SAC

I'm guessing that the solubility of copper is lessened; that's important with the early generations of plated-through holes (and maybe still is). Silver has a similar effect, but is rather more expensive.

I do not accept that as a "reason" because boards go thru a plating-like process called Immersion Silver; and SAC _has_ almost the same percentage of silver....

Never made it usually means that it wasn't a catalog item. It wouldn't stop them from making a test batch, or as a custom alloy for a barge customer.

Who uses immersion silver?

I've moved several designs /off/ it, as a matter of fact. ENIG is much more popular, for a variety of reasons.

Tim

But it WAS a catalog item; i ordered it online from Mouser or Digikey.

Then tell me those "reasons". Re ENIG: Would you believe that gold can accelerate corrosion, especially over time?

Then send them a copy of the purchase order.

That would not get them to make/offer the SN96.3AG3.7 alloy in either wire or paste form.

So, go with Indalloy 241; it's 95.5 Sn, 3.8 Ag, 0.7 Cu or thereabouts. Indalloy 267 is close, too.

But, you might have to accept a bag of shot, or an ingot, instead of flux-core wire.

Grainger carries it in crappy form: FAT wire, no flux specified. Some other vendors lie and offer a solder with Antimony or Bismouth or no Silver or... Google search comes up with the worst crap.

It would prove that they did make it, in spite of their claims to the contrary.

Recheck: Indalloy 267 is Sn 97, Ag 3; there's no lead

There's some copper in 241, but the usual SAC formula is 0.5% Ag, 1% Cu, and 241 is rather closer to the 3.7% silver content.

• Took a little snooping, but YES, that is correct. Unknown flux if any.