Effect of addition of Cu on the properties of eutectic Sn-Bi solder alloy

The present work reports the effect of Cu addition on the melting point, hardness and electrical resistivity of Sn-57 wt.% Bi eutectic solder alloy. Both binary eutectic Sn-57 wt.% Bi and ternary Sn-(57-x)Bi-xCu (x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1 wt.%) alloys containing various amounts of Cu were developed by melting casting route. The microstructure of the various solder alloys was analyzed using an optical microscope and a SEM. The variation in melting point, hardness and electrical resistivity of the Sn-Bi eutectic solder alloys with the addition of Cu was determined. The melting point of the eutectic Sn-Bi solder alloy was found to decrease up to the addition of 0.7 wt.% Cu. However, further addition of Cu led to an increase in the melting point of the alloy. Addition of Cu led to an increase in the hardness of the eutectic Sn-Bi solder alloy whereas the electrical resistivity of this alloy was found to increase up to the addition of 0.7 wt.% of Cu beyond which a decrease in the electrical resistivity was observed. A change in the microstructure of the solder alloy was observed when it was reheated above the melting temperature.