Indium-tin Alloy Research Articles

Atomic mobility in a ternary liquid Ga–In–Sn alloy of the eutectic composition

The nuclear spin–lattice relaxation and Knight shift of 71Ga, 69Ga, and 115In nuclei in a ternary liquid gallium–indium–tin alloy of the eutectic composition, which was introduced into pores of an opal matrix and porous glasses with pore sizes of 18 and 7 nm, have been investigated and compared with those for the bulk melt. It has been found that longitudinal relaxation is accelerated and the Knight shift is decreased, depending on the size of pores. The correlation time of the atomic motion has been calculated for the nanostructured melt in porous matrices. It has been shown that the atomic mobility in the melt decreases with decreasing size of pores in the glasses.

Impact of traveling permanent magnets on low temperature metal melting in a cuboid

Electromagnetic methods for controlling and optimization of melting process are applied both in the laboratory conditions and in industrial processes at least within past several decades. At that, usage of rotating and traveling magnetic fields was realized based on alternating or direct current electromagnetic facilities, or on permanent magnets systems. The last-named magnetic systems for such a task can make the driving equipment simpler and more efficient in certain applications. To examine the solid–liquid interface behavior and the possibility to control its dynamics while reducing melting process duration and temperature gradients, a three-dimensional numerical model was developed that accounted the temperature dependence of the metal properties and the presence of a mushy zone. Gallium melting process in an orthogonal container with heated and cooled side walls was numerically investigated under the impact of a traveling magnetic field from below. The mentioned field was created by the moving system of permanent magnets. The volumetric distribution of temperatures and the liquid–solid interface velocities were estimated for the cases with traveling magnetic field impact and with natural convection only. Numerical model was validated by comparison between the simulation of the flow in a rectangular container completely filled with liquid metal and experimental data obtained in low temperature Gallium–Indium–Tin alloy. Flow velocity components were measured by ultrasonic Doppler velocimeter.The results of the work allow extending the capabilities for a control of interface dynamics in liquid–solid metal systems, and in choosing of the optimal parameters of similar processes.

Formation of indium tin oxide film by wet process using laser sintering

Indium tin oxide (ITO) films were prepared via a very simple and low-cost preparation technique based on a wet process using a continuous wave (CW) laser and an indium tin (In–Sn) alloy nanoparticle ink. The formation of continuous transparent conductive films using a laser sintering method and micropatterning of the ITO films using a laser direct writing method were investigated. This process is simpler than the conventional two-step heat treatment method and other wet processes that use ITO nanoparticles as starting materials. In addition, the optical and electrical properties of the ITO films were improved. Notably, the conductivity and transmittance were remarkably influenced by the processing parameters, including the laser power and scan speed. Suitable processing conditions were thus investigated and optimized, and ITO micropatterns with accurate linear and sharp edge profiles were obtained by controlling the laser power and focusing conditions in the laser direct writing process.

Fabrication of Indium-Tin Alloy and Oxide Nanowires Using Extrusion Molding Process in the Air

A simple method to indium tin alloy and oxide nanowires were achieved by using the extrusion molding process in the air. Eutectic indium tin bulk were firstly injected into AAO templates. After dissolving AAO, the indium tin nanowires were collected in ethanol. Furthermore, in order to have oxide nanowires, alloy nanowires were directly oxidized by heat treatment in the air below its melting point for 24 hours. Finally, crystalline indium-tin oxide and indium oxide nanowires with diameters 90-110 nm and lengths 2-20 μm were obtained.

Tin–indium/graphene with enhanced initial coulombic efficiency and rate performance for lithium ion batteries

Abstract Tin is an attractive anode material replacing the current commercial graphite for the next generation lithium ion batteries because of its high theoretical storage capacity and energy density. However, poor capacity retention caused by large volume changes during cycling, and low rate capability frustrate its practical application. In this study, a new ternary composite based on tin–indium alloy (Sn–In) and graphene nanosheet (GNS) was prepared via a facile solvothermal synthesis followed by thermal treatment in hydrogen and argon at 550 °C. Characterizations show that the tin–indium nanoparticles with about 100 nm in size were wrapped between the graphene nanosheets. As an anode for lithium ion batteries, the Sn–In/GNS composite exhibits a remarkably improved electrochemical performance in terms of lithium storage capacity (865.6 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 rate), initial coulombic efficiency (78.6%), cycling stability (83.9% capacity retention after 50 cycles), and rate capability (493.2 mAh g−1 at 600 mA g−1 rate after 25 cycles) compared to Sn/GNS and Sn–In electrode. This improvement is attributed to the introduction of lithium activity metal, indium, which reduces the charge transfer resistance of electrode, and the graphene nanosheet which accommodates the volume change of tin–indium nanoparticles during cycling and improves electrical conductivity of material.

Soft-matter capacitors and inductors for hyperelastic strain sensing and stretchable electronics

We introduce a family of soft-matter capacitors and inductors composed of microchannels of liquid-phase gallium–indium–tin alloy (galinstan) embedded in a soft silicone elastomer (Ecoflex® 00-30). In contrast to conventional (rigid) electronics, these circuit elements remain electronically functional even when stretched to several times their natural length. As the surrounding elastomer stretches, the capacitance and inductance of the embedded liquid channels change monotonically. Using a custom-built loading apparatus, we experimentally measure relative changes in capacitance and inductance as a function of stretch in three directions. These experimental relationships are consistent with theoretical predictions that we derive with finite elasticity kinematics.

The Density of Ternary Bismuth–Indium–Tin Alloy of Eutectic Composition in the Liquid State and in the Region of Melting–Crystallization

The temperature dependence of the density of liquid bismuth–indium–tin alloy of eutectic composition (57.20 wt. % Bi; 24.79 wt. % In; 18.01 wt. % Sn) has been investigated using gamma-ray attenuation technique at temperatures from liquidus line to 950 K. The density change during solid–liquid transition has been measured. It has been found that the behavior of the volume properties of the melt is described quite well by the laws of ideal solution

Leveling power of sulfate electrolytes with organic additives in electrodeposition of tin-indium alloy

Optimal organic additives providing surface microprofile leveling were found in a study of the electrodeposition of a tin-indium alloy from sulfate electrolytes.

Temperature insensitive negative Poisson's ratios in isotropic alloys near a morphotropic phase boundary

Poisson's ratio, shear modulus, and damping of polycrystalline indium-tin (In-Sn) alloys in the vicinity of the morphotropic gamma(γ)-gamma + beta(β) phase boundary were measured with resonant ultrasound spectroscopy. Negative Poisson's ratios were observed from 24 °C to 67 °C for alloys near the phase boundary. Properties were unaffected by annealing at 100 °C for 2 days. This isotropic fully dense negative Poisson's ratio material is temperature insensitive, in contrast to other materials that undergo phase transformation.

A study of the electrodeposition kinetics of a tin-indium alloy from a sulfate electrolyte with organic additives

The electrodeposition kinetics of a tin-indium alloy from a sulfate electrolyte in the simultaneous presence of synthanol DS-10, formalin, and 1,4-butynediol was studied by a Faraday impedance method.

Dual-scale rough multifunctional superhydrophobic ITO coatings prepared by air annealing of sputtered indium–tin alloy thin films

A novel method to fabricate multifunctional indium tin oxide (ITO) coatings is discussed. Superhydrophobic ITO coatings are fabricated by radio frequency balanced magnetron sputter deposition of indium–tin alloy on glass substrates followed by complete oxidation of the samples in air. The chemical nature and structure of the coatings are verified by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Field emission scanning electron microscopic studies of the coatings display rod-like and blob-like microstructures, together with fractal-like nanostructures infused on top. Microscale roughness of the ITO coatings is measured by three-dimensional profilometry and is found to be in the range of 0.1–3μm. Thus the presence of micro- and nano- sized structures result in dual-scale roughness. The variation in the contact angle with the deposition time is studied using a contact angle goniometer. High water contact angles (>160°) and low contact angle hysteresis (5°) are obtained at an optimum microscale roughness. The ITO coatings also exhibit other functional properties, such as low sheet resistance and semi-transparent behaviour in the visible region. The loss in the transparency of the ITO coatings is attributed to the presence of higher scale of roughness. The photoluminescence measurements show large photoemission in the visible region. It is expected that further improvements in the multifunctional properties of transparent conducting oxides will open new frontiers in designing novel materials with exotic properties.

Structure and microhardness of rapidly solidified In-Sn foils

This paper describes the phase composition, grain structure, and microhardness of indium-tin alloys produced by rapid solidification. The phase composition of the rapidly solidified foils is consistent with the equilibrium indium-tin phase diagram. The average grain size of the foils is several tens of microns. The grains in the foils are preferentially oriented, and the microhardness of the alloys is a nonmonotonic function of their composition.

Thermal Conductivity and Thermal Diffusivity of Liquid Indium–Tin Alloys

Thermal-conductivity and thermal-diffusivity coefficients of indium–tin alloys have been determined using the laser flash method over the temperature range from the liquidus line to 1173 K. Measurements were performed using the setup LFA-427 of NETZSCH company in an argon protective atmosphere, and cells were produced from molybdenum. The equations for temperature dependences of the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of In–Sn alloys have been obtained. The results of measurements were compared with data available in the literature.

Electrodeposition of tin-indium alloy from a sulfate electrolyte in the presence of organic substances

Electrodeposition of the Sn-In alloy from a sulfate electrolyte in the presence of synthanol, formalin, and butynediol-1,4 was studied. An electrolyte composition and conditions for obtaining an alloy of prescribed composition are suggested.

Thermal and electrical conductivities of silver–indium–tin alloys

The variations of thermal conductivity with temperature for the Ag–[x]wt% Sn–20wt% In alloys (x=8, 15, 35, 55 and 70) were measured using a radial heat flow apparatus. From the graphs of thermal conductivity versus temperature, the thermal conductivities of solid phases at their melting temperature for the Ag–[x]wt% Sn–20wt% In alloys (x=8, 15, 35, 55 and 70) were found to be 46.9±3.3, 53.8±3.8, 61.2±4.3, 65.1±4.6 and 68.1±4.8W/Km, respectively. The variations of electrical conductivity of solid phases versus temperature for the same alloys were determined from the Wiedemann–Franz equation using the measured values of thermal conductivity. From the graphs of electrical conductivity versus temperature, the electrical conductivities of the solid phases at their melting temperatures for the Ag–[x]wt% Sn–20wt% In alloys (x=8, 15, 35, 55 and 70) alloys were obtained to be 0.036, 0.043, 0.045, 0.046 and 0.053 (×108/Ωm), respectively. Dependencies of the thermal and electrical conductivities on the composition of Sn in the Ag–Sn–In alloys were also investigated. According to present experimental results, the thermal and electrical conductivities for the Ag–[x]wt% Sn–20wt% In alloys linearly decrease with increasing the temperature and increase with increasing the composition of Sn.

Effect of some nitrogen-heterocyclic compounds on corrosion of tin, indium, and their alloys in HClO4

The effect of adenine, adenosine, and 2,4,6- tris(2-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine (TPTZ) on the electrochemi- cal and corrosion behavior of tin, indium, and tin-indium alloys in 0.5 M HClO4 solution at different temperatures was studied. The inhibition efficiency increases with an increase in the concentration of adenine and adenosine in the case of tin and indium. However, the effect of two mentioned compounds on the corrosion rate of the studied alloys gives an opposite effect. In the presence of TPTZ, the inhibition efficiency increases as the concentration of the inhibitor is increased in the case of tin. In the case of both indium and its investigated alloys, the maximum inhibition efficiency is obtained at the lowest concentration of TPTZ (10 -6 M). The adsorption of the studied com- pounds is found to obey the Frumkin adsorption isotherm. The standard enthalpy DH

Improvement of viscoelastic damping in nickel aluminum bronze by indium-tin

Reduction of the vibration noise from submarine propellers is of interest in naval operations. Such an objective can be achieved via the use of materials with the ability to dissipate energy of vibration by means of heat, i.e. high damping materials. An additional problem is that the extreme hydrostatic pressure environment of a submarine requires the chosen material to exhibit considerably high stiffness. Most materials demonstrate a compromise between the two properties, i.e. stiffness and damping. This paper aims to discuss research into high stiffness and high damping materials conducted using a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) under variations of testing temperature, frequency, and strain amplitude. Alloys of nickel aluminum bronze and indium tin are the subjects of this study. Defect damping represents a large portion of the overall damping properties of the nickel aluminum bronze while increasing indium content is shown to boost the damping properties of the indium tin alloy. The study then continues with the development of a new material that combines both indium alloying and defects introduction into the nickel aluminum bronze alloy. The new alloy is observed to have high damping, as measured in its high tan δ, with minimum reduction of the stiffness |E*|.

Surface and bulk characterization of molten In and In-Sn alloys

In this work a double contribution to the characterization of molten In and In-Sn alloys considered as main components of an important class of lead free solder materials is shown: the study of the influence of oxygen on the capillary phenomena and the XRD investigation of the structure of liquid in a range of temperatures around that of liquidus. The surface tension behaviour of In-Sn binary alloys at different compositions, in terms of effective oxygen pressure, were compared with the data of pure In and the theoretical predictions, revealing that the lower oxidizability of indium was shown to control indium-tin alloys with a tin content up to about 80 at% , due to the presence of the most volatile oxide In2O. From the XRD spectra the radial distribution functions (RDF) have been determined for each alloys. Experiments of High Temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD) showed that atomic clustering forms in the melt immediately before the appearing of the first solid. The structure of clusters is correlated to that of solid.

Indium Alloy as Cadmium Brush Plating Replacement

ABSTRACTIt is well-known that cadmium and its corrosion product (cadmium oxide) are carcinogenic and toxic. Consequently, efforts to eliminate cadmium from original equipment and repair processes have been on-going. One potential replacement is indium, which is a soft post-transition metal, whose primary use is in the form of indium tin oxide, e.g., in liquid crystal displays (LCDs). The semi-conductive properties of indium oxide alloys make it possible to use these for cadmium brush plating replacement in applications where contact resistance and impedance are critical parameters. Critical requirements of an alternative to cadmium brush plating in a corrosive industrial atmosphere are (1) be sacrificial to mild steel and (2) provide good electrical conductivity. Cadmium oxide remains semi-conductive, while most other pure metal oxides are electrical insulators, such as aluminum oxide, nickel oxide, and zinc oxide, and therefore, fail in meeting the requirement for bonding and grounding. Similar to cadmium oxide, indium oxide is semi-conductive, but indium exhibits other properties such as cold welding. This paper discusses indium- electroplating approaches to overcome the insulating limitation of pure metal plating and to replace cadmium brush plating. Test results are given for the brush-plated indium-tin alloy as compared to cadmium brush plating and conclusions on such replacement feasibility are provided.

ChemInform Abstract: Discontinuous Structure Alteration of Indium-Tin Alloy Films by Enhancement of Their Oxygen Content.

ChemInform Abstract: Discontinuous Structure Alteration of Indium-Tin Alloy Films by Enhancement of Their Oxygen Content.