hand-soldering. Lead-free solders have been increasing in use due to regulatory requirements plus the health and environmental benefits of avoiding lead-based electronic components. They are almost exclusively used today in consumer electronics.Plumbers often use bars of solder, much thicker than the wire used for electrical applications. Jewelers often use solder in thin sheets, which they cut into snippets.

Sauter

Sauter is a surname of German origin. The name refers to:

Al Sauter (1868–1928), Major League Baseball infielder

Anton Eleutherius Sauter (1800–1881), Austrian botanist

Björn Sauter (b. 1984), German race car engineer (Formula SAE)

Christian Sauter (born 1988), German professional footballer

Christoph Sauter (b. 1991) German footballer

Cory Sauter (b. 1974), American professional football player

Doug Sauter (b. 1954), retired Canadian ice hockey coach

Ernest Sauter (1928–2013), German composer

Eddie Sauter (1914–1981), American music composer and jazz arranger

Fritz Sauter (1906–1983), Austrian-German physicist

Georg Sauter (1866–1937), German-English painter, lithographer and draftsman

Glenn Sauter (b. 1959), Syndicated radio show host

Hans Sauter (1871-1943), a German entomologist and ichthyologist

Hardy Sauter (b. 1971), Canadian former ice hockey defenseman and coach

Jay Sauter (b. 1962), American race car driver

Jim Sauter (contemporary), American saxophonist

Jim Sauter (1943–2014), American race car driver

Joachim Sauter (born 1959), German media artist and designer

Johnny Sauter (b. 1978), American race car driver

Otto Sauter (b. 1961), German trumpet soloist

Otto Sauter-Sarto (1884–1958), German actor

Peeter Sauter (b. 1962), Estonian actor and author

Thilo Sauter, Austrian engineer

Tim Sauter (b. 1964), American race car driver

Travis Sauter (b. 1982), American stock car racing driver

Wilhelm Sauter (1896–1848), German painter

Solder (noun)

a low-melting alloy, especially one based on lead and tin or (for higher temperatures) on brass or silver, used for joining less fusible metals

“remove the fitting using a blowtorch to melt the solder”

“the Roman silversmith did indeed use several different solders”

Solder (verb)

join with solder

“the soldered terminal joints”

“the wires to this clip are soldered to the circuit board”