Search Results (9)

Stabilizing micron-sized particles in low-viscosity polymer dispersions is challenging when density differences are present. This study demonstrates that graphite particles in aqueous polyurethane dispersions can be efficiently prevented from sedimentation using the capillary suspension concept. Capillary suspensions are solid/liquid/liquid systems and the capillary forces inferred from adding a second immiscible fluid can lead to drastic changes in texture and flow. Here, both spherical and flake-shaped graphite particles were used as fillers, with octanol as the secondary liquid. At low graphite concentrations, octanol increases the low-shear viscosity significantly attributed to the formation of loose particle aggregates immobilizing part of the continuous phase. Above a critical graphite concentration, capillary forces induce a self-assembling, percolating particle network, leading to a sharp yield stress increase (>100 Pa). The corresponding percolating particle network efficiently suppresses sedimentation; for the system including 28 vol% spherical particles, a shelf life of at least six months was achieved. Capillary forces do not affect the high-shear viscosity of suspensions; here, a hydrophobically modified polyether thickener can be used. Transfer of the stabilization concept presented here to other high-density particles like silver or metal oxides suspended in other polymer dispersions is straightforward and is applicable in various fields like flexible printed electronics. Full article

Bonding materials with high thermal and electrical conductivity and reliable resistance to thermal stress are required. The authors have been conducting fundamental research on sintering-type bonding, in which metal micro-fillers are low-temperature sintered in the resin-bonded type electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs), as a new bonding technology, with the aim of easing thermal stress through the resin binder. This study investigated the influence of the kind of additive diluent in epoxy-based ECAs containing silver (Ag) micro-flakes on the microstructure development in the adhesives and the connection properties to metal electrodes. As a result, the sintering of Ag micro-flakes was observed to proceed in the adhesive once cured at 150 °C and by post-annealing at 250 °C. Furthermore, the sintering behavior varied greatly depending on the kind and composition of the binder additive diluent, with corresponding changes in electrical conductivity and connection characteristics with metal electrodes. Additionally, electrode surface conditions affected the connection performance. These findings are valuable for designing sintering-type bonding using resin-bonded ECAs, optimizing interfacial interactions between binder chemicals and metals. Full article

In this study, trace amounts of In and Ce elements were composite added into a Ag10CuZnSn low-silver brazing filler metal, and the effects of the composite alloying on the solidus and liquidus temperatures, the spreading performance, the microstructure of the filler metal, and the mechanical properties of the joints prepared with these filler metals were studied. The results reveal that the In element can significantly decrease the solidus and the liquidus temperatures of the Ag10CuZnSn alloy, while the Ce element has little effect on the melting temperature. Trace amounts of In and Ce elements can obviously increase the spreading areas of the filler metals on the pure Cu and 304 stainless steel base metals. The In and Ce elements can refine the microstructure of the filler metals. When the contents of In and Ce are 1.5 wt% and 0.15 wt%, respectively, the microstructure refinement effect is the most obvious, and the shear strength of the 304 stainless steel brazed joint also achieves a maximum value of 375 MPa. Excessive addition of In and Ce can form brittle intermetallic compounds in the filler metal, decreasing the brazed joints' shear strength. Full article

The influence of Ga content on the melting temperature, wettability, microstructure, and mechanical properties of low-silver 12AgCuZnSn-2In-0.15Pr cadmium-free filler metal was investigated systematically by means of differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometer, etc. The results showed that the addition of the Ga element reduced the solidus and liquidus temperatures of the novel low-silver filler metals, and effectively increased the spreading area of the filler metal on the copper and 304 stainless steel substrates. Furthermore, an appropriate amount of Ga element significantly optimized the interface morphology and improved the mechanical properties of the brazed joints. When the Ga content was 1wt.%, the shear strength of the brazed joints reached a peak value of 448 MPa, and the corresponding fracture morphology showed typical ductile characteristics with obvious dimples. Full article

The flame brazing of H62 brass using a novel, low-silver Cu-P brazing filler metal was investigated in this study. The effect of the addition of a trace amount of Sn on the microstructure and properties of Cu-7P-1Ag filler metals was analyzed by means of X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometer. The addition of trace Sn led to a decrease in the solidus and liquidus temperatures of Cu-7P-1Ag filler metals. Meanwhile, the spreading performance of the filler metals on a H62 brass substrate was improved. The microstructure of the low-silver, Cu-P brazing filler metal was mainly composed of α-Ag solid solution, α-Cu solid solution and Cu₃P; an increase of Sn content led to the transformation of the microstructure of the joints from a block to a lamellar structure. When the Sn content was 0.5 wt. %, the shear strength of the joint at room temperature reached 348 MPa, and the fracture morphologies changed from a cleavage to a quasi-cleavage structure. Full article

Brazing was one of the earliest material-joining methods to be invented and widely used by humans. In the past 30 years, the technology and materials employed for brazing have developed rapidly and continuously. With the rise of the international new industrial revolution, the manufacturing industry is moving towards diversification, and brazing filler metals are also evolving in the direction of eco-friendliness, compounding and diversification. In the “carbon neutral” environment of 2021, green composite brazing materials will become mainstream. In this paper, the classification and characteristics of flux-containing brazing materials are summarized, and the preparation technology, composition design and typical application of composite brazing materials such as flux-cored brazing filler metal, flux-coated brazing filler metal and powder metallurgy brazing filler metal are analyzed. The article highlights the problems encountered in the research and development of composite brazing materials and proposes future development directions, such as with low-silver and cadmium-free brazing filler metals, the creation of new powder brazing filler metal-forming technology and improvements to the quality of brazing filler metals by shape control and performance optimization, to accelerate the process of brazing automation. Full article

The novel low-silver 12AgCuZnSn filler metals containing In and Pr were used for flame brazing of copper and 304 stainless steel in this study. The effects of In and Pr content on the melting temperature, wettability, mechanical properties and microstructure of 12AgCuZnSn filler metal were analyzed. The results indicate that the solidus and liquidus temperatures of filler metals decrease with the addition of In. Trace amounts of Pr have little impact on the melting temperature of the low-silver filler metals. In addition, the spreading area of filler metals on copper and 304 stainless steel is improved. The highest shear strength of brazed joint is 427 MPa when the content of In and Pr are 2 wt.% and 0.15 wt.%, respectively. Moreover, it is observed that the trace amount of Pr significantly refines the microstructure of brazed joint matrix. A bright Pr₃Cu₄Sn₄ phase is found in filler metal and brazing seam when the contents of In and Pr are 5 wt.% and 0.5 wt.%, respectively. Full article

The effect of different In contents on the melting characteristics, mechanical properties, and microstructure of 12Ag–Cu–Zn–Sn filler metal was investigated in this paper, and flame brazing of 304 stainless steel and copper plates was done using the 12Ag–Cu–Zn–Sn–xIn filler metal. The results indicate that adding appropriate amount of In can evidently decrease the solidus and liquidus temperatures and improve the wettability of the low silver based filler metals. In addition, the shear strength of 304 stainless steel and copper plates joint brazed by 12Ag–Cu–Zn–Sn–1In are satisfactory due to the solution strength effect, and scanning electron microscopy examination of the braze-zone revealed that more relatively sound joints were obtained when brazing was done with 12Ag–Cu–Zn–Sn–xIn filler metal than with Indium free one; its performance is comparable to that of the joint brazed with the 20Ag–Cu–Zn–Sn filler metal, having a remarkable silver-saving effect. Full article

The microstructure and properties of a Cu/304 stainless steel dissimilar metal joint brazed with a low silver Ag16.5CuZnSn-xGa-yCe braze filler after aging treatment were investigated. The results indicated that the addition of Ce could reduce the intergranular penetration depth of the filler metal into the stainless steel during the aging process. The minimum penetration depth in the Ag16.5CuZnSn-0.15Ce brazed joint was decreased by 48.8% compared with the Ag16.5CuZnSn brazed joint. Moreover, the shear strength of the brazed joint decreased with aging time while the shear strength of the AgCuZnSn-xGa-yCe joint was still obviously higher than the Ag16.5CuZnSn joint after a 600 h aging treatment. The fracture type of the Ag16.5CuZnSn-xGa-yCe brazed joints before aging begins ductile and turns slightly brittle during the aging process. Compared to all the results, the Ag16.5CuZnSn-2Ga-0.15Ce brazed joints show the best performance and could satisfy the requirements for cost reduction and long-term use. Full article