Surface Tension Of Alloys Research Articles

Surface Tension of Cu-Ti Alloys and Wettability in a Liquid Alloy-Refractory Material-Gaseous Phase System.

The study involved measurements of surface tension of liquid binary copper-titanium alloys with respect to their chemical composition and temperature as well as investigations of the liquid alloy-refractory material-gaseous phase system wettability using usual refractory materials, i.e., graphite, aluminum oxide and magnesium oxide. The experiments were performed with the use of the sessile drop method and a high-temperature microscope coupled with a camera and a computer. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of titanium content in the Cu-Ti alloy on the surface tension and contact angle at the interface between the liquid alloy and the refractory material. The influence of temperature on these parameters was also examined. The tests were carried out for copper-titanium alloys with a maximum content of 1.5% wt. Ti, in the temperature range of 1373 to 1573 K. The test results indicate that as the titanium content in the alloy increases, its surface tension increases slightly. However, an increase in temperature causes a decrease in the surface tension of the alloys. In the case of an alloy containing 1.5% wt. Ti, surface tension at a temperature of 1373 K reaches 1351 mN∙m-1, and at a temperature of 1573 K, it decreases to 1315 mN∙m-1. As the temperature and titanium content in the alloy increase, a decrease in the contact angle is observed. The highest values of contact angles were recorded in the case of contact of the liquid alloy with graphite. For an alloy containing 0.1% wt. Ti at a temperature of 1373 K, the contact angle reaches 132°, while at a temperature of 1573 K, it decreases to 128°. For an alloy containing 1.5% wt. Ti, the values of contact angles are 100° and 96°, respectively. However, the contact angles have the lowest values for magnesium oxide. In the case of a temperature of 1573 K and an alloy containing 1.5% wt. Ti, the contact angle reaches 49°. Such a significant impact of titanium content on the contact angles may be due to its high affinity for oxygen (contact with a substrate made of Al2O3 and MgO and its reactivity with carbon (contact with graphite).

Surface Tension of GaInSnBiZn Liquid High-entropy Alloy

As an emerging alloy material, high-entropy alloy has potential applications that distinguish it from traditional alloys due to its special physicochemical properties. In this work, a low melting point GaInSnBiZn high-entropy alloy was designed based on Miedema model, and its surface tension was measured by the continuous pendant-drop method. The results show that the intrinsic surface tension of GaInSnBiZn high-entropy alloy at 80 °C is 545±5 mN/m, and the surface tension of the liquid alloy is significantly reduced by the formation of surface oxide film. The surface tension of GaInSnBiZn high-entropy alloy was analyzed by using theoretical models (Guggenheim model, GSM (general solution) model and Butler model), and the thermodynamic characteristics of the surface tension formation were further verified by combining with thermodynamic calculations, among which the calculated results of Butler model were in good agreement with the experimental data. Meanwhile, it is found that the surface concentration of Bi in the alloy is much larger than the nominal concentration of its bulk phase, which contributes the most to the surface tension of the alloy, however, it contributes the least to the entropy of the alloy formation in combination with the Butler model.

Particle defects and related properties of metallic powders produced by plasma rotating electrode process

Flowability, particle size distribution and particle inner pore features for powders of Ti-6Al-4V, 316-steel, and Co-29Cr-6Mo alloys produced by plasma rotating electrode process (PREP) at various rotation speeds are analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and synchrotron X-ray computed tomography (CT). The results show that powder flowability is related to particle size distribution, surface morphology and dynamic friction coefficient of the alloy itself. This results in the higher powder flowability at low rotation speed than that at high rotation speed. Average particle size is roughly proportional to the square root of the reciprocal of rotation speed. In addition, particle size has an important effect on the particle porosity and the number faction of hollow powder in coarse powder is obviously larger than that in fine powder. Meanwhile, the alloy composition also plays a key role on porosity due to the various surface tension of alloys.

What happens when the surface and bulk phases of liquid metal alloys attain the same density at equilibrium?

Arguments supporting the prediction of a surface phase that is denser than the underneath bulk phase, when the surface-active metal in binary liquid alloys is the densest component, are presented. Butler’s thermodynamics for ideal surface phases are worked out to identify these event requirements. The two main factors leading to this situation are identified, namely the ratio between pure metal densities and the difference between their surface tensions. Expressions to estimate the composition interval where this outcome is expected to take place and to calculate the alloy surface tension under the restriction of equal surface and bulk densities are obtained. As expected, this surface tension is higher than that predicted by usual methods. Using literature data, nine different binary alloys are examined, and their interest composition ranges established. These span from very low to relatively high concentrations of the surface-active metal. The limitation of surface densities may lead to surface tensions up to 500 mN m−1 larger than those calculated without that constraint. Graphs showing these modelled features are presented. The liquid metals Pb, Tl and Bi are identified as powerful surface-active agents with high density and Al, Ti, Ga and Zr stand up as relatively low-density metals with high liquid state surface tensions. The influence of the surface phase packing factor value adopted is discussed, and it is demonstrated that it should be larger than unity for realistic modelling of liquid metal alloys. Finally, it is concluded that elaborate thermodynamic modelling of liquid alloys should impose surface densities not exceeding bulk densities.

Assessment of Surface Tension and Viscosity of In-Zn melt

A comparative study of the concentration dependence of surface tension and viscosity of molten In-Zn alloys at 700 K has been performed using energetics, obtained from thermodynamic analysis in the framework of self-association model. The surface tension of the alloys has been calculated from the two methods, layered structure approach and self associating mixture method, and viscosity from Moelwyn-Hughes equation and Kaptay equation. The theoretically computed results for the thermodynamic properties of the alloys are found in excellent agreement with the corresponding experimental results showing that the alloy is segregating in nature. Both surface tension and viscosity of the In-Zn alloy are found to increase with the addition of Zn atoms.The Himalayan Physics Vol. 6 & 7, April 2017 (15-19)

Surface Tension of Liquid Ti-Al Alloys

The surface tension of liquid Ti-Al alloys at 1758 K was determined by an improved sessile drop method. The surface tension of liquid Ti-Al alloys was calculated using the Butler's model and several modified ideal solution models. Results show that the surface tension of liquid Ti-Al alloy decreases with increased Al concentration. Experimental results agree well with both the Butler's model and the modified ideal solution model. The segregation of Al atoms to the surface occurs at all bulk concentrations of Ti-Al alloys. Al with lower surface tension prefers to segregate on the surface of liquid Ti-Al alloy, whereas Ti with higher surface tension prefers to segregate inside the molten alloy. The effect of surface active solute on the surface tension of liquid Ti-Al alloy was also discussed. Sulfur is found to have a larger effect on the surface tension of alloy. The surface tension of liquid Ti-Al alloy decreases with increased sulfur concentration. Sulfur concentration on the surface is higher than that in the bulk. Thus, the adsorption of sulfur for Ti-Al alloys is a positive adsorption.

Surface tension of binary Al–Si liquid alloys

In the present study, the surface tensions of pure liquid Al, Si, and liquid Al–Si alloys were systematically investigated by means of the oscillating drop method in combination with electromagnetic levitation. Prior to the measurement, the ambient oxygen partial pressure in the chamber was measured using an yttrium-stabilized zirconia oxygen sensor to estimate the surface oxygen partial pressure based on the thermodynamic assesssment. Under the experimental Ar gas with oxygen partial pressure of 10–1 Pa, the oxygen-reduced surfaces of pure liquid Al and Si can be obtained. However, the surface tensions of alloys in Al-rich composition are strongly affected by the oxygen adsorption under the same oxygen partial pressure. With the increasing Si concentration, the surface tension of the alloy approaches to the values of the oxygen-reduced surface.

Liquid gallium-lead mixture phase diagram, surface tension near the critical mixing point, and prewetting transition

Quite recently, we reported a semianalytical equation of state (EOS) for the Ga-Pb alloy [Phys. Rev. B 78, 024205 (2008)], which was based on the first-order perturbation theory of fluid mixtures, within the simplified random phase approximation, in conjunction with the Grosdidier et al. model pair potentials for Ga-Ga and Pb-Pb with a suitable nonadditive pair potential between Ga-Pb unlike pairs. In the present work, we employ the present EOS to calculate the Ga-Pb phase diagram along the immiscibility gap region. The accuracy of the EOS is tested by consulting the empirical binodal curve. A statistical-mechanical-based theory for the surface tension is employed to obtain an analytical expression for the alloy surface tension. We calculated the surface tension along the bimodal curve and at extreme conditions of temperatures and pressures. The surface tension exhibits reasonably well the prewetting transition of Pb atoms at the surface of the Ga-rich liquid alloy and could qualitatively explain the prewetting phenomena occurring in the Ga-rich side of the phase diagram. The predicted prewetting line and wetting temperature qualitatively agree with the empirical measurements.

Surface tension of alloys with additives of alkali metals

The results of studies of surface tension of metal melts with addition of alkali metals, mainly as small additives, are discussed. It is shown that small additives of alkali metals exhibit a high surface activity. The extrema that are observed on the surface tension isotherms of a number of binary systems are built using very few experimental points; hence, their authenticity seems unreliable. The main disadvantages of the methods and the measuring cells used to define the surface tension, etc., which may violate the conditions of thermodynamic equilibrium of the surfaces under study with their saturated vapor, are discussed. In the authors’ opinion, a number of experimental and theoretical problems remain unsolved in the field of the temperature and concentration dependences of the surface tension of alloys with small additions of alkali metals.

Size effect on surface tension of liquid binary alloy droplets

A simple model for size-dependent surface tension of liquid binary alloy droplets has been established based on Bulter’s equation and our model for size-dependent surface tension of pure liquid component. As an example, the surface tension of liquid Bi–Sn alloy droplets are calculated and discussed. The results show that as the size of the liquid alloy droplets decreases, the corresponding surface tension decreases. The component with lower surface tension is enriched in the surface layer at all times while relatively more another component with higher surface tension appear in the surface region when the size decreases. The effect of decreasing size on liquid alloy surface tension is like that of increasing temperature. When size is larger than about 12 nm, the size effect is small and negligible.

A Comparison of Surface Tension, Viscosity, and Density of Sn and Sn–Ag Alloys Using Different Measurement Techniques

This work is aimed at comparing several methods for the measurement of physical properties for molten Sn and Sn–Ag alloys, namely, surface tension, density, and viscosity. The method used for viscosity in this work is the modified capillary method. For surface tension and density, the data used for comparison were previously measured using the maximum bubble pressure method and the dilatometer technique, respectively, for four Sn–Ag alloys having (3.8, 32, 55, and 68) at% Ag. The results are compared with those obtained using a new method based on a fluid draining from a crucible under the influence of gravity, designated the Roach–Henein (RH) method. This new method enables the determination of these three physical properties in one set of measurements. Liquid Sn was used as well as two liquid Sn–Ag alloys having (3.8 and 34.6) at% Ag with the RH method. It was determined that the RH method may be used to simultaneously obtain surface tension, viscosity, and density and that the errors associated with these measurements were similar to those obtained using traditional and separate techniques. Comparisons of the measured viscosity and surface tension to those predicted using thermodynamic models will also be presented. Finally a comparison of mixing model predictions with the experimentally measured alloy surface tension and viscosity is also presented.

Model calculation of the surface tension of liquid Ga–Bi alloy

A convenient model, based on some assumptions, for calculating the composition and temperature dependence of the surface tension of binary liquid alloys is reported. The theoretical calculations of the surface tension of gallium-rich-bismuth alloys are presented. The calculated results are compared with the reported experimental data. A relatively good agreement with experimental behavior of the composition dependence of the surface tension was found, but a disagreement was observed with experimental temperature behavior of the surface tension of these alloys. The calculations were conducted in the temperature range from almost 320K to about 800K. The surface tension was calculated from eutectic composition (xBi=0.0022) to xBi=0.1, and worked out by linear equations. The model calculation and analysis indicate a first order surface phase transition in this system, which is in accord with experimental findings. For this system, γ decreases linearly with increasing temperature at fixed Bi mole fraction xBi, and thus, suggesting a positive surface excess entropy. It is also found that the surface tension isotherms show the linear dependence on the concentration, in the logarithm scale of xBi, in the very narrow concentration range.

Surface Tension and Density of Liquid Metallic Alloys Measured by Electromagnetic Levitation

Reliable thermophysical data form the basis of any accurate solidification simulation. For the liquid phase of high-temperature metallic alloys, such data are scarce. In recent years, containerless methods, in particular electromagnetic levitation, have paved the way for noncontact measurement methods allowing precise determination of crucial thermophysical properties such as density, thermal expansion, and surface tension for this class of materials. Systematic investigations of the thermophysical properties of copper-based, nickel-based, and aluminum-based alloys have been carried out by the authors. This paper reviews the noncontact methodology used and provides a listing of the results obtained so far. Densities are discussed in terms of molar and excess volumes, whereas surface segregation is the key to understanding surface tensions of alloys.

Surface tension of molten Al-Si alloy at temperatures ranging from 923 to 1123 K

The surface tension of molten AlSi20 alloy has been measured by using the sessile drop method at 923-1123 K under argon atmosphere in both heating-up and cooling processes. The result shows that the surface tension of this alloy decreases as long as temperature increases. The results of surface tension and contact angles in heating-up process have differences from those obtained in cooling process, because the metal microstructures have some changes at different temperatures based on the metal genetic theory. The surface tension of molten AlSi20 alloy and that of molten pure aluminum have been compared as well, and the temperature coefficient of AlSi20 alloy is slightly lower than that of Al. The result has been analyzed by the linear scanning analysis with ESEM. The concentration of silicon in most region of the bulk is lower than that of the surface and the addition of Si to pure Al decreases the surface tension of molten pure Al.

Calculation of constrained equilibria by Gibbs energy minimization

The Gibbs energy minimization encompasses active use of the chemical potentials (partial molar Gibbs energies) of the constituents of the system. Usually, these appear at their equilibrium values as a result of the minimization calculation, the mass balance constraints being the necessary subsidiary conditions. Yet, there are several such physico-chemical circumstances where the system is also constrained by other factors, such as surface effects, potential fields or even by chemical reaction kinetics. In this paper a particular method is presented by which constrained chemical potentials can be applied in a multi-phase Gibbs energy minimization. The constrained potentials arise typically from work-related thermodynamic displacements in the system. When Gibbs energy minimization is performed by the Lagrange method, these constraints appear as additional Lagrangian multipliers. Examples of the constrained potential method are presented in terms of the electrochemical Donnan equilibria in aqueous systems containing semi-permeable interfaces, the phase formation in surface-energy controlled systems and in systems with affinities controlled by chemical reaction kinetics. The methods have been applied successfully in calculating distribution coefficients for metal ions together with pH-values in pulp suspensions, in the calculation of surface tension of alloys, and in thermochemical process modeling involving chemical reaction rates.

Effect of SnAgCu composition on soldering performance

PurposeTombstoning and voiding have been plaguing the surface mount assembly industry for decades. The recent global move toward lead‐free soldering and the extensive adoption of microvia technology further aggravate the problems. The present study investigates the impact of SnAgCu (SAC) alloy composition on these important issues.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, tombstoning and voiding at microvias are studied for a series of SAC lead‐free solders, with an attempt to identify a possible “composition window” for controlling these problems. Properties which may be related to these problems, such as alloy surface tension, alloy melting pattern, and solder wetting behaviour, were investigated in order to assess the critical characteristics required to control these problems.FindingsThe results indicate that the tombstoning of SAC alloys is greatly influenced by the solder composition. Both the wetting force and the wetting time at a temperature well above the melting point have no correlation with the tombstoning frequencies. Because the tombstoning is caused by imbalanced wetting forces, the results suggest that the tombstoning may be controlled by the wetting at the onset of the paste melting stage. A maximum tombstoning incidence was observed for the 95.5Sn3.5Ag1Cu alloy. The tombstoning rate decreased with increasing deviation in Ag content from this composition. A differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) study indicated that this was mainly due to the increasing presence of the pasty phase in the solders, which result in a slower wetting speed at the onset of solder paste melting stage. Surface tension plays a minor role, with lower surface tension correlating with a higher tombstoning rate. The voiding rate at the microvias was studied by employing simulated microvias. The voiding level was lowest for the 95.5Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu and 95.5Sn3.5Ag1Cu alloys, and increases with a further decrease in the Ag content. The results indicate that voiding at microvias is governed by the via filling and the exclusion of fluxes. The voiding rate decreased with decreasing surface tension and increasing wetting force, which in turn is dictated by the solder wetting or spreading. Both low surface tension and high solder wetting prevents the flux from being entrapped within a microvia. A fast wetting speed may also facilitate reducing voiding. However, this factor is considered not as important as the final solder coverage area.Research limitations/implicationsIn general, compositions which deviate from the ternary eutectic SAC in Ag content, particularly with a Ag content lower than 3.5Ag, exhibit a greater solid fraction at the onset of melting, resulting in a lower tombstoning rate, presumably due to a slower wetting speed. The SAC compositions with an Ag content lower than 3.5 per cent, such as 2.5Ag, resulted in a lower tombstoning rate with minimal risk of forming Ag3Sn intermetallic platelets. On the other hand, ternary eutectic SAC exhibits a lower surface tension resulting in an easier solder spread or solder wetting, and consequently exhibit a higher tombstoning frequency and a lower incidence of voiding.Practical implicationsProvides a solution to the tombstoning problem in lead‐free soldering.Originality/valueThe present study provided a solution to the tombstoning problem encountered in lead free soldering by controlling the SAC solder alloy compositions.

Evaluation of SiC-Particle Connectivity in Functionally Graded Al/SiC<sub>p</sub> Composites by Synchrotron Radiation Holographic Microtomography

Reliability of functionally graded metal matrix composites (FGMMCs) for automotive components is still dependent on the detailed knowledge of the mechanisms of the microstructural build-up, for instance on the mechanisms leading to the distribution and relative positions of the reinforcing particles. In order to assess the influence of the SiC particle size on the 3-D inter-particle connectivity in functionally graded Al/SiCp composites produced by centrifugal casting, X-ray microtomography experiments were performed at the ID19 beamline in ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility). The FGMMCs consisted of an Al-10Si-2Mg alloy matrix, reinforced by an average SiC particle volume fraction of 0.10; two different average sizes were used: 37 µm and 12 µm. The holographic modification of the X-ray CMT (Computer Micro- Tomography) method allowed to obtain neatly contrasted images, as opposed to classical CMT.Good agreement was found between the particle size evaluated by CMT and by laser interferometry. Particle clustering has been evaluated in number and volume, showing that a lower mean particle size is related to more clustering. Such an adverse effect relies on the importance of particle/liquid alloy surface tension. Also, the mean particle size has been evaluated as a function of particle number within a cluster: as expected, the larger a cluster, the larger the particles inside it.

Prediction of alloy surface tension using a thermodynamic database

A thermodynamic database, created for calculating phase diagrams of low melting metals based on SGTE unary data and binary literature data, was used for calculating the surface tension of binary alloys. The excess Gibbs energy of the liquid phase from the thermodynamic database was used for calculations using the Butler equation for binary systems. The surface tension and density of pure metals, necessary for these calculations, were taken from published experimental measurements. The computer code for this procedure is presented. A comparison of calculated results with experimental measurements of the surface tension of alloys is given.

Surface Tension of Ni-Cu Alloys: A Molecular Simulation Approach

The Monte Carlo (MC) method and the embedded-atom method (EAM) are used to calculate the surface tension and the temperature dependence of the surface tension of nickel-copper alloys. The simulation of the surface tension is performed through the calculation of the cohesive work of the alloy. The calculated surface tensions of the alloys are 30 to 40% larger than experimental values, while the changes in surface tension as a function of Cu composition show similar behavior in both calculated and experimental results. The simulation results for the temperature dependence of the surface tension in the undercooled region appear to be identical with that above the melting point, and for the Ni-Cu alloys, the temperature coefficients decrease with an increase of copper concentration.

Surface tension and wettability studies of liquid Fe-Ni-O alloys

Surface tensions of iron-nickel alloys were measured as a function of oxygen potential at 1550 °C using the sessile drop technique. The surface tension of pure liquid nickel and iron-nickel alloys was measured at a total pressure of 1 atmosphere under varying CO2/CO ratios. An increase in the oxygen potential in the gas phase was found to correspond to a decrease in surface tension of pure nickel and iron-nickel alloys, indicating that oxygen is surface active in both liquid nickel and iron-nickel alloys. At low oxygen potentials, nickel additions to liquid iron were found to cause small decreases in alloy surface tensions; however, at higher oxygen potentials, the surface tension of the alloy exhibited a minimum value as nickel was added to iron. The adsorption coefficients of oxygen in liquid iron-nickel alloys and pure liquid nickel were determined from the surface-tension data using Belton’s analysis, and were found to be similar to those calculated from kinetic studies. Wettability of iron-nickel alloys on an alumina substrate was studied through contact-angle measurements. At a constant alloy nickel content, the contact angle between the alloy and alumina decreased with increased oxygen potential in the gas phase.