Solder & Low-Melting Alloy Pb98Ag2
ISO 9453-181
Pb98Ag2 is a tin-free lead-silver solder from the high-lead end of the Sn-Pb solder family, where the 2% silver raises the remelt point and limits silver leaching from plated parts.
Reference datasheet — Pb98Ag2 is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
What is Pb98Ag2?
Pb98Ag2 is a tin-free lead-silver solder from the high-lead end of the Sn-Pb solder family, where the 2% silver raises the remelt point and limits silver leaching from plated parts. It is chosen for the first, hottest step in step-soldering sequences and for die attach in power devices, and is stocked as wire, flux-cored wire, bar, foil, preform, powder and paste. Strength is low — 26 MPa tensile, 14 MPa yield, 35% elongation, 8 HB — and service is capped near 200 °C, so joints should not be load-bearing. Lead content restricts it to RoHS-exempt work; Pb95Ag5 is the nearest alternative. Pb98Ag2 has a density of 11.28 g/cm³ (0.408 lb/in³), heavier than 94% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 304°C (579 °F). Pb98Ag2 has a yield strength of 14 MPa (2.03 ksi) and a tensile strength of 26 MPa (3.77 ksi) — weaker than 85% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 35% and the elastic modulus is 16.5 GPa (2.39 Msi).
What is Pb98Ag2 used for?
- high-temperature step soldering
- die attach in power devices
- silver-plated part soldering
Advantages
- High service temperature — 200°C (392 °F), better than 99% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Low embodied carbon — 4.3 kg CO₂/kg, better than 79% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
Limitations
- Heavy — 11.28 g/cm³ (0.408 lb/in³), worse than 94% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Low strength — 14 MPa (2.03 ksi), worse than 85% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Low stiffness — 16.5 GPa (2.39 Msi), worse than 85% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Low electrical conductivity — 7.5 % IACS, worse than 79% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
Pb98Ag2 properties
Typical room-temperature values; bars are the position among solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Physical3
Pb98Ag2 has a density of 11.28 g/cm³ (0.408 lb/in³), heavier than 94% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 304°C (579 °F).
Mechanical10
Pb98Ag2 has a yield strength of 14 MPa (2.03 ksi) and a tensile strength of 26 MPa (3.77 ksi) — weaker than 85% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 35% and the elastic modulus is 16.5 GPa (2.39 Msi).
Thermal6
Pb98Ag2 is rated for continuous service to 200°C (392 °F). It conducts heat at 35 W/m·K (20.2 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 68% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Thermal expansion is 29 µm/m·K (16.1 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Pb98Ag2 conducts electricity at 7.5 % IACS, worse than 79% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is fair (45/100), worse than 52% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Pb98Ag2 takes about 52 MJ of energy and emits 4.3 kg of CO₂ — less than 80% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Typical recycled content is 55%.
Manufacturability6
Pb98Ag2's machinability is poor (30/100, worse than 60% of solder & low-melting alloy grades); formability excellent (95/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the solder & low-melting alloy family
Yield strength against density for every solder & low-melting alloy grade FabDigit runs. Pb98Ag2 is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with Pb98Ag2
Is Pb98Ag2 easy to machine?
Rarely machined; if trimmed, use sharp high-rake tools, flood lubricant and expect smearing — lead swarf must be handled under lead-hygiene controls.
Can Pb98Ag2 be welded?
Not fusion welded; joined only by soldering — use an active (RA/inorganic) flux and 350–400 °C iron or reflow profile, and preheat heavy copper parts.
Can Pb98Ag2 be formed, bent or molded?
Extremely ductile: extrudes to wire, rolls to foil and stamps into preforms cold without annealing, but recrystallizes at room temperature so cold work does not persist.
Pb98Ag2 chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| Agsilver addition suppresses dissolution of Ag/AgPd metallizations | 1.75 – 2.25 | 2 |
| Snimpurity max | ≤ 0.25 | |
| Sbimpurity max | ≤ 0.4 | |
| Biimpurity max | ≤ 0.25 | |
| Cuimpurity max | ≤ 0.08 | |
| Feimpurity max | ≤ 0.02 | |
| Asimpurity max | ≤ 0.03 | |
| Znimpurity max | ≤ 0.01 | |
| Alimpurity max | ≤ 0.01 | |
| Cdimpurity max | ≤ 0 | |
| Pbbalance, typically 98 % | balance |
What surface finishes work on Pb98Ag2?
No plating or painting is normally applied; joints tarnish to dull grey — remove flux residues (rosin: IPA/saponifier) to avoid corrosion and electrical leakage.
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Solder & Low-Melting Alloy Pb98Ag2 in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- ISO
- 9453-181
How much does Pb98Ag2 cost?
Pb98Ag2 is a high-cost solder & low-melting alloy ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Pb98Ag2 — frequently asked
What is Pb98Ag2 used for?
Pb98Ag2 is typically used for high-temperature step soldering, die attach in power devices and silver-plated part soldering. In short: high-melt step solder; tin-free, resists silver leaching; service to 200 °C.
What is the yield strength of Pb98Ag2?
Pb98Ag2 has a typical yield strength of 14 MPa (2.03 ksi) and a tensile strength of 26 MPa (3.77 ksi) — weaker than 85% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Is Pb98Ag2 easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated poor (30/100, worse than 60% of solder & low-melting alloy grades). Rarely machined; if trimmed, use sharp high-rake tools, flood lubricant and expect smearing — lead swarf must be handled under lead-hygiene controls.
Can Pb98Ag2 be welded?
Not fusion welded; joined only by soldering — use an active (RA/inorganic) flux and 350–400 °C iron or reflow profile, and preheat heavy copper parts.
What surface finishes work on Pb98Ag2?
No plating or painting is normally applied; joints tarnish to dull grey — remove flux residues (rosin: IPA/saponifier) to avoid corrosion and electrical leakage.
Can Pb98Ag2 be formed, bent or molded?
Extremely ductile: extrudes to wire, rolls to foil and stamps into preforms cold without annealing, but recrystallizes at room temperature so cold work does not persist.
What is the maximum service temperature of Pb98Ag2?
Pb98Ag2 is rated for continuous use to about 200°C (392 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does Pb98Ag2 cost?
Pb98Ag2 is a high-cost solder & low-melting alloy ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- J-STD-006 Requirements for Electronic Grade Solder Alloys (Pb98Ag2 designation) — IPC/JEDEC (2013)
- ASTM B32 Standard Specification for Solder Metal — ASTM International (2020)
- ASM Handbook Vol. 6 — Welding, Brazing and Soldering (solder alloy properties) — ASM International (1993)
- ASM Handbook Vol. 2 — Properties of Lead and Lead Alloys — ASM International (1990)
- ASM Alloy Phase Diagrams — Ag-Pb system — ASM International (2016)
- High-temperature Pb-Ag solder alloy datasheets (wire, bar, preform, paste forms) — solder producers (2023)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.