Tin Whiskers: killing electronics

[sr71blackbird]

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20071005/capt.b85d3da9188746dd8b52203c6bda1dff.tin_whiskers _fx106.jpg?x=380&y=285&sig=RJYrbjlyCgGinJd.c6UABA--

Link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071006/ap_on_hi_te/tin_whiskers) to story

This is kind of interesting and I never heard of this before, but apparently it's been known for decades. If they add a small amount of lead to the solder when they make electronics, it prevents the formation of "tin whiskers", which ordinarily grow on the tin solder that is used to join circuits and parts in all things electronic.
The EPA wants the removal of all lead from manufacturing for good reason, because it has been known to cause health and environmental issues.
But without the lead, electronics short out and die quickly, so all the stuff we buy gets ruined far quicker than it would ordinarily.

How do you feel about this?

[sailor]

really seems like the cure is worse than the disease.

[FUNKMAN]

i'd rather keep the lead in my pencil... not in my electronics

[TooLowBrow]

JEDEC is working with iNemi on a joint interest group on lead-free issues.
:wacko::wacko::wacko::wacko::wacko::wacko::wacko:

[sr71blackbird]

What happens is the whiskers grow and touch other parts of the circuit board and make contact with negative or positive and it shorts itself out. Lots of things have failed because of this, like satellites and computers. So to save the world from lead, more stuff ends up in the garbage, and you spend more money replacing things that are breaking sooner than they should.