Here, you can learn which PCB ingredients can outgas in a soldering machine and why some condensate residues indicate serious quality problems. Like a fingerprint, FT-IR spectroscopy can be used to identify the composition of the condensate residue in the respective temperature range. Previous deviations in production processes such as an incompletely cross-linked solder mask due to the presence of oxygen during their manufacturing, leave their traces in the condensate residue as well as the hardener from the PCB substrate, which is present in excess.