Abstract
In this work, a morphological and structural characterization of a ternary Ag-Cu-Ge alloy of known composition was performed with the aim of evaluating how the passivation parameters (time and temperature) influence the morphological features of the material surface. A nanomechanical characterization was performed in order to correlate the morphology and microstructure of the alloy with its tarnish, wear, and scratch resistance. It was found that the addition of germanium to the alloy not only provides the material with tarnish and fire-stain resistance, but it also improves the scratch and wear resistance owing to the formation of a dense and stable thin oxide layer.
Highlights
Ternary Ag-Cu-Ge alloys are materials that have two main fields of application
All samples showed a typical two phase structure, with a Cu rich second phase included in an Ag rich matrix
Samples are composed of two phases, with copper rich clusters dispersed in a silver rich matrix
Summary
Ternary Ag-Cu-Ge alloys are materials that have two main fields of application. An alloy consisting of at least 77 wt% silver, between 0.4% and 7% germanium and the remainder being copper has been proposed as a material for joining two elements in welding or brazing, since it reduces the problems connected with fire stain that arise whenever copper oxidizes at high temperatures [1].such alloys are widely used in the manufacture of jewels and silverware, since the addition of a small quantity of germanium to the alloy commonly known as Sterling is known to reduce the issues related to tarnishing and fire stain that affect common silver alloys [2,3].Sterling silver is one of the most widely used silver alloys to produce fine jewellery. An alloy consisting of at least 77 wt% silver, between 0.4% and 7% germanium and the remainder being copper has been proposed as a material for joining two elements in welding or brazing, since it reduces the problems connected with fire stain that arise whenever copper oxidizes at high temperatures [1] Such alloys are widely used in the manufacture of jewels and silverware, since the addition of a small quantity of germanium to the alloy commonly known as Sterling is known to reduce the issues related to tarnishing and fire stain that affect common silver alloys [2,3]. Modern manufacturers add a small quantity of other elements such as cadmium (to improve ductility) and boron (as a grain refiner) [3] The microstructure of this kind of alloy usually consists of two main phases, the first one (matrix) rich in silver, the second one rich in copper, which can be eutectic, depending on composition
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