Solder & Low-Melting Alloy SN100C
SN100C is a patented lead-free Sn-Cu-Ni-Ge solder, with nickel and germanium micro-additions that reduce copper dissolution from pads and suppress dross formation in wave pots.
Reference datasheet — SN100C 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 SN100C?
SN100C is a patented lead-free Sn-Cu-Ni-Ge solder, with nickel and germanium micro-additions that reduce copper dissolution from pads and suppress dross formation in wave pots. It is chosen for high-volume wave and selective soldering and for automotive electronics, and is supplied as bar, solid and cored wire, paste, preforms and spheres. Joint strength is the lowest in this group — 20 MPa yield, 32 MPa tensile, 40% elongation, 15 HB — with a 125 °C service limit, so SAC305 is the alternative where higher joint strength or established paste chemistry is required. SN100C has a density of 7.4 g/cm³ (0.267 lb/in³), lighter than 67% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 227°C (441 °F). SN100C has a yield strength of 20 MPa (2.9 ksi) and a tensile strength of 32 MPa (4.64 ksi) — weaker than 74% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 40% and the elastic modulus is 45 GPa (6.53 Msi).
What is SN100C used for?
- Wave soldering
- Automotive electronics
- High-volume PCB assembly
Advantages
- Conducts heat well — 64 W/m·K (37 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 94% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- High electrical conductivity — 13 % IACS, better than 87% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- High service temperature — 125°C (257 °F), better than 80% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
SN100C properties
Typical room-temperature values; bars are the position among solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Physical3
SN100C has a density of 7.4 g/cm³ (0.267 lb/in³), lighter than 67% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 227°C (441 °F).
Mechanical11
SN100C has a yield strength of 20 MPa (2.9 ksi) and a tensile strength of 32 MPa (4.64 ksi) — weaker than 74% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 40% and the elastic modulus is 45 GPa (6.53 Msi).
Thermal6
SN100C is rated for continuous service to 125°C (257 °F). It conducts heat at 64 W/m·K (37 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 94% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Thermal expansion is 23 µm/m·K (12.8 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
SN100C conducts electricity at 13 % IACS, better than 87% 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 SN100C takes about 250 MJ of energy and emits 17 kg of CO₂ — more than 59% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Typical recycled content is 30%.
Manufacturability6
SN100C's machinability is poor (25/100, worse than 82% of solder & low-melting alloy grades); weldability poor (20/100); formability excellent (90/100).
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. SN100C is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with SN100C
Is SN100C easy to machine?
Too soft and gummy for conventional machining; shapes are cast, extruded or stamped rather than cut.
Can SN100C be welded?
Not fusion welded — it is the joining filler itself; wave/selective pots run at 255–275 °C and reflow peaks at 240–250 °C.
Can SN100C be formed, bent or molded?
Excellent hot/cold workability: readily extruded to wire, rolled to ribbon, atomised to Type 3–5 powder and stamped into preforms.
SN100C 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cunear-eutectic Sn-Cu | 0.6 – 0.75 | 0.7 |
| Nistabilises (Cu,Ni)6Sn5, suppresses Cu dissolution | 0.04 – 0.07 | 0.05 |
| Geanti-oxidation / dross suppressant | 0 – 0.01 | 0.01 |
| PbRoHS impurity limit, typically <0.03 | ≤ 0.05 | |
| Sbimpurity | ≤ 0.05 | |
| Biimpurity | ≤ 0.05 | |
| Feimpurity | ≤ 0.02 | |
| Agnot intentionally added | ≤ 0.05 | |
| Sn | balance |
What surface finishes work on SN100C?
Joints are typically left as-soldered; no-clean or saponifier cleaning of flux residues is used, and conformal coating protects against humid-bias corrosion.
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Solder & Low-Melting Alloy SN100C in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- Also called
- Sn0.7Cu0.05Ni
How much does SN100C cost?
SN100C is a high-cost solder & low-melting alloy ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
SN100C — frequently asked
What is SN100C used for?
SN100C is typically used for wave soldering, automotive electronics and high-volume PCB assembly. In short: low copper dissolution; low-dross wave alloy; silver-free lead-free solder.
What is the yield strength of SN100C?
SN100C has a typical yield strength of 20 MPa (2.9 ksi) and a tensile strength of 32 MPa (4.64 ksi) — weaker than 74% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Is SN100C easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated poor (25/100, worse than 82% of solder & low-melting alloy grades). Too soft and gummy for conventional machining; shapes are cast, extruded or stamped rather than cut.
Can SN100C be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated poor (20/100). Not fusion welded — it is the joining filler itself; wave/selective pots run at 255–275 °C and reflow peaks at 240–250 °C.
What surface finishes work on SN100C?
Joints are typically left as-soldered; no-clean or saponifier cleaning of flux residues is used, and conformal coating protects against humid-bias corrosion.
Can SN100C be formed, bent or molded?
Excellent hot/cold workability: readily extruded to wire, rolled to ribbon, atomised to Type 3–5 powder and stamped into preforms.
What is the maximum service temperature of SN100C?
SN100C is rated for continuous use to about 125°C (257 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does SN100C cost?
SN100C is a high-cost solder & low-melting alloy ($$$$), 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
- SN100C Lead-Free Solder Alloy Technical Data — Nihon Superior (2023)
- J-STD-006 Requirements for Electronic Grade Solder Alloys — IPC (2013)
- JIS Z 3282 Soft solders — Chemical compositions and forms — JSA (2017)
- Properties of Lead-Free Solders (solder property database) — NIST (2002)
- ASM Handbook Vol.6 — Welding, Brazing and Soldering — ASM International (1993)
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.