Study of the effects of additions and isothermal annealing on some physical properties of quenched bismuth–lead solder alloy

Abstract

Electrical resistivity, hardness, thermal and mechanical properties of bismuth–lead solder alloys with additions such as cadmium, tin or antimony, with and without annealing have been investigated. Adding additions (Sn, Cd, Sb) to a bismuth–lead alloy causes a variation in the internal structure of the Pb–Bi matrix. In addition, annealing causes internal structure changes (migration of grain boundary or coarsening grains), affecting all physical properties such as the resistivity, mechanical and thermal properties. Adding cadmium content to a bismuth–lead alloy increases its electrical resistivity, internal friction, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and hardness and decreases its elastic modulus. However, adding tin increases its resistivity and CTE with a variation in its elastic modulus, internal friction and hardness. In addition, electrical resistivity, hardness and CTE of bismuth–lead alloys increased by adding antimony with decreasing their elastic modulus and internal friction.