Unlike lead, tin solder grows dendrites or whiskers which can short
circuit. Same principle as concrete stalagtites growing beneath concrete overpasses. Some of the problems with battery fires are also caused by
lithium dendrites. Speculation is that major space and car disasters where caused by tin whiskers. Makes me wonder, at least for very critical
components (eg space or mil), maybe they should be put in glass vaccuum or argon tubes. Anyone know more?


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On 2024/07/05 9:29 p.m., vjp2.at@at.BioStrategist.dot.dot.com wrote:

Unlike lead, tin solder grows dendrites or whiskers which can short circuit. Same principle as concrete stalagtites growing beneath concrete overpasses. Some of the problems with battery fires are also caused by lithium dendrites. Speculation is that major space and car disasters where caused by tin whiskers. Makes me wonder, at least for very critical components (eg space or mil), maybe they should be put in glass vaccuum or argon tubes. Anyone know more?

Good question.

NASA doesn't know (as of 2019) what causes tin whiskers...

Could some sort of medium keep whiskers from growing?

https://nepp.nasa.gov/WHISKER/background/index.htm

John :-#)#
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