Antimony-Cadmium Alloys

The basis for the performance of the alloy in VRLA batteries is corrosion of the lead-cadmium-antimony alloy to produce antimony in the corrosion layer of the positive grid, which thus eliminates the antimony-free eifect of pure lead or lead-calcium alloys. During corrosion, small amounts of antimony and cadmium present in the lead matrix are introduced into the corrosion product and thereby dope it with antimony and cadmium oxides. The antimony and cadmium give excellent conductivity through the corrosion product. The major component of the alloy, the CdSb intermetallic alloy, is not significantly oxidized upon float service, but may become oxidized in cycling service. 

Fuchida, K. Okada, S. Hattori, M. Kono, M. Yamane, T. Takayama, J. Yamashita, Y. Nakayama, Yuasa Battery Co., lEZRO Project EE-276 Antimony-free grids for deep discharge, Final Report 1 January 1978 to 31 December 1981, International Lead Zinc Research Organization, Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC, USA, 1982. 

Gibson, K. Peters, F. Wilson, in J. Thompson (Ed.), Power Sources 8. Research and Development in Non-mechanical Electrical Power Sources, Academic Press, London, UK, 1981, pp. 565-580. 

Thomas, A. Forster, H.E. Haring, Trans. Electrochem. Soc., Preprint 92-12 (1947). The Electrochemical Society. 

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The antimony-cadmium alloy is used under the name MFX alloy exclusively by GNB (now Exide) for the Absolyte Battery. It contains 1.5% antimony and 1.5% cadmium. With this alloy, cycling is possible owing to the antimony content. On the other hand, antimony release is rather low because the intermetallic compound SbCd is formed between antimony and cadmium that keeps antimony within the positive plate. A disadvantage of this alloy is its high cadmium content, because of the toxicity of cadmium. This does not concern the battery, but might cause problems for remelting of these batteries when they are recycled after service. 

Average 6 to 9.7 Antimony Nickel alloys Cadmium Stainless steels Cast irons Steels Copper alloys Tin Nickel Zinc... 

Smelter revenues are also boosted by an ability to recover and sell by-products such as sulfuric acid and copper, as weU as some minor elements such as antimony in the form of antimonial lead alloys, mercury and cadmium. In some instances zinc can be recovered from smelter slags by fuming. 

In some regions, a widely used lead alloy is lead antimony cadmium. Antimony and cadmium will react to form an intermetallic compound SbCd. During charge, the positive grid undergoes corrosion and produces antimony in the corrosion layer. 

Alfonsi (9,10,11,12,13) has carried out an extensive investigation of the controlled-potential separation and determination of antimony in alloys containing combinations of lead, tin, bismuth, and copper. Tanaka (14, 15), working mainly with synthetic samples, reports conditions for the separation of antimony from gold, silver, mercury, copper, bismuth, cadmium, zinc, and vanadium in a variety of common electrolytes. Very recently, Dunlap and Shults (18) have developed two coulometric procedures which permit the determination of antimony in each of its oxidation states as well as the total antimony present. After pre-reduction of antimony (V) with hydrazine hydrate, the antimony (III) is reduced to the amalgam at a mercury cathode with a potential of —0.28 V vs. SCE in a supporting electrolyte 0.4 m in tartaric add and 1 m in hydrochloric acid. In the... 

Solders are alloys that have melting temperatures below 300°C, formed from elements such as tin, lead, antimony, bismuth, and cadmium. Tin—lead solders are commonly used for electronic appHcations, showing traces of other elements that can tailor the solder properties for specific appHcations. 

Rubidium metal alloys with the other alkaU metals, the alkaline-earth metals, antimony, bismuth, gold, and mercury. Rubidium forms double haUde salts with antimony, bismuth, cadmium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, thorium, and 2iac. These complexes are generally water iasoluble and not hygroscopic. The soluble mbidium compounds are acetate, bromide, carbonate, chloride, chromate, fluoride, formate, hydroxide, iodide. 

Antimony is also used as a dopant in n-ty e semiconductors. It is a common additive in dopants for siHcon crystals with impurities, to alter the electrical conductivity. Interesting semiconductor properties have been reported for cadmium antimonide [12050-27-0] CdSb, and zinc antimonide [12039-35-9] ZnSb. The latter has good thermoelectric properties. Antimony with a purity as low as 99.9+% is an important alloying ingredient in the bismuth teUuride [1304-82-17, Bi Te, class of alloys which are used for thermoelectric cooling. 

Where free machining characteristics are required, this may be achieved by additions of cadmium, antimony, tin or lead (e.g. BS 4300/5). Materials for electrical use are of special composition (BS 2627, 3988), while bearings are manufactured from Al-Sn alloys. 

Heat-resisting steels have limited uses in contact with molten metals. They are not recommended for use with molten zinc, cadmium, aluminium, antimony or copper, because of excessive attack and embrittlement effects. In brazing and silver soldering, contact between the molten non-ferrous alloy and the steel occurs for only a very limited period of time. 

The last category of detectors is the photovoltaic detectors. These non-thermal detectors are made of a photoconductive film that is an alloy of mercury, cadmium and tellurium (MCT) or indium/antimony (In/Sb) deposited on an inert support. These detectors are usually cooled down to liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K) in order to increase their sensitivity. 

Further additions of bismuth, cadmium, and antimony to the tin-lead alloys result in the low inching or "fusible" alloys widely used as safety... 

Sterling silver, silver, and copper, or gold, can be used to cast a jewelry piece with a minimal amount of health hazard. Alloys with large amounts of cadmium, chromium, nickel, antimony, and arsenic should not be used. 

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