Phase composition and structure of silver-antimony alloy deposits plated from ferrocyanide-thiocyanate electrolytes

The structure and phase composition of silver-antimony alloy deposits plated from ferrocyanide-thiocyanate electrolytes is investigated. It is shown that the co-deposition of antimony leads to an abrupt decrease of twinning and the formation of perfect orientation of the crystallites in the alloy along the axis 1 1 1. The co-deposition of antimony exerts a depolarization effect upon the plating process of the alloy. At higher antimony concentrations in the electrolyte and higher deposition current both -phase and -phase of the silver-antimony alloy may be formed as well as the pure antimony phase. The concentration regions of antimony in the alloy, within which the different phases are formed and exist, are in agreement with the requirements of the phase diagram. The separate antimony phase is formed at lower antimony concentrations in the alloy than indicated by the phase diagram. The co-deposition of antimony leads to an increase of the crystal lattice parameter of silver and a substantial augmentation of the hardness of the deposited layers.