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QUANTUM-MECHANICAL STUDY OF INTERNAL STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN Pb-SUPERSATURATED Pb-Sn ALLOYS
Friák, Martin ; Čípek, Petr ; Pavlů, J. ; Roupcová, Pavla ; Miháliková, Ivana ; Msallamová, Š. ; Michalcová, A.
Motivated by a decades-long controversy related to the crystal structure of Pb-supersaturated solid solutions of Pb in Sn, we have performed a quantum-mechanical study of these materials. Focusing on both body-centred-tetragonal beta-Sn and simple-hexagonal gamma-Sn structures, we have computed properties of two alloys with the chemical composition Pb5Sn11, i.e. 31.25 at. % Pb, which is close to the composition of the experimentally found alloy (30 at. % Pb). The 16-atom computational supercells were designed as multiples of the elemental beta- and gamma-Sn unit cells, where the Pb atoms were distributed according to the special quasi-random structure (SQS) concept. Full structural relaxations of both beta- and gamma-phase-based alloys resulted in very significant re-arrangements into structures which do not exhibit any apparent structural features typical for the original alloys, and are, therefore, difficult to classify. The formation energies of the beta- and gamma-phase-originating equilibrium phases are 50 meV/atom and 53 meV/atom, respectively. Therefore, they are not stable with respect to the decomposition into the elemental lead and tin. Moreover, our calculations of elastic constants of both phases revealed that they are close to mechanical instability. Our results indicate that the studied Pb-supersaturated Pb-Sn solid solutions may be prone to structural instability, transformations into different phases and decomposition. Our findings may contribute into the identification of the reason why the subsequent experimental studies did not reproduce the initial published data.
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MINOR PHASES IN TIN-RICH HISTORICAL MATERIALS
Michalcová, A. ; Msallamová, Š. ; Fink, D. ; Friák, Martin
The historical organ pipes used to be manufactured from tin and tin-lead alloys. The tin-rich organ pipes usually contained copper as alloying elements, which make them similar to modern lead free soldering materials. The historical organ pipe materials can be used as model materials for natural ageing of soldering materials. Tin pest is a term for modification from white tin to grey tin, which leads to degradation of tin or tin-rich alloys. The influence of individual alloying elements has not been reliably described, yet. Not only on the concentration of the alloying element, but also the distribution may play the important role. In dependence on heat-treatment, the Cu can be in the Sn matrix present in these forms: i) as large intermetallic particles after casting (Cu6Sn5), ii) as solid solution after homogenization annealing and iii) as fine precipitates after ageing. The microstructure of the real historical organ-pipes material was studied and it was proven that contradictionary to the equilibrium phase diagram the Cu enriched was observed.
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