There seems to be a lot of discussion about the health hazards of lead and this is not in dispute, lead is potentially dangerous if consumed in large quantity.
Not a lot of comments / observations on the "safety" issues Graham has outlined. If unleaded solder "will" lead to premature failure of circuits (whether they be in a Sony Walkman or a Boeing 747) isn't this more important an issue than human ingestion of "very" minute traces of lead?
Planes dropping out of the skies, cars breaking down, medical equipment failing, trains crashing into one another, weapons malfunctioning etc. etc. All this seems a bit far fetched but "if" it proves to be the case and many lives are lost as a direct consequence of going unleaded it'll just end up being covered up by the powers that be and a few people will face law suits....
This so called "ecosol" 96TSC lead free colophony free solder which is comprised of 95.5% tin, 3.8% silver and 0.7% copper costs £30 for a 500 gram reel of 18swg solder as opposed to £5 for a 500 gram reel of 18swg 60/40 tin/lead alloy solder. Six times the cost of conventional leaded solder........ Companies may use it, they may not. One thing you "can" be assured of.... the cost of the solder and the expenditure related to gearing up for the lead free directive will be passed on to the customer so not only should the consumer expect reliablity issues from equipment that uses lead free solder, they should also expect to pay a lot more for it.
I'd recommend reading Graham's article over again, especially the part about the seeds of destructive grey tin being sewn into consumer equipment in cold temperatures, once a seed has been sewn they multiply in 2's so 2 = 4 = 8 = 16 = 32 = 64 = 128 = 256 = 512 = 1024 = 2048......... so on and so forth. All it takes is just one seed to be sewn in cold weather and the process is unstoppable..... even if you keep the equipment in a warm oven, after exposure to -13C, you can't stop the seeds multiplying....... it's like rust, once it starts it's virtually unstoppable. The beauty of rust, however, is that it can be seen by the naked eye and can be cut out and replaced with a new panel of sheet metal...... tin solder joints housed inside equipment enclosures will go unnoticed and will disintegrate behind closed doors.
Lead free solder, the silent enemy within?
If Graham's predictions come to pass then Europe will have a bigger recycling problem on their hands with all these defective products turning up at landfill sites awaiting disposal.
Somebody mentioned earlier in this thread that traditional materials will be replaced with alternatives if they pose a threat to health or the eco system. Solid wood furniture made 600 years ago is still in use today, MDF furniture and chipboard kitchens will last a few years before going into the landfill (so called eco friendly alternatives to solid wood).... what's more sensible, buying a piece of quality furniture that will last generations or buying a piece of modern crap that will be in a landfill site in a few years??
It's not the materials that are in question here, it's the quality and longevity of the materials. A good old fashioned leaded amplifier with top quality components will last you a lifetime.... a cheap and nasty ABS blow moulded piece of junk will last you a year if you're lucky.
Banning good quality materials is futile......... encouraging people to buy good quality that will last and encouraging manufacturers to produce good quality equipment that will last would be a much more sensible approach.
We are sadly living in a world where people are encouraged to buy the latest and greatest piece of junk on a yearly basis... "pink plastic is this years colour so you better dump your blue plastic" "I'm sick of taking a crap in that powder blue pan, I wan't a Pink pan to crap in" another toilet makes it's way to the landfill site.
We are "not" destroying the planet by using traditional materials, we are destroying the planet with our insatiable appetite for constant change and "progress" as Roger Waters sings "this planet has amused itself to death"
It's not the materials that should be banned it's the "gimme gimme gimme" "I want it now" "I'm bored with that colour" culture that needs educated on what part "they" play on Mother Earth.
Quality will always stand the test of time.
Pinkie.