Electrochemical behavior of Sn-xZn lead-free solders in aerated NaCl solution
Electrochemical corrosion behavior of Sn-xZn solder alloys (i.e. hypoeutectic Sn-6.5Zn, eutectic Sn-9Zn and hypereutectic Sn-12Zn, in wt.%) in aerated 0.5 M NaCl solution was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization techniques, aiming to assess the effect of Zn content on the corrosion behavior of Sn-Zn alloys. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with EDX, X-ray diffraction (XRD) were performed to characterize the surface morphology and to identify the chemical composition of the corrosion products, respectively. It is found that increasing Zn contents lead to an increase in corrosion current density and the corrosion potential shifted towards more negative values, revealing that the corrosion rates increase in the order of: Sn-6.5Zn <; Sn-9Zn <; Sn-12Zn. The acquired electrochemical impedances were successfully fitted with an equivalent circuit model. Fitted results reveal that total impedance decreased with increasing Zn content, indicating that Sn-6.5Zn alloy exhibits the highest corrosion resistance. The results are further confirmed by surface morphology characterization of the corrosion products, which shows a more homogeneous product film for lower Zn content. Analysis of the corrosion products indicates that oxide hydroxychlorides are the dominant corrosion products. Based on the obtained results, it is suggested that Sn-Zn alloy with lower Zn content appears to be more attractive in terms of superior corrosion resistance.
Effect of temperature on electrochemical corrosion of Zn-30Sn lead-free solder
Electrochemical measurements were employed to study the effect of temperature on the electrochemical corrosion of Zn-30Sn in neutral 0.5 M NaCl solution. The corrosion products were characterized by SEM and EDXA. OCP and potentiodynamic polarization results indicate that the increased temperature would negatively shift OCP and Ecorr values of Zn-30Sn, increase the icorr from 6.76 μA/cm2 to 24.97 μA/cm2, deteriorate the corrosion resistance thermodynamically and kinetically. EIS result also illustrates that increasing the temperature will decrease the total resistance value. Microstructure observations demonstrate that the surface corrosion layer with higher temperature forms a more coarse plate-like microstructure, providing less protection to the substrate.
Microstructure of the solder-casting zone in bridges of dental gold alloys.
The composition and structure were studied in the cast and in the solder of bridges which had failed clinically. Both materials were gold alloys but with different contents of Pt, Ag and Zn. The metallographic investigation revealed defects mostly in the solder, situated in the subsurface layer. SEM studied of the fracture surface revealed large porosites and a structure of dense parallel lines--striations--, indicating that the material had failed from fatigue. The materials in the fractured bridges were identified by micro-probe measurements. It was stated that cast material and solder material used together, were of different composition.