Directional solidification of the eutectic Sn-9wt.%Zn alloy: Inter-relations of microstructure, thermal parameters and mechanical properties
Directional Solidification; Thermal Parameters; Sn-Zn alloys; Microstructure; Mechanical properties.
The manufacture and use of electronic devices have grown every year in the various applications, however the sustainable control of the materials used still needs to advance. It’s at this moment that lead-free solder alloys enter as alternatives to sustainable materials in the electronics industry. In this context, the present investigation aims to study the growth eutectic in the Sn-9wt%Zn alloy solidified on different substrates (steel and copper). Microstructural features (phases, morphologies, distribution and microstructural scale such as eutectic and cellular spacings), thermal parameters (growth rate-VE and cooling rate-ṪE), experimental growth laws and tensile mechanical properties (ultimate tensile strength-σu, yield tensile strength-σY and elongation-to-fracture-δ) have been discussed. Sn-Zn alloy castings displayed a microstructure with eutectic colonies formed by Zn-rich phase, α-Zn, dispersed with two morphologies, globular-λg and needles-λn, in the Sn-rich matrix. Considering two Sn-Zn ingots, it can be seen that for VE>1,38 mm/s e ṪE>4,75 °C/s values, a globular morphology prevails in the microstructure, while for VE<0,88 mm/s e ṪE<1,86°C/s values, α-Zn needles predominate. Higher mechanical resistance (σu and σY) and ductility (δ) values have been observed for refined structures in both Sn-Zn alloy castings. The fractographs revealed a mode of ductile fracture for the Sn-Zn ingots analyzed, with higher fraction of dimples.