Soldering is the process of joining metallic surfaces together using a hot metal filler. In electronics, it is used to secure individual components to circuit boards.

Soldering is thought to date back to the time of the Ancient Egyptians, who could have made soldered joints up to 7000 years ago. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, built around 600 BC, were said to have a floor covered with sheets of lead, with joints soldered together.

When soldering, the filler metal melts at a lower temperature than the metals being joined. Pure lead was originally used as solder, but lead produces a weak joint. In electronics, tin-based solder is the norm, because of the mechanical strength and lower melting point of tin. Certain alloys, such as 60% tin and 40% lead, have a lower melting point than their constituent metals and are known as eutectic alloys.

60/40 solder was the standard type used in electronic circuitry and electrical applications, but the launch of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) legislation in 2002 prompted an industry-wide move towards the use of lead-free solder.

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