Measurement Methods for Flux Residue Quantity after Controlled Atmosphere Brazing of Aluminum Coolers

The Controlled Atmosphere Brazing (CAB) process together with NOCOLOKr flux is associated with the occurrence of potassium fluoroaluminate residue inside the cooler. Excess of this flux residue is known to cause gelation of the coolant, which deteriorates the efficiency of the cooler. The flux residue amount is most often measured via Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), in accordance with DIN ISO 9964-3. This is a time-consuming measurement that requires the use of specialized equipment and costly solvents. The following article presents two innovative methods for flux residue measurement after CAB process. They include Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and Reflected Light Microscopy (RLM) with Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) module. The accuracy of these methods has been compared to the reference AAS method to evaluate their potential as alternative, less expensive, and quicker measurement methods for determining the quantity of flux residue.