Solder & Low-Melting Alloy Sn60Pb40Sb
Sn60Pb40Sb is an antimony-strengthened variant of Sn60Pb40 tin-lead solder, formulated for higher tensile and shear strength in structural or vibration-prone joints.
Reference datasheet — Sn60Pb40Sb 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 Sn60Pb40Sb?
Sn60Pb40Sb is an antimony-strengthened variant of Sn60Pb40 tin-lead solder, formulated for higher tensile and shear strength in structural or vibration-prone joints. It is supplied as bar, solid and cored wire, paste and preforms, with as-soldered values of 52 MPa tensile, 32 MPa yield, 35 % elongation and 15 HB, and a service ceiling of 110 °C. Prolonged overheating causes antimony segregation and copper erosion, machinability is limited (score 35), and the lead content restricts use to RoHS-exempt applications. Sn63Pb37Sb is the choice when a eutectic melting point is preferred. Sn60Pb40Sb has a density of 8.5 g/cm³ (0.307 lb/in³), lighter than 52% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 183°C (361 °F). Sn60Pb40Sb has a yield strength of 32 MPa (4.64 ksi) and a tensile strength of 52 MPa (7.54 ksi) — stronger than 73% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 35% and the elastic modulus is 31 GPa (4.5 Msi).
What is Sn60Pb40Sb used for?
- radiator soldering
- sheet metal joints
- mechanical solder joints requiring extra strength
Limitations
- Difficult to weld — 10/100, worse than 94% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
Sn60Pb40Sb properties
Typical room-temperature values; bars are the position among solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Physical3
Sn60Pb40Sb has a density of 8.5 g/cm³ (0.307 lb/in³), lighter than 52% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 183°C (361 °F).
Mechanical12
Sn60Pb40Sb has a yield strength of 32 MPa (4.64 ksi) and a tensile strength of 52 MPa (7.54 ksi) — stronger than 73% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 35% and the elastic modulus is 31 GPa (4.5 Msi).
Thermal6
Sn60Pb40Sb is rated for continuous service to 110°C (230 °F). It conducts heat at 50 W/m·K (28.9 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 63% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Thermal expansion is 24.5 µm/m·K (13.6 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Sn60Pb40Sb conducts electricity at 11.5 % IACS, better than 71% 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 Sn60Pb40Sb takes about 190 MJ of energy and emits 10.3 kg of CO₂ — more than 50% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Typical recycled content is 35%.
Manufacturability7
Sn60Pb40Sb's machinability is fair (35/100, better than 58% of solder & low-melting alloy grades); weldability not recommended (10/100); formability excellent (85/100).
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. Sn60Pb40Sb is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with Sn60Pb40Sb
Is Sn60Pb40Sb easy to machine?
Very soft and prone to sticking to the tool: use extremely sharp, high-rake tools, low speed with higher feed, and kerosene or soap-solution coolant. In practice casting or blanking replaces cutting; machinability score is 35.
Can Sn60Pb40Sb be welded?
Not fusion welded; joints are formed by remelting the solder, with an iron tip at 320–370 °C or a wave pot at 250–265 °C. Avoid long exposure to high temperature, which promotes antimony segregation and copper dissolution.
Can Sn60Pb40Sb be formed, bent or molded?
At room temperature the alloy is already above its recrystallisation temperature, so it can be extruded directly to wire or strip and stamped into preforms with no annealing.
Sn60Pb40Sb 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sn | 59.5 – 61.5 | 60 |
| Sbsolid-solution strengthener; harmful on zinc-bearing substrates | 0.2 – 0.5 | 0.35 |
| Cuimpurity limit | ≤ 0.05 | |
| Biimpurity limit | ≤ 0.1 | |
| Agimpurity limit | ≤ 0.05 | |
| Feimpurity limit | ≤ 0.02 | |
| Asimpurity limit | ≤ 0.03 | |
| Znimpurity limit, degrades wetting | ≤ 0 | |
| Alimpurity limit | ≤ 0 | |
| Cdimpurity limit | ≤ 0 | |
| Pb | balance |
What surface finishes work on Sn60Pb40Sb?
Clean after soldering according to flux type — IPA or saponifier for rosin, residues may be left for no-clean. The surface can be plated but is usually left in the as-soldered bright condition; anodising does not apply.
How much does Sn60Pb40Sb cost?
Sn60Pb40Sb 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.
Sn60Pb40Sb — frequently asked
What is Sn60Pb40Sb used for?
Sn60Pb40Sb is typically used for radiator soldering, sheet metal joints and mechanical solder joints requiring extra strength. In short: higher-strength Sn60Pb40; sheet-metal solder alloy; leaded, RoHS-restricted.
What is the yield strength of Sn60Pb40Sb?
Sn60Pb40Sb has a typical yield strength of 32 MPa (4.64 ksi) and a tensile strength of 52 MPa (7.54 ksi) — stronger than 73% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Is Sn60Pb40Sb easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated fair (35/100, better than 58% of solder & low-melting alloy grades). Very soft and prone to sticking to the tool: use extremely sharp, high-rake tools, low speed with higher feed, and kerosene or soap-solution coolant. In practice casting or blanking replaces cutting; machinability score is 35.
Can Sn60Pb40Sb be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated not recommended (10/100). Not fusion welded; joints are formed by remelting the solder, with an iron tip at 320–370 °C or a wave pot at 250–265 °C. Avoid long exposure to high temperature, which promotes antimony segregation and copper dissolution.
What surface finishes work on Sn60Pb40Sb?
Clean after soldering according to flux type — IPA or saponifier for rosin, residues may be left for no-clean. The surface can be plated but is usually left in the as-soldered bright condition; anodising does not apply.
Can Sn60Pb40Sb be formed, bent or molded?
At room temperature the alloy is already above its recrystallisation temperature, so it can be extruded directly to wire or strip and stamped into preforms with no annealing.
What is the maximum service temperature of Sn60Pb40Sb?
Sn60Pb40Sb is rated for continuous use to about 110°C (230 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does Sn60Pb40Sb cost?
Sn60Pb40Sb 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
- ISO 9453 Soft solder alloys — Chemical compositions and forms — ISO (2020)
- ASTM B32 Standard Specification for Solder Metal — ASTM International (2020)
- J-STD-006 Requirements for Electronic Grade Solder Alloys — IPC/JEDEC (2013)
- GB/T 3131 (2020)
- ASM Handbook Vol. 3: Alloy Phase Diagrams; Vol. 6: Welding, Brazing and Soldering — ASM International (2016)
- NIST Database of Solder Properties with Emphasis on New Lead-free Solders — NIST/Colorado School of Mines (2002)
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.