Lead-antimony alloys corrosion resistance

Anodes. Lead—antimony (6—10 wt %) alloys containing 0.5—1.0 wt % arsenic have been used widely as anodes in copper, nickel, and chromium electrowinning and metal plating processes. Lead—antimony anodes have high strength and develop a corrosion-resistant protective layer of lead dioxide during use. Lead—antimony anodes are resistant to passivation when the current is frequendy intermpted. 

K. Sugitnoto, Y. Sawaka, The effect of some alloying elements on the corrosion resistance of lead-antimony alloys—11. Silver, Corros. Sci. 17 (1977) 415-417. 

The Fe, Co, and Ni deposits are extremely fine grained at high current density and pH. Electroless nickel, cobalt, and nickel—cobalt alloy plating from fluoroborate-containing baths yields a deposit of superior corrosion resistance, low stress, and excellent hardenabiUty (114). Lead is plated alone or ia combination with tin, iadium, and antimony (115). Sound iasulators are made as lead—plastic laminates by electrolyticaHy coating Pb from a fluoroborate bath to 0.5 mm on a copper-coated nylon or polypropylene film (116) (see Insulation, acoustic). Steel plates can be simultaneously electrocoated with lead and poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (117). Solder is plated ia solutioas containing Pb(Bp4)2 and Sn(Bp4)2 thus the lustrous solder-plated object is coated with a Pb—Sn alloy (118). 

Rea.ctivity ofLea.d—Ca.lcium Alloys. Precise control of the calcium content is required to control the grain stmcture, corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties of lead—calcium alloys. Calcium reacts readily with air and other elements such as antimony, arsenic, and sulfur to produce oxides or intermetaUic compounds (see Calciumand calciumalloys). In these reactions, calcium is lost and suspended soHds reduce fluidity and castibiUty. The very thin grids that are required for automotive batteries are difficult to cast from lead—calcium alloys. 

Lead—copper alloys are specified because of superior mechanical properties, creep resistance, corrosion resistance, and high temperature stabiUty compared to pure lead. The mechanical properties of lead—copper alloys are compared to pure lead, and to lead—antimony and lead—calcium alloys in Tables 4 and 5. 

Silver reduces the oxygen evolution potential at the anode, which reduces the rate of corrosion and decreases lead contamination of the cathode. Lead—antimony—silver alloy anodes are used for the production of thin copper foil for use in electronics. Lead—silver (2 wt %), lead—silver (1 wt %)—tin (1 wt %), and lead—antimony (6 wt %)—silver (1—2 wt %) alloys ate used as anodes in cathodic protection of steel pipes and stmctures in fresh, brackish, or seawater. The lead dioxide layer is not only conductive, but also resists decomposition in chloride environments. Silver-free alloys rapidly become passivated and scale badly in seawater. Silver is also added to the positive grids of lead—acid batteries in small amounts (0.005—0.05 wt %) to reduce the rate of corrosion. 

Solders. In spite of the wide use and development of solders for millennia, as of the mid-1990s most principal solders are lead- or tin-based alloys to which a small amount of silver, zinc, antimony, bismuth, and indium or a combination thereof are added. The principal criterion for choosing a certain solder is its melting characteristics, ie, soHdus and Hquidus temperatures and the temperature spread or pasty range between them. Other criteria are mechanical properties such as strength and creep resistance, physical properties such as electrical and thermal conductivity, and corrosion resistance. 

Lead Alloys. A teUurium—lead aUoy containing 0.02—0.1% teUurium, with or without antimony, was introduced in 1934 (81) as teUurium lead or Teledium. This aUoy has higher recrysta11i2ation temperatures and corrosion resistance and takes a significantly longer time to soften at 25°C after cold work. 

Of the elements commonly found in lead alloys, zinc and bismuth aggravate corrosion in most circumstances, while additions of copper, tellurium, antimony, nickel, silver, tin, arsenic and calcium may reduce corrosion resistance only slightly, or even improve it depending on the service conditions. Alloying elements that are of increasing importance are calcium especially in maintenance-free battery alloys and selenium, or sulphur combined with copper as nucleants in low antimony battery alloys. Other elements of interest are indium in anodesaluminium in batteries and selenium in chemical lead as a grain refiner ". 

Antimony alloys have many commercial applications. The metal makes its alloys hard and stiff and imparts resistance to corrosion. Such alloys are used in battery grids and parts, tank linings, pipes and pumps. The lead plates in the lead storage batteries constitute 94% lead and 6% antimony. Babbit metal, an alloy of antimony, tin, and copper is used to make antifriction machine bearings. Alloys made from very high purity grade antimony with indium, gallium and bismuth are used as infrared detectors, diodes, hall effect devices and thermoelectric coolers. 

Antimony (Sb) is used primarily in alloys with other metals, particularly lead. Antimony improves the hardness and corrosion resistance of the metal. 

Highly corrosion-resistant, antimony-free, lead alloys have been used successfully in the positive electrode grids of both single-plate and spiral-wound cells. Spiral-wound cells almost exclusively feature binary lead-tin alloys [36,41] whereas flat-plate electrodes use either lead-calcium alloys, with or without silver additive [26], or lead-tin alloys [48]. Binary lead-tin is known to be highly corrosion-resistant, but rather soft, which is a handicap for plate stacking in prismatic cells. 

If the data in Figs 4.12 and 4.14 are juxtaposed, it can be noted that antimony increases the corrosion rate of lead, whereas silver not only neutralises this influence of Sb, but even improves the corrosion resistance of Pb—Sb—Ag alloys. Silver suppresses the inter-granular corrosion and hence overall corrosion is the main process in Pb—Sb—Ag alloys. Silver affects... 

These low-melting-point alloys were the first alloys to be die-cast, originally for printer s type. Lead alloyed with antimony, sometimes with small additions of tin, has a melting point of about 315 C and can be cast to very close tolerances and in intricate shapes. The castings have low mechanical properties and are used mainly for their density, e.g. car-wheel balance masses, and corrosion-resistance, e.g. battery-lead terminals. 

Several tin-based alloys, usually containing lead, antimony and copper, with a melting point of about 230 °C, are also die-cast where the very highest accuracy is required and great strength is not of importance. Their excellent corrosion-resistance to moisture makes them suitable for such components as number wheels in gas and water meters, and they have also found use in small complex components of electrical instruments. 

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