Tin Whiskers: Tiny electronic hazards
Tin Whiskers have ruined missiles, silenced communications satellites and forced nuclear power plants to shut down. Pacemakers, consumer gadgets and even a critical part of a space shuttle have fallen victim.
Tiny splinters - whiskers, they're called - that sprout without warning from tin solder and finishes deep inside electronics. By some estimates, the resulting short-circuits have leveled as much as $10 billion in damage since they were first noticed in the 1940s.
What are Tin Whiskers
Tin whiskers are minuscule, splinter-like protrusions that sprout apparently at random from solder and finishes used in electronics. Scientists aren't sure why or how they grow.
Problem with Tin whiskers
If they bridge electronic circuits, the metal whiskers disrupt the normal flow of electricity and trigger shorts. Missiles, satellites, nuclear power plants and even a critical space shuttle part have all fallen victim. (Last year the European Union banned lead from most electronics. Lawmakers around the world have taken notice and are considering similar regulations. Electronics makers are now scrambling to develop alternatives free of the toxic metal).
Solution
Small amount of lead mixed in with the tin largely prevents whiskers from forming.
