Technical concepts related to temperature
Soft brazing / Hard brazing
The limit between hard brazing and soft brazing is 450°C.
Soft brazing:
Brazing in which the melting temperature (liquidus) of the filler metal is below 450°C.
Tin wire is most often used.
Hard brazing:
Brazing technique using a filler metal with a melting temperature (liquidus) above 450°C. Specific filler metals are selected to meet the various requirements of the process.
Melting point / Melting characteristics / Working temperature
Melting point:
Limit above which the material changes from solid to liquid. Only pure metals and eutectic alloys have a defined melting point.
Melting characteristics:
Temperature at which the material changes from a solid state to a liquid state; this concerns most filler metals.
Working temperature:
Minimum temperature required to perform brazing. The temperature of the parts to be joined must be close to, equal to or higher than the liquidus temperature of the filler metal.