Electrodeposition of Sn-Zn-Cu alloys from citrate solutions

Abstract

The first stage of this study involves the development of stable baths for electrodepositing Sn-Zn-Cu alloys; these developments are based on thermodynamic models of citrate baths and experiments exploring the stability of the baths. The effects of the sodium citrate (complexation agent) concentration and the pH of the solution on the stability of the baths were examined experimentally. The stability of the baths was determined through spectrophotometric analysis. Stable baths designed for the electrodeposition of Sn-Zn-Cu alloys were produced in the range of dominant citrate complexes with highly negative charge (the reduction process is strongly inhibited by high activation energy). Voltammetric studies and potentiostatic deposition were conducted to analyse the co-deposition of tin, zinc, and copper, and the co-evolution of hydrogen. The effect of the solution pH, the concentration of sodium citrate and the hydrodynamic conditions on the electrodeposition process and the composition of the deposits were examined. The deposits were analysed using chemical (μXRF) as also grain size and phase analysis (X-ray diffraction). The possibility of electrodepositing Sn-Zn-Cu alloys from citrate solutions was confirmed. The tin content of these coatings varied from 60 to 96wt.%, the copper content varied from 3.5 to 20.5wt.%, and the zinc content reached up to approximately 37.5wt.%.