This article describes the specimen preparation steps for tin and tin alloys, and for harder base metals which are coated with these materials with illustrations. The steps discussed include sectioning, mounting, grinding, polishing, and etching. The article provides information on etchants for tin and tin alloys in tabular form. It presents the procedure recommended for electron microscopy to determine the nature of the intermetallic compound formed by the reaction between tin or tin-lead coatings on various substrates. The article concludes with an illustration of the microstructures of tin-copper, tin-lead, tin-lead-cadmium, tin-antimony, tin-antimony-copper, tin-antimony-copper-lead, tin-silver, tin-indium, tin-zinc, and tin-zinc-copper systems.

This article describes the allotropic modification and atmospheric corrosion of pure tin. Corrosion of pure tin due to oxidation reaction, and reaction with the other gases, water, acids, bases, and other liquid media, is discussed. The article provides information on corrosion behavior on soft solders, pewter, bearing alloys, tin-copper alloys, and tin-silver alloys. It reviews the influence of corrosion on immersion tin coating, tin-cadmium alloy coatings, tin-cobalt coatings, tin-copper coatings, tin-lead coatings, tin-nickel coatings, and tin-zinc coatings. The general properties and corrosion resistance of tinplate are summarized. The article also describes the methods of corrosion testing of coatings; these include an analysis of coating thickness measurements, porosity and rust resistance testing, solderability test, and specific special tests.

Soldering involves heating a joint to a suitable temperature and using a filler metal (solder) that melts below 450 deg C (840 deg F). Beginning with an overview of the specification and standards and applications, this article discusses the principal levels and effects of the most common impurity elements in tin-lead solders. It describes the various processes involved in the successful soldering of joints, including shaping the parts to fit closely together; cleaning and preparing the surfaces to be joined; applying a flux; assembling the parts; and applying the heat and solder.

Fusible alloys, eutectic and noneutectic, include a group of binary, ternary, quaternary, and quinary alloys containing bismuth, lead, tin, cadmium, and indium that melt at relatively low temperatures. This article describes the composition and mechanical properties of these alloys and lists the values of their composition and melting temperatures.

This article discusses the specimen preparation techniques for zinc and its alloys and zinc-coated specimens, namely, sectioning, mounting, grinding and polishing, and etching. It describes the characteristics of lead, cadmium, iron, copper, titanium, aluminum, magnesium, and tin, which are present in the microstructure of zinc alloys. The article also provides information on microexamination that helps to determine the dendrite arm spacing, as well as the grain size, grain boundaries, and grain counts.

Liquid metal induced embrittlement (LMIE) is the reduction of the fracture resistance of a solid material during exposure to a liquid metal. This article discusses the mechanisms and occurrence condition of LMIE and describes the effects of metallurgical factors, such as grain size, temperature and strain rate, stress, inert carriers, and fatigue, on LMIE. It provides a detailed discussion on LMIE in ferrous and nonferrous metals and their alloys. In addition, the article highlights the ways of preventing embrittlement in metals and alloys.

This article is a compilation of binary alloy phase diagrams for which tin (Sn) is the first named element in the binary pair. The diagrams are presented with element compositions in weight percent. The atomic percent compositions are given in a secondary scale. For each binary system, a table of crystallographic data is provided that includes the composition, Pearson symbol, space group, and prototype for each phase.

This article is a compilation of binary alloy phase diagrams for which ytterbium (Yb) is the first named element in the binary pair. The diagrams are presented with element compositions in weight percent. The atomic percent compositions are given in a secondary scale. For each binary system, a table of crystallographic data is provided that includes the composition, Pearson symbol, space group, and prototype for each phase.

Metal-induced embrittlement is a phenomenon in which the ductility or fracture stress of a solid metal is reduced by surface contact with another metal in either liquid or solid form. This article summarizes the characteristics of solid metal induced embrittlement (SMIE) and liquid metal induced embrittlement (LMIE). It describes the unique features that assist in arriving at a clear conclusion whether SMIE or LMIE is the most probable cause of the problem. The article briefly reviews some commercial alloy systems where LMIE or SMIE has been documented. It also provides some examples of cracking due to these phenomena, either in manufacturing or in service.

This article discusses the various heat treating processes, namely, solid-solution hardening, solution treating, solution aging and dispersion hardening, for low-melting-point alloys such as lead alloys, tin-rich alloys, and zinc alloys. Heat treating of tin-rich alloys has been practiced for bearing alloys, pewterware, and organ pipe alloys. The article reviews the principles underlying these applications.

This article is a compilation of binary alloy phase diagrams for which yttrium (Y) is the first named element in the binary pair. The diagrams are presented with element compositions in weight percent. The atomic percent compositions are given in a secondary scale. For each binary system, a table of crystallographic data is provided that includes the composition, Pearson symbol, space group, and prototype for each phase.

Metal-induced embrittlement is a phenomenon in which the ductility or the fracture stress of a solid metal is reduced by surface contact with another metal in either the liquid or solid form. This article summarizes some of the characteristics of liquid-metal- and solid-metal-induced embrittlement. This phenomenon shares many of these characteristics with other modes of environmentally induced cracking, such as hydrogen embrittlement and stress-corrosion cracking. The discussion covers the occurrence, failure analysis, and service failures of the embrittlement. The article also briefly reviews some commercial alloy systems in which liquid-metal-induced embrittlement or solid-metal-induced embrittlement has been documented and describes some examples of cracking due to these phenomena, either in manufacturing or in service.

This article is a compilation of binary alloy phase diagrams for which strontium (Sr) is the first named element in the binary pair. The diagrams are presented with element compositions in weight percent. The atomic percent compositions are given in a secondary scale. For each binary system, a table of crystallographic data is provided that includes the composition, Pearson symbol, space group, and prototype for each phase.

Copper and copper alloys are used extensively in structural applications in which they are subject to moderately elevated temperatures. At relatively low operating temperatures, these alloys can undergo thermal softening or stress relaxation, which can lead to service failures. This article is a collection of curves and tables that present data on thermal softening and stress-relaxation in copper and copper alloys. Thermal softening occurs over extended periods at temperatures lower than those inducing recrystallization in commercial heat treatments. Stress relaxation occurs because of the transformation of elastic strain in the material to plastic, or permanent strain.

This article discusses the various factors that affect the corrosion performance of electroplated coatings. It describes the effects of environment and the deposition process on substrate coatings. The article provides a discussion on the electrochemical techniques capable of predicting the corrosion performance of a plated part. It reviews the designs of coating systems for optimal protection of the substrate. The article also discusses controlled weathering tests and accelerated tests used to predict and determine the relative durability of the coating.

This article is a compilation of binary alloy phase diagrams for which zinc (Zn) is the first named element in the binary pair. The diagrams are presented with element compositions in weight percent. The atomic percent compositions are given in a secondary scale. For each binary system, a table of crystallographic data is provided that includes the composition, Pearson symbol, space group, and prototype for each phase.

Selective plating, also known as brush plating, differs from traditional tank or bath plating in that the workpiece is not immersed in a plating solution (electrolyte). Instead, the electrolyte is brought to the part and applied by a handheld anode or stylus, which incorporates an absorbent wrapping for applying the solution to the workpiece (cathode). This article focuses on the selective plating systems that include a power pack, plating tools, anode covers, specially formulated plating solutions, and any auxiliary equipment required for the particular application. It provides a detailed account of the applications of selective plating, with examples. The article describes the advantages, limitations, key process elements, and health and safety considerations of selective plating. It also includes the most important industrial, government, and military specifications.

Electrodeposition of tin alloys is used to protect steel against corrosion or wear, to impart resistance to etching, and to facilitate soldering. This article focuses on the compositions, operating conditions, advantages, and limitations of methane sulfonic acid plating solutions and fluoborate plating solutions for tin-lead. It briefly describes the solution compositions and operating conditions of tin-bismuth, tin-nickel, and tin-zinc.