Electrodeposition of silver–tin alloys from pyrophosphate-cyanide electrolytes

摘要

Using cyclic-voltammetric techniques, a pyrophosphate-cyanide electrolyte for the electrodeposition of compact Ag–Sn alloy coatings is investigated. This electrolyte is suited to further investigations on the alloy composition, structure and properties. The electrodeposition of coatings with up to 40 wt% Sn is possible from the investigated complex electrolytes. The alloy surpasses the saturation limit of the silver lattice with Sn and allows the formation of coatings with phase heterogeneity. At high tin content an ordered spatial distribution of different alloy phases on the cathodic surface can be observed. The pattern formation in this system looks very similar to the phenomena and structures observed during electrodeposition of other silver alloys, such as Ag–Sb, Ag–Bi and Ag–In.