卷取温度、冷轧压下量对低碳铝镇静钢SPHC力学性能及成形性的影响

研究了低碳铝镇静钢SPHC（/%：0.04C,0.03Si,0.14Mn,0.027Al）572~648 ℃卷取温度以及冷轧压下量65%~75%对该钢700 ℃退火性能的影响。结果表明,在相同的冷轧压下量下,随着卷取温度的增加,强度基本呈现下降趋势,伸长率相对有所上升,n、r值基本呈下降趋势;在相同的卷取温度下,随着冷轧压下量的不断增加,强度呈现下降趋势,伸长率先升后降,n、r值基本呈先升后降的趋势。热轧卷取温度620 ℃,冷轧变形量70%时,700 ℃退火3 mm SPHC钢板性能达到最佳,即抗拉强度286 MPa,屈服强度210 MPa,伸长率43%,n值0.27,r值1.52。     

Low-temperature NH_3-SCR of NO_x over MnCeO_x/TiO_2 catalyst:Enhanced activity and SO_2 tolerance by modifying TiO_2 with Al_2O_3

A series of TiO_2-Al_2 O_3 composites with Al/Ti molar ratios of 0.1,0.2,and 0.4 were synthesized by a coprecipitation method and used as supports to prepare supported MnCeO_x catalysts by an impregnation method.The physico-chemical properties of the samples were extensively characterized by N2 physisorption,X-ray diffraction,Raman spectroscopy,scanning electron micro scopy and energy-dispersive Xray spectroscopy element mapping,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,H_2-temperature programmed reduction,ammonia temperature programmed desorption,and in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy.The catalytic activity and resistance to water vapor and SO_2 of the asprepared catalysts for the SCR of NO_x with NH3 were evaluated at 50-250℃ and GHSV of 80000 mL/(g_(cat)·h).The results reveal that MnCeO_x/TiO_2-Al_2 O_3 exhibits higher activity and better SO2 tolerance than MnCeO_x/TiO_2.Combining with the characterization results,the enhanced activity and SO2 tolerance of MnCeO_x/TiO_2-Al_2 O_3 can be mainly attributed to higher relative concentrations of Mn~(4+)and chemisorbed oxygen species,stronger reducibility,and larger adsorption capacity for NH3 and NO,which originate from the larger specific surface area and pore volume,higher dispersion of Mn and Ce species compared with MnCeO_x/TiO_2.Moreover,in situ DRIFTS was used to investigate the reaction mechanism,and the results indicate that the NH3-SCR reaction over MnCeO_x/TiO_2 and MnCeO_x/TiO_2-Al_2 O_3 takes place by both the E-R and L-H mechanisms.     

Analysis of Particle and Crystallite Size in Tungsten Nanopowder Synthesis

Tungsten nanopowders were synthesized by a low-temperature technique and then heat treated in a gaseous reductive atmosphere in order to study the phase evolution, crystallite size, and particle size of the powders as the heat treatment temperature was modified. Synthesis of the powders was carried out in aqueous media using NaBH₄ as a reducing agent using careful control of the pH of the solutions. The XRD patterns of the as-synthesized powders showed an amorphous phase. After washing, energy dispersive spectroscopy showed that the powders had peaks for oxygen and tungsten. In order to promote crystallization and eliminate the oxygen, the powders were heat treated at 773 K, 923 K, and 1073 K (500 °C, 650 °C, and 800 °C) in a H₂/CH₄ reducing atmosphere for 2 hours. XRD after heat treatment showed α-W peaks for the powders treated at 1073 K and 923 K (800 °C and 650 °C) and a mixture of β-W and α-W for the powders treated at 773 K (500 °C). The crystallite sizes determined from X-ray peak broadening were 12, 16, and 20 nm, whereas the average particle sizes from dynamic light scattering were 260, 450, and 750 nm, for heat treatment temperatures of 773 K, 923 K, and 1073 K (500 °C, 650 °C, and 800 °C), respectively. The average crystallite size and particle sizes increased proportionally with the treatment temperature, in contrast to what has been found for some ceramics, in which as the heat treatment temperature is increased, the crystallite size increases, but the particle size stays constant.     

Cr12MOV钢渗硼层的组织和成分

用光学显微镜、扫描电子显微镜和X-射线仪分析和研究了1.72C-11.81Cr-0.40Mo钢渗硼层组织和元素含量的变化。结果表明,渗硼层由白亮的硼化区(FeB相-Fe2B相)和黑白相间的过渡区组成;硼化区前端存在大量形状不规则的岛屿状含硼碳化物。渗硼层中存在B、C、Al、Si、Mo、Cr、Fe等元素,硼化物前端的B、Cr、Fe含量分别为11.48%、36.49%和32.23%,过渡区的B、Cr、Fe含量分别为8.07%、7.04%和77.21%,而Mo含量几乎没有变化。渗硼层中Cr、Mo以碳化物形式存在,Al、Si存在于缺陷处或高碳区中。     

An analytical electron microscopy study of constituent particles in commercial 7075-T6 and 2024-T3 alloys

To better understand the role of constituent particles in pitting corrosion, analytical electron microscopic studies were performed on the constituent particles in commercial 7075-T6 and 2024-T3 alloys. Five phases, namely, Al₂₃CuFe₄ and amorphous SiO₂ in 7075-T6 and Al₂CuMg, Al₂Cu, and (Fe,Mn) _x Si(Al,Cu) _y in 2024-T3, were identified. The crystal structure and chemistry of the Al₂₃CuFe₄, Al₂CuMg, and Al₂Cu phases in these alloys are in good agreement with the published data. Small deviations from their stoichiometric compositions were observed and are attributed to the influence of alloy composition on the phase chemistry. For the (Fe,Mn) _x Si(Al,Cu) _y (approximately, x=3 and y=11) phase, a rhombohedral structure, with lattice parameter a=b=c=1.598 nm and α=β=γ=75 deg, was identified and is believed to be a modified form of either Al₈Fe₂Si or Al₁₀Mn₃Si. Information from this study provided technical support for studying the electrochemical interactions between the individual particles (or phases) and the matrix. The corrosion results are reported in a companion article.     

Calculation of phase diagrams for the FeCl2, PbCl2, and ZnCl2 binary systems by using molecular dynamics simulation

Recently, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation has been widely employed as a very useful method for the calculation of various physicochemical properties in the molten slags and fluxes. In this study, MD simulation has been applied to calculate the structural, transport, and thermodynamic properties for the FeCl₂, PbCl₂, and ZnCl₂ systems using the Born—Mayer—Huggins type pairwise potential with partial ionic charges. The interatomic potential parameters were determined by fitting the physicochemical properties of iron chloride, lead chloride, and zinc chloride systems with experimentally measured results. The calculated structural, transport, and thermodynamic properties of pure FeCl₂, PbCl₂, and ZnCl₂ showed the same tendency with observed results. Especially, the calculated structural properties of molten ZnCl₂ and FeCl₂ show the possibility of formation of polymeric network structures based on the ionic complexes of ZnCl ₄ ²⁻ , ZnCl ₃ ⁻ , FeCl ₄ ²⁻ , and FeCl ₃ ⁻ , and these calculations have successfully reproduced the measured results. The enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs energy of mixing for the PbCl₂-ZnCl₂, FeCl₂-PbCl₂, and FeCl₂-ZnCl₂ systems were calculated based on the thermodynamic and structural parameters of each binary system obtained from MD simulation. The phase diagrams of the PbCl₂-ZnCl₂, FeCl₂-PbCl₂, and FeCl₂-ZnCl₂ systems estimated by using the calculated Gibbs energy of mixing reproduced the experimentally measured ones reasonably well.     

Effect of Au Content on Thermal Stability and Mechanical Properties of Au-Cu-Ag-Si Bulk Metallic Glasses

The thermal stability, glass-forming ability (GFA), and mechanical and electrical properties of Au-based Au _x Si₁₇Cu_75.5–x Ag_7.5 (x = 40 to 75.5 at. pct) metallic glasses were investigated. The glass transition temperature (T _g ) and crystallization temperature (T _x ) decreased with increasing Au content. The ultralow T _g values below 373 K (100 °C) were obtained for alloys with x = 55 to 75.5. The alloys with x = 45 to 70 exhibited a high stabilization of supercooled liquid and a high GFA, and the supercooled liquid region and critical sample diameter for glass formation were in the range of 31 K to 50 K and 2 to 5 mm, respectively. The compressive fracture strength (σ _c,f ), Young’s modulus (E), and Vicker’s hardness (H _v ) of the bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) decreased with increasing Au content. A linear correlation between Au concentration and the characteristic temperature, i.e., T _g and T _x , and mechanical properties, i.e., σ _c,f , E, and H _v , as well as electrical resistivity can be found in the BMGs, which will be helpful for the composition design of the desirable Au-based BMGs with tunable physical properties.     

Kinetics of chlorination and carbochlorination of pure tantalum and niobium pentoxides

Kinetics of chlorination and carbochlorination of pure Nb₂O₅ and Ta₂O₅ were studied by thermogravimetric analysis between 385 °C and 1000 °C using Cl₂-N₂ and Cl₂-CO-N₂ gas mixtures. Standard free energy changes of the reactions and phase stability diagrams of Nb-O-Cl and Ta-O-Cl systems were calculated. The chlorination reaction order, for both oxides, with respect to Cl₂ in the Cl₂-N₂ gas mixture was 0.82. The apparent activation energies (E _a ) for Nb₂O₅ chlorination were 208 and 86 kJ/mole for temperatures lower and higher than 850 °C, respectively. The experimental data could be described by a shrinking sphere model between 700 °C and 1000 °C. The chlorination mechanism, between 700 °C and 850 °C, was likely controlled by the chemical reaction. For T > 850 °C, the overall Nb₂O₅ chlorination rate was affected by the allotropic transformation of the Nb₂O₅ T form to M form. Between 925 °C and 1000 °C, E _a for Ta₂O₅ chlorination was 246 kJ/mole. In this case, the most appropriate model was also that of shrinking sphere suggesting that the chlorination of Ta₂O₅ was controlled by the chemical reaction. For both oxides, the carbochlorination reaction order with respect to Cl₂+CO partial pressure, in the gas mixture, was about 2. The mathematical analysis of carbochlorination data indicates that Nb₂O₅ and Ta₂O₅ reactions could be described by shrinking sphere or cylinder, respectively. Below 600 °C, the E _a values of Nb₂O₅ and Ta₂O₅ carbochlorination were 74 and 110 kJ/mole, respectively. Chemical reaction was probably the rate controlling step in both cases. An anomaly characterized by a decrease of the reaction rates occurs in the Arrhenius plots between 600 °C and 800 °C. This anomaly could be attributed to the thermal decomposition of COCl₂ formed in situ during the carbochlorination.     

Formation of Fine B2/β + O Structure and Enhancement of Hardness in the Aged Ti2AlNb-Based Alloys Prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering

Ti₂AlNb-based alloys synthesized at 1223 K (950 °C) by spark plasma sintering were aged at 973 K, 1023 K, 1073 K, and 1123 K (700 °C, 750 °C, 800 °C, and 850 °C), respectively. Phase composition, microstructure, and microhardness of the aged alloys were investigated in this study. Equiaxed O grains and Widmanstätten B2/β + O laths were formed in the aged alloys, and the microhardness was improved in contrast with the spark plasma-sintered alloy without aging. The microhardness relies largely on the O-phase content, as well as the length and width of the O laths. In particular, complete Widmanstätten B2/β + O laths, with locally finely dispersed β precipitates, were obtained in the alloy aged at 1073 K (800 °C), and the alloy exhibited the best microhardness performance. Such fine structure is due to the temperature-dependent transformations O_equiaxed→O_primary + B2/β _primary, O_primary→O_secondary  + B2/β _secondary, and B2/β _primary→O.

     

Oxidation Behavior of CuZr-Based Glassy Alloys at 400 °C to 500 °C in Dry Air

The oxidation behavior of the Cu_47.5Zr_47.5Al₅ (Cu3) and Cu₄₇Ti₃₄Zr₁₁Ni₈ (Cu4) bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) was studied over the temperature range of 400 °C to 500 °C in dry air. The oxidation kinetics of both alloys generally followed a multistage parabolic-rate law, and the steady-state parabolic-rate constants (k _p values) fluctuated with temperature for the Cu3 BMG, but increased with increasing temperature for the Cu4 BMG. The scales formed on the BMGs were strongly dependent on the temperature and alloy composition, and were composed primarily of tetragonal-ZrO₂ (t-ZrO₂) and minor amounts of Al₂O₃, Cu₂O, and CuO at 400 °C for the Cu3 BMG, while the monoclinic-ZrO₂ (m-ZrO₂) phase is present at T ≥ 425 °C, and the Cu₂O phase is absent at 500 °C. Conversely, the scales formed on the Cu4 BMG consisted exclusively of CuO at 400 °C, while minor amounts of t-ZrO₂, TiO₂, and ZrTiO₄ formed at 425 °C to 450 °C, and TiO was also detected at higher temperatures. It was found that both amorphous Cu3 and Cu4 substrates transformed into different crystalline phases, and were strongly dependent on temperature and duration of time. This article is based on a presentation given in the symposium entitled “Bulk Metallic Glasses IV,” which occurred during the TMS Annual Meeting February 25–March 1, 2007, in Orlando, Florida under the auspices of the TMS/ASM Mechanical Behavior of Materials Committee.     

Recrystallization and Grain Growth in NiAl

Experiments have established that upon annealing, warm-worked NiAl recrystallizes and undergoes subsequent grain growth in a manner typical of metals and alloys. The recrystallization and grain growth kinetics, respectively, can be described by the expressionsX _v = 1 - exp(-Bt ^k ) and −d =Ct ⁿ where X_v is the fraction recrystallized,t is time, −d is the average grain size, andB, k, C, andn are parameters whose magnitudes depend upon temperature. G. R. HAFF, formerly Masters Student, Thayer School of Engineering     

云南大坪金矿床围岩蚀变和同位素地球化学特征

云南大坪金矿床主要赋存于闪长岩体中。由围岩至矿脉,形成自变质闪长岩带、绿泥石化带和碳酸盐化带的蚀变围岩分带,后二带与金矿化关系密切,宽度不一,渐渐过渡。在绿泥石化带中,带出的成分有SiO₂、Al₂O₃、Na₂O、FeO、Fe₂O₃、MnO、CaO、MgO、H₂O⁺、Li、W、Ta、Zr、V、Sc、Sn、Mo、Cr、Co、Ni、Cu、Pb、Au 和LREE,带入的成分有K₂O、P₂O₅、Ba、HREE(包括Y)、Ag、Zn。碳酸盐化带过程中, 带出的成分有SiO₂、Al₂O₃、Na₂O、K₂O、Ba、HREE(包括Y)、Mo、Sn、Pb、Zn、Ag,带入的成分有FeO、Fe₂O₃、M nO、CaO、MgO、H₂O+、P₂O₅、Li、Ta、Zr、V、Sc、Cr、Co、Ni、Au 和LREE,基本不变的成分有W、Cu。矿脉中铁白云石的δ¹⁴C值为-4.81‰,接近于深成碳;(⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)为0.709019±72,∈Nd (0)为-17.34, fSm/Nd为-0.34,起源于地壳;蚀变强烈的围岩的δ¹⁸O值高,表明蚀变热液为非大气降水;金属硫化物(黄铁矿、方铅矿、黄铜矿和闪锌矿)的δ³⁴S为-4.0‰～11.1‰,成矿热液的Σ³⁴S从早阶段到晚阶段增高。     

胀断连杆用非调质钢C70S6BY产品研发

C70S6BY非调质热轧圆钢经过80 t顶底复吹转炉-LF+VD精炼-240 mm×240 mm方坯连铸-Φ60 mm圆钢连轧-缓冷-精整、探伤工艺生产。采用碱度4~8 Al₂O₃-CaO-SiO₂渣系,LF精炼45~60 min;LF离站［S］≤0.010%,［O］ ≤0.001%;VD后硫合金化,［S］控制在0.063%～0.065%。VD出钢前喂入含镁包芯线100~150 m,Mg收得率在11%~17%,镁硫含量比值约为1.56%。中间包钢水过热度15~30 ℃,铸坯拉速0.9 m/min。经正火后,试验钢抗拉强度和屈服强度达957 MPa和563 MPa;伸长率和断面收缩率达12%和21%。镁改质处理后,硫化物夹杂长宽比1~2占比达到55%以上。     

Green and red phosphor for LED backlight in wide color gamut LCD

Wide color gamut(WCG) backlight for liquid crystal display(LCD) utilizing white light-emitting diodes(LED) has attracted considerable attention for their high efficiency and color reduction.In this review,recent developments in crystal structure,luminescence and applications of phosphors for wide color gamut LED backlight are introduced.As novel red phosphors,Mn~(4+)activate fluoride and aluminate phosphors are advanced in quantum efficiency,thermal quenching and color saturation for their characteristic spectrum with broad excitation band and linear emission.The crystal structure and fluorescence properties of Mn~(4+)doped fluosilicate,fluorogermanate,fluotitanate,as well as Sr_4 Al_(14)O_(25),CaAl_(12)O_(19) and BaMgAl_(10)O_(17) phosphors are discussed in detail.A serial of narrow-band red-emitting Eu~(2+),Eu~(3+)and Pr~(3+)-doped nitride silicates and molybdate phosphors are also introduced.Rare-earth-doped oxynitride and silicate green-emitting phosphors have attracted more and more attention because of the wide excitation,narrow emission,high quenching temperature,high quantum efficiency,such as β-sialon:Eu~(2+),Ba_3Si_6O_(12)N_2:Eu~(2+),MSi_2O_2N_2:Eu~(2+)(M=Ca,Sr,Ba),y-AlON:Mn~(2+)and Ca_3Sc_2Si_3O_(12):Ce~(3+).All above phosphors demonstrate their adaptability in wide color gamut LCD display.Especially for Mn~(4+)doped fluosilicate red phosphor and β-sialon:Eu~(2+)green phosphor.To achieve an ultra-high color gamut in white LED backlight and against the OLED,innovative narrow-band-emission red and green phosphor materials with independent intellectual property rights are continuously pursed.     

High Temperature Chemical Reaction of La2O3 in H3BO3 -C System

The high temperature chemical reaction process of La2O3 in H3BO3-C system was studied by means of XRD and TG-DTA.The results showed that dehydration reaction of H3BO3 occurred in the temperature range of 82～390 ℃;La2O3 and B2O3 reacted to form LaB3O6,LaBO3,and B4C in the temperature range of 836～1400℃;at 1450 ℃,B4C and LaBO3 further reacted to form LaB4,and partial LaB4 and B reacted to form LaB6;at 1500 ℃,LaB4 and B reacting into LaB6 was the main reaction,and the content of LaB6 increased with prolonging time.     

Kinetics of removal of bismuth and lead from molten copper alloys in vacuum induction melting

An investigation was made of the rates of removal of bismuth and lead from molten copper alloys stirred differently under vacuum at 1403 K. The heating conditions, which corresponded to highest, intermediate, and lowest stirring, were referred to as HC-A, HC-B, and HC-C, respectively. The rates of removal were described by a first-order rate equation involving the final concentration of the impurity. The overall mass-transfer coefficient for bismuth or lead (i),K _i, was determined, and it was found that K_i(HC-A) > K_i(HC-B) but K_i(HC-B) < K_i(HC-C) in Cu-Bi, Cu-Pb, and Cu-Bi-Pb alloys. In general, it was found that K_i(Cu-Bi-Pb) > K_i(Cu-Bi) or K_i(Cu-Pb). Oxygen reducedK _i more than sulfur. The reducing effect of oxygen and sulfur was weakened when stirring rate increased. In vacuum melting of Cu-Bi-Pb-O and Cu-Bi-Pb-S alloys under HC-C,K _i tended to decrease with increasing oxygen and sulfur concentrations. The loss of copper indicated that the rates were determined by liquid-phase mass-transfer and evaporation. The liquid-phase mass-transfer coefficient,K _L, was calculated, and it was found thatK _L(UC- A) > K_L(HC-B) but K_L(HC-B) < K_L(HC-C). The last relation was contrary to current theoretical prediction. A new model was assumed to account for this fact. The observed relative volatility coefficients of bismuth and lead were much smaller than their respective theoretical coefficients. Oxygen and sulfur adsorbed on the surface of the melt were considered to be close to equilibrium with their respective bulk concentrations, and their effects on the evaporation mass-transfer coefficients for bismuth and lead were estimated to be fairly small. This result means that the observed reduction ofK _i is due mostly to the decrease inK _L and made possible the calculation ofK _L. Oxygen decreasedK _L more than sulfur. In vacuum melting of Cu-Bi-Pb-O and Cu-Bi-Pb-S alloys under HC-C,K _L decreased linearly with increasing oxygen or sulfur concentration. The final concentrations of bismuth and lead in these alloys under HC-C tended to increase with increasing oxygen and sulfur concentrations and tended to decrease with increasingK _i andK _L.     

A comparative study of NdY-Fe-B magnet and NdCe-Fe-B magnet

Low cost and high abundance rare earth elements Y and Ce have attracted tremendous interests of the industrial and scientific societies for fabricating the highly cost-performance efficient rare earth permanent magnets. However, the effect of separate replacement of Nd by Y or Ce on the performances of NdFeB-type magnet under the same atomic ratio and preparation conditions is still unclear. In this work, we systematically investigated the magnetic properties, thermal stabilities and service performances of (Nd_0.8Y_0.2)_13.80Fe_balAl_0.24Cu_0.1B_6.04 (atomic fraction, denoted as 20Y) and (Nd_0.8Ce_0.2)_13.80Fe_balAl_0.24Cu_0.1B_6.04 (atomic fraction, denoted as 20Ce) magnets. The results demonstrate that the μ₀M_r, μ₀H_c and (BH)_max of 20Y magnet are respectively 1.325 T, 1.173 T and 343.467 kJ/m³, which are comprehensively higher than those of 20Ce magnet (μ₀M_r = 1.310 T, μ₀H_c = 0.948 T, (BH)_max = 321.105 kJ/m³). Moreover, the 20Y magnet has higher thermal stability compared with 20Ce magnet which is favorable for the magnetic performances at elevated temperatures. The investigation of microstructure and elemental distribution indicates that the excellent magnetic performances of NdY-Fe-B magnet can be attributed not only to the preferable intrinsic properties 4πM_s, H_a and T_c of Y₂Fe₁₄B, but also to the in-situ core–shell structure of the 2:14:1 matrix phase grain with Y-rich core and Nd-rich shell, along with the thicker grain boundary layer between the adjacent matrix phase grains in NdY-Fe-B magnet. Furthermore, the 20Y magnet exhibits better mechanical property and higher corrosion resistance than 20Ce magnet, which are helpful for prolonging the service life of the magnet in practical application.     

Prevention of macrosegregation in squeeze casting of an Al-4.5 wt pct Cu alloy

The squeeze casting of an Al-4.5 wt pct Cu alloy was carried out to investigate the conditions for the formation and the prevention of macrosegregation. The effects of the process parameters, applied pressure, die temperature, pouring temperature, delay time, and humidity on the formation of macrosegregation were investigated in correlation with the evolution of macrostructure and shrinkage defects. Two critical applied pressures were defined: one is the critical applied pressure, P _SC , under which shrinkage defects form, and the other is the critical applied pressure, P _MS , above which macrosegregates form in the squeeze castings. A quantitative diagram describing the optimum process conditions was proposed for obtaining sound squeeze castings. It was found that the pouring temperature, the die temperature, the delay time, and the humidity are closely related to the two critical applied pressures P _SC and P _MS , in different manners. It was concluded that sound castings without macrosegregation and shrinkage defects can only be obtained when the applied pressure is in the range of P _SC <P<P _MS .     

Dissolution and Interface Reactions between Palladium and Tin(Sn)-Based Solders: Part II. 63Sn-37Pb Alloy

The interface microstructures and dissolution behavior were studied, which occur between 99.9 pct Pd substrates and molten 95.5Sn-3.9Ag-0.6Cu (wt pct, Sn-Ag-Cu) solder. The solder bath temperatures were 513 K to 623 K (240 °C to 350 °C). The immersion times were 5 to 240 seconds. The IMC layer composition exhibited the (Pd, Cu)Sn₄ (Cu, 0 to 2 at. pct) and (Pd, Sn) solid-solution phases for all test conditions. The phases PdSn and PdSn₂ were observed only for the 623 K (350 °C), 60 seconds test conditions. The metastable phase, Pd₁₁Sn₉, occurred consistently for the 623 K (350 °C), 240 seconds conditions. Palladium-tin needles appeared in the Sn-Ag-Cu solder, but only at temperatures of 563 K (290 °C ) or higher, and had a (Pd, Cu)Sn₄ stoichiometry. Palladium dissolution increased monotonically with both solder bath temperature and exposure time. The rate kinetics of dissolution were represented by the expression At ⁿ exp(∆H/RT), where the time exponent (n) was 0.52 ± 0.10 and the apparent activation energy (∆H) was 44 ± 9 kJ/mol. The IMC layer thickness increased between 513 K and 563 K (240 °C and 290 °C) to approximately 3 to 5 μm, but then was less than 3 μm at 593 K and 623 K (320 °C and 350 °C). The thickness values exhibited no significant time dependence. As a protective finish in electronics assembly applications, Pd would be relatively slow to dissolve into molten Sn-Ag-Cu solder. The Pd-Sn IMC layer would remain sufficiently thin and adherent to a residual Pd layer so as to pose a minimal reliability concern for Sn-Ag-Cu solder interconnections.