In-Bi Alloys Research Articles

Enhancing Electrocatalytic Conversion of Bicarbonate to Formate by Via Bismuth Alloys

The bicarbonate reduction reaction has been emerging as a promising approach for converting CO2-riched medium to profitable products. However, the reduction of bicarbonate to formate still requires further development to achieve a moderate faradic efficiency. Herein, we introduced a low hydrogen-affinity metal (indium) into bismuth-based materials for BRR. It shows a favorable FEformate of 84.81%, a considerable formate partial current density of 241 mA∙cm-2, and a superior formate generation rate of 56 mmol∙L-1∙cm-2∙h-1.Comprehensive ex-situ XRD characterization suggests that the incorporation of indium will inhibit the phase transformation from metallic bismuth to a bismuth subcarbonate species, which leads to the enhanced performance for bicarbonate reduction to facilitate improved cathodic formate production from the In-Bi alloy as compared to pure Bi.

New fixed point of on-orbit calibration scale based on the In-Bi eutectic alloy for application in novel high-stable space-borne standard sources

The problem of ensuring stability of Earth observation space-borne instruments undertaking long-term temperature measurements within thermal IR spectral range is described. For in-flight reliable control of the space-borne IR instruments characteristics the stability of onboard reference sources should be improved. The function of these high-stable sources will be executed by novel onboard blackbodies, incorporating the melt↔freeze phase transition phenomenon, currently being developed. As a part of these works the task of realizing an on-orbit calibration scale within the dynamic temperature range of Earth observation systems 210−350 K based on fixed-point phase transition temperatures of a number of potentially suitable substances is advanced. The corresponding series of the onboard reference blackbodies will be set up on the basis of the on-orbit calibration scale fixed points. It is shown that the achievement of the target lies in carrying out a number of in-flight experiments with the selected fixed points and the prospective onboard fixed-point blackbodies prototypes. The new In-Bi eutectic alloy melt temperature fixed point (~345 K) is proposed as the significant fixed points of the future on-orbit calibration scale. The results of the new fixed point preliminary laboratory studies have been analyzed. The results allowed to start preparation of the in-flight experiments investigating the In-Bi alloy for the purpose of its application in the novel onboard reference sources.

Shear properties of In-Bi alloy joints with Cu substrates during thermal aging

This paper describes the shear properties of solder joints using In-Bi alloys for flexible and wearable electronic devices. The effect of thermal aging on the shear strength of the In-Bi joints on Cu substrates prepared under various aging conditions was examined. In addition, the cross-sectional microstructures of the Cu/In-Bi alloy/Cu joints were investigated after shear testing.

Microstructure and superconducting properties of Sn–In and Sn–In–Bi alloys as Pb-free superconducting solders

In this work the microstructure and superconducting properties of various compositions of binary Sn–In and ternary Sn–In-Bi alloys have been studied as potential replacements for the Pb-based superconducting solders currently used for superconducting joints between technological low temperature superconducting wires. The influence of chemistry and microstructure on the superconducting properties are investigated. Both the Sn–In β and γ phases are stable over a fairly wide range of chemical composition, with the superconducting properties of each phase improving with increasing solute concentration, but the results show that the In-rich β phase has better superconducting properties than the Sn-rich γ phase. For this reason, in both the binary Sn–In and the ternary Sn–In–Bi systems, the best superconducting properties are achieved in alloys with a high volume fraction of β-phase. The ternary alloys generally show better superconducting properties than the binary alloys, with the highest values of 6.9 K, 0.18 T and 1.3 × 108 A m−2 measured for TC, BC2 (at 4.2 K) and JC (at 4.2 K, 0.01 T) respectively in the Sn35In50Bi15 alloy that consists of a matrix of β-phase with fine fibres of γ and BiIn2. The dependence of the pinning force on the reduced magnetic field exhibits a scaling law behaviour with the maximum at B/BC2 ∼ 0.2 indicating that the dominant mechanism is surface normal pinning in these solders. Rapid solidification in liquid nitrogen results in manipulation of the phase chemistry by both increasing the solute content in the majority phase, changing the fraction of each phase and reducing the scale of the microstructure, leading to significant improvements in superconducting performance. However, the quenched alloys age considerably, even at room temperature, resulting in a deterioration in BC2 and JC values over a few days.

Evaluation on Electrical and Thermal Characteristics of Multi-Stacked HTS Coated Conductor With Various Stabilizers

Transporting large currents through High- Tc (HTS) current leads (CLs) inevitably involves using several HTS tapes in multi-stacked form to obtain a high current density. For safe operation of HTS CLs, the thermal stability of stacked HTS tapes should be considered. In this paper, we investigated electrical and thermal properties of multi-stacked HTS tapes using 2G coated conductor (CC). Three kinds of commercial CC with different specification of stabilizer were used for the experiment. Each stack sample was fabricated by soldering together CC tapes using In-Bi alloy. To verify the effects of a stabilizer on thermal stability for multi-stacked CC tapes, we performed an experiment of minimum quench energy measurements. In addition, transient electrical and thermal behavior were measured as a function of the external heat input energy. Each stack sample has a heater made of nickel-chromium (Ni-Cr) wire to make the external heat disturbance and a type-E thermocouple to measure the temperature. Based on the test results, electrical and thermal characteristics of multi-stacked CC tapes were evaluated.

The competition between InBi- and In2Bi-like atomic distributions before solidification

The enthalpy of mixing of binary In–Bi melts was measured by means of a calorimetric method at T = 1023, 875, 483 K. Its concentration dependence reveals a flat minimum in the region between the intermetallic phases InBi and In2Bi. The shape of the curve of the integral enthalpy of mixing for liquid In-Bi alloys is in agreement with the assumption of a competition between InBiand In2Bi-like chemical ordering before solidification.

Structural transformations in theIn5Bi3 compound under high pressure

The compound In5Bi3 decomposes at pressure 15 GPa andtemperature 150 °C into two phases of differentcompositions. Each phase represents a tetragonal distortion of thebody-centred cubic phase, one with axial ratio c/a>1 and the otherwith c/a<1. These phases follow the Bain path - a tetragonaldistortion of the cubic structure on the way from face-centred cubic to body-centred cubic,observed for tetragonal phases of In and Snalloys as a function of composition (or electron concentration)at ambient and high pressure. Ambient-pressure stoichiometiccompounds in the In-Bi alloy system are replaced under pressureby a sequence of metallic random phases with the structure determined by the electron concentration.

Gravitational Sensitivity of Solutions–Melts at the Crystallization of Two-Phase InSb–InBi Alloys under Space Conditions

Analyzing the results of space and ground-based experiments carried out in the Baikov Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science to study the processes of the melting and crystallization of two-phase InSb–InBi alloys of an indium–antimony–bismuth (In–Sb– Bi) triple system, we have demonstrated the gravitational sensitivity of the InSb-based solution– melt. It manifests itself as a certain asymmetry of the boundary of the dissolution of the InSb ingot by the InSb–InBi melt and heterogeneity of the melt along this boundary depending on the magnitude and direction of the gravity force acceleration gin the range (1–10–3–10–5)g0, where g0is the acceleration of the gravity force on Earth. For the first time, it is established in the experiments under analysis that the homogeneity of melts of a complex composition with components of various densities can be reached only at magnitudes of quasistationary (residual) microaccelerations g< 10–6g0.

Electrodeposition of copper and nickel on InBi alloy electrodes

Electrodeposition of copper and nickel was investigated on the 67–33 w/w InBi soft alloy, which has a low melting point (72°C). The electrochemical behaviour of this alloy was found to be similar to that of pure indium in a Watt's type bath. Direct and pulsed current techniques were compared. For copper, a current density ranging from 500 to 1000Am−2 was found to be suitable to obtain regular and shiny deposits at 25°C. For nickel, at 45°C, the current density range used was 500 to 1250Am−2 to obtain good deposits, that were not affected by hydrogen evolution. Pulsed and direct currents were found to be equally efficient. The main interest of electrodeposition on InBi alloy was the ease of removal of the alloy by simple melting, and consequently to make electrodes of unusual shapes which are normally difficult to produce industrially. Only a small amount of InBi alloy remained in the inner part of the deposit.

Crystal and molecular structures of metal-free phthalocyanines, 1,2-dicyanobenzene tetramers: II. α form

The α polymorph of 1,2-dicyanobenzene tetramer (α-Pc) has been obtained in the reaction of 1,2-dicyanobenzene in presence of InBi alloy. α-Pc crystallizes in the monoclinic system, (space group, C2/ n). The unit-cell parameters are a = 26.124(3) A ̊ , b = 3.801(1) A ̊ , c = 23.889(3) A ̊ , β = 94.18(2)° and V = 2365.8(6) A ̊ 3 . The unit cell contains four centrosymmetrical molecules. A total of 3934 reflections was used in solution and refinement. The final values were R = 0.0577, ωR = 0.0742 and S = 1.65. The crystal structure of α-Pc is discussed and compared with the β modification of phthalocyanine.

Measurement of enthalpic parameters using a differential calorimetric method: Application to in-Bi alloys

An attempt is made to develop a calorimetric method by taking full advantage of the differential possibilities offered by the Tian-Calvet calorimeter. This method is intended to measure the enthalpic parameter, defined as the limiting value (dilute solutions) of the derivative of the partial enthalpy of mixing with respect to the concentration, in liquid In-Bi alloys. The results, although rather scattered, exhibit a systematic discrepancy when compared with those obtained by the classical direct reaction calorimetry method with the same calorimeter. They are in better agreement with the values estimated from simple thermodynamic models.

Corrosion and Electrochemical Behavior of In and In-Bi Alloys in HCl

Abstract The corrosion of In-Bi alloys in HCl was studied using x-ray, scanning electron microscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry techniques. In deaerated 3N HCl solutions, the selective dissolution of indium was the predominant mechanism in the corrosion of In-Bi alloys. The corrosion was always accompanied by a phase change on the surface, and the corrosion rates of In-Bi alloys were found to increase in the presence of oxygen. The corrosion potential values indicated that the corrosion of In-Bi alloys was cathodically controlled, and the occurrence of preferential or simultaneous dissolution in In-Bi alloys was also dependent on potential.

A phase transition of higher than second order in small-? superconductors

The magnetic properties of small-κ superconducting In-Bi, In-Tl, In-Pb, Sn-Bi, and Sn-Sb alloys are investigated. The evaluation of the experiments is carried out in the framework of BCS and GLAG theory. At a critical alloy concentration a phase transition occurs, at which type I superconductivity goes over into type II. Comparing the results with Lifshitz's theory, it is found that the phase transition is of higher than second order. The contribution from the nonanalytical part of the concentration dependence of the electronic specific heat coefficient is 0.63–0.77, and thus the order of the phase transition increases by this amount.

The phase diagram for In-rich In-Bi alloys

The phase diagram for In-Bi alloys in the composition range 2–33.3 at.% Bi has been investigated by differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction and measurements of the superconducting transition temperature. The existence of an f.c.t. α 1 phase with c/ a < 1 has been established in the approximate composition range 7–12 at.% Bi. This phase forms peritectically at 92.5 ± 0.5 ° C and transforms to the f.c.t. α phase with c/ a > 1 at 49 ± 1.0 ° C. The locations of the α/(α + β) (In 2Bi) and the (α + β) β boundaries have been derived from the superconductivity measurements.

The InBi alloy system at high pressures

The In-Bi alloy system has been studied at high pressures and temperatures. Alloys with the compositions 22, 33, 50 (InBi), 52.7, 57 and 80 at.% Bi were studied by differential thermal analysis in a piston-cylinder device. The composition of the eutectic alloys in the system is markedly affected by pressure; the existence of the so-called X phase at high pressures has been confirmed for compositions above 50 at.% Bi. A new high pressure-high temperature phase is reported for InBi.

The density of indium-bismuth alloys

The density of various In-Bi alloys at room temperature was measured by the buoyancy technique. With increasing Bi concentration in the alloys, the density increases smoothly between the values for the terminal elements indium and bismuth. No maxima occur at any of the compositions which correspond to the intermediate phases In 2Bi, In 5Bi 3 and InBi. On compound formation from the constituents, a volume contraction is observed which is proportional to the amount of bismuth in the alloy. For InBi, a maximum decrease in specific volume by 2.9% is found. However, despite the decrease in specific volume, the experimental density data for Bi concentrations up to 50 at.% may be expressed in an additive manner by attributing a density of 10.27 g/cm 3 to the bismuth instead of the conventional value of 9.80 g/ cm 3. This indicates that the bismuth acts in the alloys with a density it would have at room temperature in its supercooled liquid state.

Electronic Properties of Liquid In-Bi Alloys

Magnetic susceptibilities, electrical resistivities and thermoelectric powers of liquid In-Bi alloys are measured. The curve of the electron susceptibility versus composition shows a little anomaly...

Longitudinal nuclear spin relaxation in liquid alloys of indium

The longitudinal relaxation rate of the 115In nuclear spin in liquid In-Bi, Pb and Tl alloys is measured. The relaxation rate depends on both temperature and composition, and varies from 5200 s-1 for pure liquid In to 6300 s-1 for a 50 at% In-Bi alloy at 430K. The observations of Warren and Clark (1969) on In metal are used as a starting point from which deductions concerning the various contributions to the relaxation are made. It is found that the dependence on temperature may be accounted for by the presence of a contribution from the interaction of the nuclear quadrupole moments with the local electric field gradients which are themselves random functions of time due to the ionic motion. This contribution is found to be smaller than current theories predict, but the experimental observations are shown to support the proposal of the authors that there is a strong cancellation between the two and three atom contributions to the motion dependent quadrupolar relaxation rate in liquid metals.

"Intermediate Mixed" State of Type-II Superconductors

For magnetic fields in the range $(1\ensuremath{-}D){H}_{c1}&lt;H&lt;{H}_{t}$, magnetization curves of low-$\ensuremath{\kappa}$ type-II Pb-In and In-Bi alloys with nonzero demagnetization coefficients $D$ exhibit a linear dependence of the magnetic moment on applied field. ${H}_{c1}$ is the lower critical field and ${H}_{t}$ is the field at which this linear dependence terminates. For finite $D$, ${H}_{t}&lt;{H}_{c1}$. This behavior can be explained by a model of alternate regions of superconducting and mixed states. This array may be metastable. The mixed-state regions are all presumed to have the same temperature-dependent fluxoid-lattice spacing characteristic of ${H}_{c1}$ when $D=0$. Thus, as the magnetic field is increased isothermally, the mixed-state regions grow until the whole sample has been converted into the mixed state. This model implies the existence of an attractive interaction between flux lines in low-$\ensuremath{\kappa}$ materials.

Anomalous Behavior ofHc3Hc2nearTcfor Sn-In and In-Bi Alloy Systems

Previously reported measurements of the ratio $\frac{{H}_{c3}}{{H}_{c2}}$ for tin-rich Sn-In alloys and indium-rich In-Bi alloys have been extended in further detail, and include variations in foil thickness (6 - 300 \ensuremath{\mu}). The anomalous behavior in the ratio very near ${T}_{c}$ is found to be dependent on foil thickness. Each alloy system is characterized by a certain thickness, above which $\frac{{H}_{c3}}{{H}_{c2}}$ decreases markedly as ${T}_{c}$ is approached, and below which the opposite behavior takes place. The results can be interpreted qualitatively in terms of a sandwich model in which the strength of the pairing interaction is depressed in a layer at the surface of the sample. For the thickest samples (most nearly semi-infinite), there is good quantitative agreement with the recent theory of this proximity effect given by Fink and Presson.