What is the difference between tinned and tinless wires? Which one should be used in electronic applications?
Wires used in electrical installations that do not need to be soldered are not tinned. They are copper wires, easily identified by the light brown color of this metal. These wires may be welded, but the solder will stick with a little more difficulty, eventually scraping them off before the welding process to remove the forming oxide layer. On the other hand, the wires used in electronic assemblies already have a thin tin cover that facilitates the adhesion of the weld. We can identify these wires by their silver color. These wires do not have to be cleaned or scraped for welding unless they show obvious signs of (blackened) oxidation.
