Solder & Low-Melting Alloy Sn63Pb37
ASTM B32 Sn63 · JIS Z3282 H63A · GB HLSnPb63-37, SnPb63
Sn63Pb37 is the eutectic tin-lead solder, melting sharply at 183 °C with no plastic range, and is covered by ASTM B32 Sn63, JIS Z3282 H63A and equivalent designations.
Reference datasheet — Sn63Pb37 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 Sn63Pb37?
Sn63Pb37 is the eutectic tin-lead solder, melting sharply at 183 °C with no plastic range, and is covered by ASTM B32 Sn63, JIS Z3282 H63A and equivalent designations. Its sharp melt, good wetting and consistent joint quality make it the reference alloy for through-hole assembly, hand soldering and rework; it is stocked as bar, solid and rosin-cored wire, paste, spheres, foil and preforms. Typical properties are 46 MPa tensile strength, 27 MPa yield strength, 35 % elongation and 13 HB, with service limited to about 100 °C. The lead content excludes it from RoHS and food or potable-water work, where SAC alloys are the usual substitute. Sn63Pb37 has a density of 8.4 g/cm³ (0.303 lb/in³), lighter than 57% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 183°C (361 °F). Sn63Pb37 has a yield strength of 27 MPa (3.92 ksi) and a tensile strength of 46 MPa (6.67 ksi) — weaker than 51% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 35% and the elastic modulus is 30 GPa (4.35 Msi).
What is Sn63Pb37 used for?
- PCB through-hole soldering
- hand soldering/rework
- electrical wire splicing
- plumbing (legacy)
- electronics repair
Advantages
- High electrical conductivity — 11.9 % IACS, better than 78% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
Sn63Pb37 properties
Typical room-temperature values; bars are the position among solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Physical3
Sn63Pb37 has a density of 8.4 g/cm³ (0.303 lb/in³), lighter than 57% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 183°C (361 °F).
Mechanical11
Sn63Pb37 has a yield strength of 27 MPa (3.92 ksi) and a tensile strength of 46 MPa (6.67 ksi) — weaker than 51% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 35% and the elastic modulus is 30 GPa (4.35 Msi).
Thermal6
Sn63Pb37 is rated for continuous service to 100°C (212 °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 25 µm/m·K (13.9 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Sn63Pb37 conducts electricity at 11.9 % IACS, better than 78% 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 Sn63Pb37 takes about 210 MJ of energy and emits 11 kg of CO₂ — more than 57% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Typical recycled content is 40%.
Manufacturability6
Sn63Pb37's machinability is poor (25/100, worse than 82% 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. Sn63Pb37 is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with Sn63Pb37
Is Sn63Pb37 easy to machine?
Rarely machined — extremely soft and gummy; use sharp high-rake tools, low speed and paraffin/kerosene lubrication if cutting is unavoidable.
Can Sn63Pb37 be welded?
Not weldable in the fusion sense; it is itself the joining filler, applied at 200–260 °C iron tip or 250 °C wave-pot temperature.
Can Sn63Pb37 be formed, bent or molded?
Extrudes into wire, rolls into foil and stamps into preforms cold; casts perfectly with no pasty range and minimal shrinkage porosity.
Sn63Pb37 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sneutectic composition per J-STD-006 / ISO 9453 alloy 101 | 62.5 – 63.5 | 63 |
| Sblow-antimony grades specify ≤0.05 | ≤ 0.2 | |
| Cu | ≤ 0.08 | |
| Ag | ≤ 0.05 | |
| Bi | ≤ 0.1 | |
| Fe | ≤ 0.02 | |
| As | ≤ 0.03 | |
| Zndross/wetting killer | ≤ 0 | |
| Al | ≤ 0.01 | |
| Cd | ≤ 0 | |
| In | ≤ 0.1 | |
| Pb | balance |
What surface finishes work on Sn63Pb37?
Joints are finished by reflow brightening or hot-air solder levelling; clean rosin/OA residues per flux class — no anodizing or plating of the solder itself.
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Solder & Low-Melting Alloy Sn63Pb37 in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- ASTM
- B32 Sn63
- GB (China)
- HLSnPb63-37SnPb63
- JIS
- Z3282 H63A
- Also called
- 63/37 Solder
How much does Sn63Pb37 cost?
Sn63Pb37 is a high-cost solder & low-melting alloy ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sn63Pb37 — frequently asked
What is Sn63Pb37 used for?
Sn63Pb37 is typically used for PCB through-hole soldering, hand soldering/rework, electrical wire splicing, plumbing (legacy) and electronics repair. In short: benchmark eutectic solder; sharp melt, no pasty range; not RoHS compliant.
What is the yield strength of Sn63Pb37?
Sn63Pb37 has a typical yield strength of 27 MPa (3.92 ksi) and a tensile strength of 46 MPa (6.67 ksi) — weaker than 51% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Is Sn63Pb37 easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated poor (25/100, worse than 82% of solder & low-melting alloy grades). Rarely machined — extremely soft and gummy; use sharp high-rake tools, low speed and paraffin/kerosene lubrication if cutting is unavoidable.
Can Sn63Pb37 be welded?
Not weldable in the fusion sense; it is itself the joining filler, applied at 200–260 °C iron tip or 250 °C wave-pot temperature.
What surface finishes work on Sn63Pb37?
Joints are finished by reflow brightening or hot-air solder levelling; clean rosin/OA residues per flux class — no anodizing or plating of the solder itself.
Can Sn63Pb37 be formed, bent or molded?
Extrudes into wire, rolls into foil and stamps into preforms cold; casts perfectly with no pasty range and minimal shrinkage porosity.
What is the maximum service temperature of Sn63Pb37?
Sn63Pb37 is rated for continuous use to about 100°C (212 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does Sn63Pb37 cost?
Sn63Pb37 is a high-cost solder & low-melting alloy ($$$$), 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-006C Requirements for Electronic Grade Solder Alloys — IPC/JEDEC (2013)
- ASTM B32 Standard Specification for Solder Metal — ASTM (2020)
- ISO 9453 Soft solder alloys — Chemical compositions and forms (alloy 101) — ISO (2020)
- GB/T 3131 (2020)
- ASM Handbook Vol.6 — Welding, Brazing and Soldering — ASM International (1993)
- Properties of Solder Alloys database — NIST (2002)
- Sn63Pb37 alloy technical data — Indium Corporation / Alpha Assembly / Kester (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.