Effect of 0.3 wt% TiO2 nanoparticles on the thermal, structural, and mechanical properties of Sn3.8Ag0.7 Cu1.0Zn solder alloy

Abstract

The Sn–3.8Ag-0.7Cu −1.0 wt% Zn (SACZ) plain solder alloy was reinforced by 0.3 wt% of TiO2 nanoparticles (NP). SEM, XRD, DSC, and stress-strain characterization techniques were used to examine the synthesized samples. The morphology of the samples is uniform and the grain size of the SACZ-TiO2 sample is refined compared to the plain solder. The TiO2 addition improved the crystallinity of the SACZ sample. Furthermore, the melting temperature of the prepared samples has the same value even if its pasty range is decreased by adding TiO2 NP. The mechanical properties of the examined samples were investigated at different temperatures and different strain rates. The activation energy (Q) of the SACZ-TiO2 is lower than that of the SACZ sample. The results of this study confirm that the 0.3 wt% TiO2 addition improves the physical properties of SACZ alloy.