Why does my soldering iron tip turn black

This will maximize the cleaning the sponge offers by keeping the tip material in a flowing state. Avoid unnecessary heat — Excessive heat can also contribute to oxidation buildup on a solder tip. Make sure that you use the proper temperature for the selected solder type and application. Keeping a soldering iron at a higher than needed temperature can damage the work product as well as shorten the life of the tip. Lead-free solder will typically require a higher temperature than one containing lead, so be sure to check the temperature when moving between solder types.

Today there are advanced soldering systems on the market today that use microprocessor control to precisely regulate the tip temperature. These systems use a sensor on the tip to control power flow.

The end result is that the tip stays a constant temperature, extending life and protecting work. The natural oxidation process happens at a much slower rate at room temperature. Keeping the iron off when not in use is safer too. There are advanced soldering irons that incorporate an auto sleep feature into their design. These tools will automatically power down the tip when not in use, extending tip life.

With the right practices, a solder tip can provide a long service life before oxidation becomes a problem. And once it does become an issue, a proper cleaning with the right products can keep a soldering tool working for a long time. Contact us today to see how we can make your hand soldering efforts a success. Find My Local Distributor. Metcal Blog. May 22, It is filled with the information and instructions you need to know about. A few minutes of your time is all that is required so you do not lose time when you are soldering.

There are several reasons why this takes place. This is a normal event when soldering, so do not panic and think you are ruining your project or your soldering iron tip. Here are the reasons why your tip may be turning black:. The good news here is that it is not the need of the world when your soldering iron tip turns black. There are a lot of solutions to rectify this problem and get you back on schedule with your work.

Can you tell me, why this is happening? Is the iron getting too hot? Or do I have to store in a special way? I stored it in the soldering iron holder by room temperature after using it.

It looks like an inexpensive tip with no plating, other than for perhaps the tip for 2mm or so. The smaller the tip, the more likely you have to overheat them to get a decent solder joint. This is what allows the solder to create a good electrical bond, and even mechanical. The flux cleans oxides off the surface of the metal [that you are soldering to] so the molten alloy can get good, clear access to this metal, and properly dissolve it, so the bond is good.

The same sort of thing happens on the soldering iron tip. And, the better soldering iron tips employ metals that stand up to this well, and thus provide a long service period.

Leave it coated with solder. That will keep it tinned and prevent the tip from oxidizing. It also will help prevent the accumulation of carbon. BTW: I used to have this problem a lot, until I bought a soldering station from a different manufacturer. When I get my hands of more funds, I plan to purchase a higher-end system.

I chose it because of the availability of a flat bottom bevel tip, that I like to use for hand soldering SMD parts.

I mean, think about it: Hot iron shoved into water!?! Talk about shocking the hell out of the thing! Hakko makes some inexpensive but nice soldering stations with good tips and temp control. I have destroyed a lot of tips until I went to the ones with heat control.

To allow the tip to work, it is plated with Iron which will withstand the soldering process, and is key to ensuring the tip can be used. This plating is thin and can be easily damaged by abrasives, or scratching against things. The brass wire sponges are not abrasive, they are like the scrubbing pads people sometimes use for washing up.

They look like this: Image from here For both cases you need to do the same thing, basically just drag the tip across the sponge a few times may only take a couple, may take a dozen, depends on how much grot is on there at a sort of medium pace like washing up really. So why did it happen so quick? I can think of a couple of reasons: There was some coating on the tip to protect it when sitting on a shelf for ages.

Bence Kaulics 6, 12 12 gold badges 32 32 silver badges 57 57 bronze badges. Tom Carpenter Tom Carpenter I bought a stand and sponge with the iron, and have given it a good clean but I can't be sure there's actually anything on the tip - nothing comes off and the tip colour doesn't change.

It's midnight. I give up. Try putting some flux on the end of the solder and give that a go. Hopefully this is a one-time affair for those particular tips.

The tip cleaner contains quite a strong acid why it works so well! Add a comment. Samuel Samuel The solder rolls off, that's the problem I'm having. It will just damage the plating and cause it to oxidise much faster - basically wrecking the tip. Clean it with a damp not wet sponge, or a brass cleaning sponge. Note that the latter is very different from steel wool, it is much coarser and won't damage the tip.