Properties of Electrolytic Silver-Based Alloy

Abstract

The composition of a dicyanoargentate electrolyte for applying a silver–antimony–boron alloy to electrical contacts and a method for the preparation of this electrolyte are given. Potassium dicarboundecaborate was used in the electrolyte as a boron-containing additive. The dependences of the physical and mechanical properties of the electrolytic silver–antimony–boron alloy (the microhardness, the wear resistance under the conditions of boundary friction with steel St 45 at a load of 5 N, the electric resistivity, the transient electrical resistance at a current of 0.025–1.000 A in the circuit and a load of 0.05–1.00 N at the point contact, the internal stresses, the adhesion to the base of copper and its alloys, the porosity at a coating thickness of 3 μm, the solder spreading coefficient, and the current yield of the alloy) on the electrolyte composition, the concentration of components in the electrolysis, the electrolysis conditions, and the temperature of the coating thermal treatment are studied. The composition of the alloy and the comparative characteristics of the physical and mechanical properties of the silver–antimony–boron and silver–antimony alloys and pure electrolytic silver are given. The possibilities of the application of the studied alloy, which possesses not only high electrical characteristics and soldering ability but also high reliability and durability, i.e., a high wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and microhardness, in the radio engineering, electrical engineering, and instrumentation industries as a coating for electrical contacts are shown.