Solder & Low-Melting Alloy Sn95Sb5
ASTM B32 Sb5
Sn95Sb5 (ASTM B32 Sb5) is a lead-free tin-antimony solder melting at roughly 232–240 °C, supplied as bar, wire, cored wire, paste, preforms and foil.
Reference datasheet — Sn95Sb5 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 Sn95Sb5?
Sn95Sb5 (ASTM B32 Sb5) is a lead-free tin-antimony solder melting at roughly 232–240 °C, supplied as bar, wire, cored wire, paste, preforms and foil. It is chosen for higher joint strength and thermal-fatigue resistance than tin-lead solders and for lead-free plumbing work, with 30 MPa yield, 40 MPa tensile, 38 % elongation, 13 HB and service to about 150 °C. The narrow pasty range gives fast-freezing joints, but the higher process temperature of 260–300 °C limits use on heat-sensitive assemblies; SAC305 is the usual electronics alternative. Sn95Sb5 has a density of 7.25 g/cm³ (0.262 lb/in³), lighter than 99% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 235°C (455 °F). Sn95Sb5 has a yield strength of 30 MPa (4.35 ksi) and a tensile strength of 40 MPa (5.8 ksi) — stronger than 61% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 38% and the elastic modulus is 48 GPa (6.96 Msi).
What is Sn95Sb5 used for?
- plumbing/potable water solder (lead-free)
- high-strength mechanical solder joints
- refrigeration/HVAC tube joints
Advantages
- Lightweight — 7.25 g/cm³ (0.262 lb/in³), better than 99% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- High service temperature — 150°C (302 °F), better than 92% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Stiff — 48 GPa (6.96 Msi), better than 81% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Good corrosion resistance — 55/100, better than 78% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
Limitations
- Poor heat conductor — 28 W/m·K (16.2 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 80% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- High embodied carbon — 18 kg CO₂/kg, worse than 76% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
Sn95Sb5 properties
Typical room-temperature values; bars are the position among solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Physical3
Sn95Sb5 has a density of 7.25 g/cm³ (0.262 lb/in³), lighter than 99% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 235°C (455 °F).
Mechanical10
Sn95Sb5 has a yield strength of 30 MPa (4.35 ksi) and a tensile strength of 40 MPa (5.8 ksi) — stronger than 61% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 38% and the elastic modulus is 48 GPa (6.96 Msi).
Thermal6
Sn95Sb5 is rated for continuous service to 150°C (302 °F). It conducts heat at 28 W/m·K (16.2 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 80% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Thermal expansion is 27 µm/m·K (15 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Sn95Sb5 conducts electricity at 11.5 % IACS, better than 71% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is good (55/100), better than 78% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Sn95Sb5 takes about 320 MJ of energy and emits 18 kg of CO₂ — more than 81% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Typical recycled content is 30%.
Manufacturability7
Sn95Sb5's machinability is poor (30/100, worse than 60% of solder & low-melting alloy grades); weldability poor (20/100); formability excellent (88/100).
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. Sn95Sb5 is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with Sn95Sb5
Is Sn95Sb5 easy to machine?
Very soft and gummy — use sharp high-rake tools, high speed, low feed and paraffin/alcohol lubricant; rarely machined outside preform trimming.
Can Sn95Sb5 be welded?
Not arc-welded; joined only by remelting — soldering iron, torch, wave, dip or reflow at 260–300 °C with active rosin or organic-acid flux.
Can Sn95Sb5 be formed, bent or molded?
Readily cast into bars, extruded and drawn to wire, and rolled to foil at room temperature; narrow pasty range gives clean, fast-freezing joints.
Sn95Sb5 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sbsolid-solution strengthener | 4.5 – 5.5 | 5 |
| Pbimpurity; ≤0.10 % for RoHS lead-free declaration | ≤ 0.1 | 0.03 |
| Cuimpurity limit | ≤ 0.08 | |
| Agimpurity limit | ≤ 0.02 | |
| Biimpurity limit | ≤ 0.1 | |
| Asimpurity limit | ≤ 0.05 | |
| Feimpurity limit | ≤ 0.02 | |
| Znimpurity limit; Zn embrittles the joint | ≤ 0.01 | |
| Alimpurity limit | ≤ 0.01 | |
| Cdimpurity limit | ≤ 0 | |
| Snbalance, ~94.5–95.5 % | balance |
What surface finishes work on Sn95Sb5?
Joints are cleaned of flux residue with IPA or saponifier; the alloy tarnishes to a dull grey oxide but is not plated, painted or anodized.
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Solder & Low-Melting Alloy Sn95Sb5 in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- ASTM
- B32 Sb5
- Also called
- IEC S50
How much does Sn95Sb5 cost?
Sn95Sb5 is a high-cost solder & low-melting alloy ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sn95Sb5 — frequently asked
What is Sn95Sb5 used for?
Sn95Sb5 is typically used for plumbing/potable water solder (lead-free), high-strength mechanical solder joints and refrigeration/HVAC tube joints. In short: highest-temperature tin solder; lead-free potable-water rated; good thermal-fatigue resistance.
What is the yield strength of Sn95Sb5?
Sn95Sb5 has a typical yield strength of 30 MPa (4.35 ksi) and a tensile strength of 40 MPa (5.8 ksi) — stronger than 61% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Is Sn95Sb5 easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated poor (30/100, worse than 60% of solder & low-melting alloy grades). Very soft and gummy — use sharp high-rake tools, high speed, low feed and paraffin/alcohol lubricant; rarely machined outside preform trimming.
Can Sn95Sb5 be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated poor (20/100). Not arc-welded; joined only by remelting — soldering iron, torch, wave, dip or reflow at 260–300 °C with active rosin or organic-acid flux.
What surface finishes work on Sn95Sb5?
Joints are cleaned of flux residue with IPA or saponifier; the alloy tarnishes to a dull grey oxide but is not plated, painted or anodized.
Can Sn95Sb5 be formed, bent or molded?
Readily cast into bars, extruded and drawn to wire, and rolled to foil at room temperature; narrow pasty range gives clean, fast-freezing joints.
What is the maximum service temperature of Sn95Sb5?
Sn95Sb5 is rated for continuous use to about 150°C (302 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does Sn95Sb5 cost?
Sn95Sb5 is a high-cost solder & low-melting alloy ($$$$), 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
- ASTM B32 — Standard Specification for Solder Metal (Grade Sb5) — ASTM International (2020)
- ISO 9453 — Soft solder alloys, chemical compositions and forms (Alloy 201) — ISO (2020)
- J-STD-006 — Requirements for Electronic Grade Solder Alloys — IPC (2013)
- ASM Handbook Vol. 6 — Welding, Brazing and Soldering — ASM International (1993)
- Properties of Lead-Free Solders / Solder Alloy Database — NIST (2002)
- Sn95Sb5 alloy datasheets — Kester / AIM Solder / Indium Corporation (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.