Abstract: The invention relates to a chemical solution capable of selectively stripping a layer of tin or tin-lead alloy from a substrate, generally of copper, by means of a spraying operation, without requiring the use of any specially designed machine, inasmuch as the solution does not exhibit any particular aggressiveness in respect of the metal materials of which the spraying machines are usually made, and is nevertheless able to selectively strip and maintain in solution the tin or the tin-lead alloy, without etching the copper substrate. The solution comprises mainly an acid of organic nature appertaining to the group including the class of the alkylsulfonic acids having a number of carbon atoms from 1 to 4, such as in particular the methanesulfonic acid. The solution also contains an aromatic nitro-substituted compound including a solubilizing group, which is adapted to oxidize the tin-lead alloy and to facilitate the etching action of the organic acid.