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INFLUENCE OF Ni ADDITION ON MICROSTRUCTURE AND SOLIDIFICATION BEHAVIOUR OF SAC305 LEAD-FREE SOLDERS
Authors:
Tereza Machajdíková1
, Roman Čička1
, Ivona Černičková1
, Libor Ďuriška1
,
Marián Drienovský1
, Peter Gogola1
, Jakub Perička2
1Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology in Trnava, Institute of Materials, Trnava, Slovakia
2Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology in Trnava, Institute of Applied Informatics, Automation and Mechatronics, Trnava, Slovakia
Received: 16 April 2025
Revised: 6 June 2025
Accepted: 17 June 2025
Published: 30 June 2025
Abstract:
This study investigates the addition of Ni into SAC305 solder alloy with varying nickel content (0–4 wt.% Ni) using experimental techniques and computational thermodynamics. The experimental part employed various techniques (scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry). The microstructure of the investigated alloys consisted of primary β-Sn and an eutectic mixture containing β-Sn and two intermetallic compound particles (Ag3Sn and Cu6Sn5). Small Ni additions (up to 0.2 wt.%) refined the microstructure and significantly reduced the undercooling from 30°C (SAC305) to about 12°C. However, Ni additions exceeding 0.4 wt.% led to microstructural coarsening and formation of Ni3Sn4 phase. For the computational part, Thermo-Calc software was used to investigate the conditions of Cu6Sn5 and Ni3Sn4 phase formation. The experimental results were consistent with computations from Thermo-Calc. The results suggest that minor Ni additions (up to 0.2 wt.%) offer possibilities to refine the microstructure and reduce undercooling, potentially improving the properties of solders.
Keywords:
SAC305, Nickel addition, Phase composition, Undercooling, Computational thermodynamics
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© 2025 by the authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Volume 10
Number 4
December 2025
Last Edition
Volume 10
Number 4
December 2025
How to Cite
T. Machajdíková, R. Čička, I. Černičková, L. Ďuriška, M. Drienovský, P. Gogola, J. Perička, Influence of Ni Addition on Microstructure and Solidification Behaviour of SAC305 Lead-Free Solders. Applied Engineering Letters, 10(2), 2025: 100-108.
https://doi.org/10.46793/aeletters.2025.10.2.4
More Citation Formats
Machajdíková, T., Čička, R., Černičková, I., Ďuriška, L., Drienovský, M., Gogola, P., & Perička, J. (2025). Influence of Ni Addition on Microstructure and Solidification Behaviour of SAC305 Lead-Free Solders. Applied Engineering Letters, 10(2), 100-108.
https://doi.org/10.46793/aeletters.2025.10.2.4
Machajdíková, Tereza, et al. “Influence of Ni Addition on Microstructure and Solidification Behaviour of SAC305 Lead-Free Solders.“ Applied Engineering Letters, vol. 10, no. 2, 2025, pp. 100-108.
https://doi.org/10.46793/aeletters.2025.10.2.4
Machajdíková, Tereza, Roman Čička, Ivona Černičková, Libor Ďuriška, Marián Drienovský, Peter Gogola, and Jakub Perička. 2025. “Influence of Ni Addition on Microstructure and Solidification Behaviour of SAC305 Lead-Free Solders.“ Applied Engineering Letters, 10 (2): 100-108.
https://doi.org/10.46793/aeletters.2025.10.2.4
Machajdíková, T., Čička, R., Černičková, I., Ďuriška, L., Drienovský, M., Gogola, P., and Perička, J. (2025). Influence of Ni Addition on Microstructure and Solidification Behaviour of SAC305 Lead-Free Solders. Applied Engineering Letters, 10(2), pp. 100-108.
doi: 10.46793/aeletters.2025.10.2.4.