Microstructure and physical properties of bismuth–lead–tin ternary eutectic alloy

Using different experimental techniques, microstructure, electrical resistivity, attenuation coefficient, and mechanical and thermal properties of the quenched Bi–Pb–Sn ternary eutectic alloy have been investigated. From the X-ray analysis, Bi₃Pb₇ and Bi–Sn meta-stable phases are detected, in addition to rhombohedral bismuth and Sn body-centered tetragonal phases. This study also compared the physical properties of the Bi–Sn–Pb ternary eutectic alloys with the base binary Bi–Sn and Bi–Pb eutectic alloys.     

Correlation study of structural,electrical and mechanical properties of quenched tin–zinc–cadmium solder alloys

It is important, for electronic application, to decrease the melting point of SnZn₉ solder alloy because it is too high as compared with the most popular eutectic Pb–Sn solder alloy. Adding Cd causes structural changes such as phase transformations, dissolution of atoms and formation of Cd crystals in the quenched SnZn₉ alloy, and its physical properties are affected by this change. For example, the melting point is decreased towards the melting point of the Pb–Sn eutectic alloy, or even much less. The structure, electrical and mechanical properties of quenched Sn_{91? x} Zn₉Cd _x (x?=?0 or x?≥?5) alloys have been investigated. Adding Cd to a quenched SnZn₉ alloy increases its electrical resistivity and decreases its elastic modulus and internal friction. The Sn₇₁Zn₉Cd₂₀ alloy has the lowest melting point (162 °C) and electrical and internal frictions as compared with commercial Pb–Sn solder alloys.     

Thermal and electrical conductivities of silver–indium–tin alloys

The variations of thermal conductivity with temperature for the Ag–[x] wt% Sn–20 wt% In alloys (x=8, 15, 35, 55 and 70) were measured using a radial heat flow apparatus. From the graphs of thermal conductivity versus temperature, the thermal conductivities of solid phases at their melting temperature for the Ag–[x] wt% Sn–20 wt% In alloys (x=8, 15, 35, 55 and 70) were found to be 46.9±3.3, 53.8±3.8, 61.2±4.3, 65.1±4.6 and 68.1±4.8 W/Km, respectively. The variations of electrical conductivity of solid phases versus temperature for the same alloys were determined from the Wiedemann–Franz equation using the measured values of thermal conductivity. From the graphs of electrical conductivity versus temperature, the electrical conductivities of the solid phases at their melting temperatures for the Ag–[x] wt% Sn–20 wt% In alloys (x=8, 15, 35, 55 and 70) alloys were obtained to be 0.036, 0.043, 0.045, 0.046 and 0.053 (×10⁸/Ωm), respectively. Dependencies of the thermal and electrical conductivities on the composition of Sn in the Ag–Sn–In alloys were also investigated. According to present experimental results, the thermal and electrical conductivities for the Ag–[x] wt% Sn–20 wt% In alloys linearly decrease with increasing the temperature and increase with increasing the composition of Sn.     

Electrical and thermal conductivities and Seebeck coefficient of liquid copper–bismuth alloys

The electrical resistivity and absolute thermoelectric power of the liquid Cu _x –Bi_{(1? x )} system have been measured over the whole composition range from the liquidus to 1100°C. The thermal conductivity is deduced from measurements of these two properties. The experimental results are interpreted and discussed in term of the extended Faber–Ziman formula using the t-matrix formalism with hard-sphere structure factors. The concentration and energy dependence of the phase shifts have been taken into account for a complete conductivity and thermopower calculation.     

Galvanomagnetic properties of thin films of bismuth and bismuth–antimony alloys on substrates with different thermal expansions

Temperature dependences of the galvanomagnetic properties of films of bismuth and Bi_{100 – x}Sb_x (x ≤ 12) on substrates with different temperature expansion coefficients were studied in the temperature range of 77–300 K. The block films were prepared through thermal deposition, and single-crystal Bi_{100 – x}Sb_x were grown by zone recrystallization under a coating. It was found that the temperature expansion coefficient of a substrate substantially influenced the galvanomagnetic properties of Bi and Bi_{100 – x}Sb_x films. Using the experimental data, the change in the charge-carrier concentration in the Bi and Bi_{100 – x}Sb_x films on different substrates at 77 K was estimated.     

Characterization of a large core photonic crystal fiber made of lead–bismuth–gallium oxide glass for broadband infrared transmission

We report on characterization of a large solid core, photonic crystal fiber dedicated to broadband transmission range from visible to mid-infrared. We have fabricated a multi-mode photonic crystal fiber, made of a heavy metal-oxide glass based on the $\hbox {PbO}{-}\hbox {Bi}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3}{-}\hbox {Ga}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3}$ system, modified with $\hbox {SiO}_{2}$ and CdO, synthesized in-house, which shows good transmission up to $4.5\,\upmu \hbox {m}$ , as well as good rheological properties that permit multiple thermal processing steps without crystallization. The core of the fiber is created by replacement of central 60 tubes with solid rods. The photonic cladding is composed of 8 rings of air holes with a filling factor of 0.42. Simulation results shows that the fiber can be used for broadband transmission in the range of 430–3,000 nm. Calculated effective mode area of the fiber is $295\,\upmu \hbox {m}^{2}$ . We have measured attenuation of the fiber in the range 800–1,700 nm and its sensitivity to bending losses. Attenuation ranges from 1 to 4 dB/m in the considered range and bending losses are below 0.7 dB.     

Effect of electrotransfer and indium additions on contact melting and phase formation in bismuth–tin systems

Contact melting with and without electrotransfer is studied in Sn–Bi systems with small additions of indium to each component. The effect admixtures have on the rate of contact melting is shown to be unclear. The structures of the obtained alloys are highly inhomogenous with multiple inclusions of dendrites. An X-ray analysis of the transformed interlayers is performed. A number of intermetallides are observed, including ones not found on the phase diagrams of binary systems. An attempt is made to explain these findings.     

Rapid and sensitive determination of cobalt by adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry using tin–bismuth alloy electrode

Tin–bismuth alloy electrode (SnBiE) was used for trace cobalt determination for the first time. Compared to the bismuth bulk electrode, the SnBiE possesses the advantages of higher hydrogen overpotential, easier manufacture, and lower cost. In addition, there is no need for a pretreatment (in terms of modification) of the electrode before measurements. The analysis of Co(II) was made by the adsorptive accumulation of the cobalt–nioxime complex from solution containing 60 μM nioxime and 0.1 M ammonia at pH 9.4 and followed by the reduction of the accumulated complex. The electroanalysis results show that the optimal sensitivity can be obtained by using nitrite as the auxiliary reagent. The calibration plot for Co(II) quantification was linear from 0.2 to 20 nM with a correlation coefficient of 0.998. Meanwhile, a detection limit of 44 pM was obtained in connection with an accumulation time of 60 s, which is more sensitive than that of the mercury, bismuth, lead, and lead–copper electrodes. The practical applications of SnBiE have been performed for the determination of Co(II) in real water samples, and the results are consistent with those results by use of inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).     

Characterization of twinning in electrodeposited Ni–Mn alloys

Twinning is ubiquitous in electroplated metals. Here, we identify and discuss unique aspects of twinning found in electrodeposited Ni–Mn alloys. Previous reports concluded that the twin boundaries effectively refine the grain size, which enhances mechanical strength. Quantitative measurements from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that the relative boundary length in the as-plated microstructure primarily comprises twin interfaces. Detailed TEM characterization reveals a range of length scales associated with twinning beginning with colonies (～1000?nm) down to the width of individual twins, which is typically <50?nm. We also consider the connection between the crystallographic texture of the electrodeposit and the orientation of the twin planes with respect to the plating direction. The Ni–Mn alloy deposits in this work possess a {110}-fiber texture. While twinning can occur on {111} planes either perpendicular or oblique to the plating direction in {110}-oriented grains, plan-view TEM images show that twins form primarily on those planes parallel to the plating direction. Therefore, grains enclosed by twins and multiply twinned particles are produced. Another important consequence of a high twin density is the formation of large numbers of twin-related junctions. We measure an area density of twin junctions that is comparable to the density of dislocations in a heavily cold-worked metal.     

Characterization of quenched-in vacancies in Fe–Al alloys

Physical and mechanical properties of Fe–Al alloys are strongly influenced by atomic ordering and point defects. In the present work positron lifetime (LT) measurements combined with slow positron implantation spectroscopy (SPIS) were employed for an investigation of quenched-in vacancies in Fe–Al alloys with the Al content ranging from 18 to 49 at.%. The interpretation of positron annihilation data was performed using ab-initio   theoretical calculations of positron parameters. Quenched-in defects were identified as Fe-vacancies. It was found that the lifetime of positrons trapped at quenched-in defects increases with increasing Al content due to an increasing number of Al atoms surrounding the Fe vacancies. The concentration of quenched-in vacancies strongly increases with increasing Al content from ≈10⁻⁵$\approx {10}^{-5}$ in Fe₈₂Al₁₈${\mathrm{Fe}}_{82}{\mathrm{Al}}_{18}$ (i.e. the alloy with the lowest Al content studied) up to ≈10⁻¹$\approx {10}^{-1}$ in Fe₅₁Al₄₉${\mathrm{Fe}}_{51}{\mathrm{Al}}_{49}$ (i.e. the alloy with the highest Al content studied in this work).     

Interaction between solid nickel and a tin–indium eutectic melt,and the nature of eutectic alloys

Structural transformations during reactions between nickel and an indium–tin eutectic melt are studied via the diffraction of high-energy synchrotron radiation. It is shown that InNi intermetallic compound is the first to form after melting. No phases belonging to a Ni–Sn system are observed. A hypothesis concerning the nanocluster structure of the eutectic melt is proposed: Structural formations with forbidden five-fold, seven-fold, and higher-order rotational axes of symmetry lie at the heart of nanosized clusters.     

Fabrication and characterization of bismuth oxide–holmia nanofibers and nanoceramics

In this article, a novel and simple method to produce both boron doped and undoped holmia stabilized bismuth oxide nanoceramic materials has been put forward. Boron doped and undoped poly (vinyl alcohol)/bismuth–holmia acetate nanofibers were produced using the electrospinning technique and were calcined at 850 °C afterward in order to obtain nanopowder. The characteristics of the nanofibers were investigated with FT-IR, XRD, and SEM. XRD analyses showed that boron undoped holmia stabilized bismuth oxide nanopowders have the face-centered cubic structure (δ-phase), and that the incorporation of boron atoms into the composite prevents the nucleus formation and turns the structure into a more amorphous glassy form. The SEM micrographs of the fibers showed that the addition of boron results in the formation of cross-linked bright-surfaced fibers. The average fiber diameters for electrospun boron doped and undoped PVA/Bi–Ho acetate nanofibers were calculated using the ImageJ software as 102 nm and 171 nm, respectively.     

Characterization of in situ mechanically worked PVD Mg–Ti alloys

Mg–Ti alloys with up to 46?wt%?Ti in solid solution were produced by physical vapour deposition (PVD) with in situ mechanical working. All the alloys exhibited compositional inhomogeneity, columnar microstructures and typical PVD defects. The thermal stability of the solid solutions decreased with increasing Ti content, with the most stable solid solution breaking up above 566?K. The in situ mechanical working reduced porosity by closing pores and flattened surface asperities. The oxide film on the surface of the Mg–8?wt%?Ti alloy was Ti-free. The air formed oxide film on the alloys with a Ti content above 8?wt% was identiffied as a mixture of MgO and TiO₂ covered by Mg(OH)₂ and hydromagnesite at the outermost surface. Magnesium oxide and titanium oxide were also formed at the columnar boundaries that were not affected by the in situ mechanical working. The oxide chemistry was studied using Auger parameter analysis.     

The influence of the growth rate on the eutectic spacings,undercoolings and microhardness of directional solidified bismuth–lead eutectic alloy

Bi–Pb alloy at the eutectic composition was unidirectionally solidified upwards with five different growth rates (V = 7.05–113.09 μm/s) at constant temperature gradient (G = 2.18 K/mm) in a Bridgman type directional growth furnace in order to investigate dependency of eutectic spacing (λ), minimum undercooling (ΔT) and microhardness (HV) on the growth rates (V). The values of λ and HV were measured from the quenched samples and the minimum undercooling (ΔT) were determined from the Jackson–Hunt eutectic theory. The dependency of eutectic spacings, microhardness and undercooling on growth rate was investigated. According to these results it has been found that the value of λ decreases with increasing the value of V and that the values of HV and ΔT increase for a constant G. The values of λ²V, λΔT and ΔTV^?0.5 were determined by using the values of λ, ΔT and V. The results obtained in the present work have been compared with those predicted by the Jackson–Hunt eutectic theory and with similar experimental results.     

Mössbauer studies of negative-U tin centers in lead chalcogenides

Experimental data on identification of negative-U tin centers in lead chalcogenides and related solid solutions by means of ¹¹⁹Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy are discussed.     

Precipitation and fracture behaviour of Fe–Mn–Ni–Al alloys

The effects of Al addition on the precipitation and fracture behaviour of Fe–Mn–Ni alloys were investigated. With the increasing of Al concentration, the matrix and grain boundary precipitates changed from L1₀ θ-MnNi to B2 Ni₂MnAl phase, which is coherent and in cube-to-cube orientation relationship with the α′-matrix. Due to the suppression of the θ-MnNi precipitates at prior austenite grain boundaries (PAGBs), the fracture mode changed from intergranular to transgranular cleavage fracture. Further addition of Al resulted in the discontinuous growth of Ni₂MnAl precipitates in the alloy containing 4.2?wt.% Al and fracture occurred by void growth and coalescence, i.e. by ductile dimple rupture. The transition of the fracture behaviour of the Fe–Mn–Ni–Al alloys is discussed in relation to the conversion of the precipitates and their discontinuous precipitation behaviour at PAGBs.