Silver corrosion resistance

Aqueous formaldehyde is corrosive to carbon steel, but formaldehyde in the vapor phase is not. AH parts of the manufacturing equipment exposed to hot formaldehyde solutions must be a corrosion-resistant alloy such as type-316 stainless steel. Theoretically, the reactor and upstream equipment can be carbon steel, but in practice alloys are required in this part of the plant to protect the sensitive silver catalyst from metal contamination. 

Lead—silver alloys are used extensively as soft solders these contain 1—6 wt % silver. Lead—silver solders have a narrower free2ing range and higher melting point (304°C) than conventional solders. Solders containing 2.5 wt % silver or less are used either as binary alloys or combined with 0.5—2 wt % tin. Lead—silver solders have excellent corrosion resistance. The composition of lead—silver solders is Hsted in ASTM B32-93 (solder alloys) (7). 

Copper and nickel can be alloyed with zinc to form nickel silvers. Nickel silvers are ductile, easily formed and machined, have good corrosion resistance, can be worked to provide a range of mechanical properties, and have an attractive white color. These alloys are used for ornamental purposes, as sHverplated and uncoated tableware and flatware in the electrical iadustry as contacts, connections, and springs and as many formed and machined parts (see Electrical connectors). 

Copper and tin phosphides are used as deoxidants in the production of the respective metals, to increase the tensile strength and corrosion resistance in phosphor bronze [12767-50-9] and as components of brazing solders (see Solders and brazing alloys). Phosphor bronze is an alloy of copper and 1.25—11 wt % tin. As tin may be completely oxidized in a copper alloy in the form of stannic oxide, 0.03—0.35 wt % phosphoms is added to deoxidize the alloy. Phosphor copper [12643-19-5] is prepared by the addition of phosphoms to molten copper. Phosphor tin [66579-64-4] 2.5—3 wt % P, is made for the deoxidation of bronzes and German silver. 

In the electromotive force series of the elements, silver is less noble than only Pd, Hg, Pt, and Au. AH provide high corrosion resistance. Silver caimot form oxides under ambient conditions. Its highly reactive character, however, results in the formation of black sulfides on exposure to sulfur-containing atmospheres. 

Beiirings. Silver is plated in all main-shaft bearings of jet engines because the silver provides a low coefficient of friction and superior fatigue and corrosion resistance, and has sufficient lubricity to serve as an emergency lubricant in case of oil failure. 

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. 

Uses. Copper—nickel—iron alloys, UNS C 96200 (90 10 copper nickel) and UNS C 96400 (70 30 copper nickel), are used in corrosion-resistant marine (seawater) appHcations. UNS C 96400 is used for corrosion-resistant marine elbows, flanges, valves, and pumps. Leaded nickel—brass, UNS C 97300 (12% nickel-silver), is used for hardware fittings, valves, and statuary and ornamental castings. 

Solders. Modem dental solders are made from mostly corrosion-resistant, nontoxic metals. Minimal quantities of tin and other elements are often added, some of which could produce toxic effects in the unalloyed state. Each solder is used for specific appHcations (180—188) typical compositions and properties of solders used in dentistry are presented in Table 11. Most of the ingredients of solders are resistant to corrosion, and alloying them with other ingredients renders the alloy safe for use in appHances placed in the oral environment. Silver solders corrode, but are used only for temporary appHances. Available products do not contain cadmium, although cadmium was an ingredient of some silver solders up to ca 1980. 

In general, the rate of dezincification increases as the zinc content rises, and great care needs to be exercised in making brazed joints with copper/zinc brazing alloys, particularly if they are to be exposed to sea-water. Under these conditions, a properly designed capillary joint may last for some time, but it is preferable to use corrosion-resistant jointing alloys such as silver solders (e.g. BS 1845, Type AGJ or /4G5) . 

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 ". 

In addition to nickel alloys, nickel also forms an important alloying element in stainless steels and in cast irons, in both of which it confers additional corrosion resistance and improved mechanical and engineering properties, and in Fe-Ni alloys for obtaining controlled physical and magnetic properties (see Chapter 3). With non-ferrous metals nickel also forms important types of alloys, especially with copper, i.e. cupro-nickels and nickel silvers these are dealt with in Section 4.2. 

The outstanding characteristics of the noble metals are their exceptional resistance to corrosive attack by a wide range of liquid and gaseous substances, and their stability at high temperatures under conditions where base metals would be rapidly oxidised. This resistance to chemical and oxidative attack arises principally from the Inherently high thermodynamic stability of the noble metals, but in aqueous media under oxidising or anodic conditions a very thin film of adsorbed oxygen or oxide may be formed which can contribute to their corrosion resistance. An exception to this rule, however, is the passivation of silver and silver alloys in hydrochloric or hydrobromic acids by the formation of relatively thick halide films. 

Silver and gold, which are corrosion resistant in many solutions, are rather efficient catalysts for the cathodic reduction of oxygen and certain other reactions. Some sp-metals (mercury, tin, zinc) exhibit interesting catalytic properties for the cathodic reduction of CO2. Copper might be a very interesting material for a number of electrochemical reactions, but so far has not been examined thoroughly. 

The silver white, shiny, metal-like semiconductor is considered a semimetal. The atomic weight is greater than that of the following neighbor (iodine), because tellurium isotopes are neutron-rich (compare Ar/K). Its main use is in alloys, as the addition of small amounts considerably improves properties such as hardness and corrosion resistance. New applications of tellurium include optoelectronics (lasers), electrical resistors, thermoelectric elements (a current gives rise to a temperature gradient), photocopier drums, infrared cameras, and solar cells. Tellurium accelerates the vulcanization of rubber. 

Corrosion reactions, 21 845 Corrosion resistance, 9 710 10 441 of copper wrought alloys, 7 742-744 of lead-calcium alloys, 14 774 of materials used with fluorine, 11 839 of platinum-group metals, 19 600, 601t of silver, 22 639... 

Metals develop a natural corrosion-resistant film when exposed to the environment. Examples include the rusting of iron, tarnishing of silver, and the formation of the patina on copper. These passive films help prevent further corrosion. However, films do not provide complete resistance to chemical attack and are destroyed by various corrosive agents. 

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