Solidification microstructures and mechanical and corrosion resistances of dilute Pb-Sn alloys / Microestrutura de solidificação e resistencias mecanicas e a corrosão de ligas Pb-Sn diluidas

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2009

RESUMO

Lead-acid batteries manufacturers have modified the manufacturing processes and the chemical composition of alloys used in battery grids in order to decrease their weight as well as to reduce the production costs, and to increase the battery life-time cycle and the corrosion-resistance. The morphological microstructures characterized by cellular and dendritic arrays and its correspondents cellular and dendrite arm spacings control the solute distribution, second phases in the intercellular and interdendritic regions affecting the resulting properties. The mechanical behavior and microstructural characteristics of lead-acid battery components have an important role in the battery performance. The present work aims to contribute to the understanding of the microstructural development of dilute Pb-1,0 wt.%Sn and Pb-2.5 wt.%Sn alloys which are widely applied in the manufacturing of automobile and stationary lead-acid batteries. A water-cooled vertical upward unidirectional solidification system was used to obtain the samples. The experimental set-up was designed in such a way that the heat was extracted only through the water-cooled bottom, promoting upward directional solidification. Thermal readings were obtained by thermocouples positioned at different distances from the heat-extracting surface at the casting bottom. Pb-Sn alloy samples were used to analyze the effects of the thermal solidification variables and solute content on the resulting macro and microstructures and on the mechanical properties. The ultimate tensile strength and the elongation were determined as a function of the cellular arm spacing. The effect of the resulting microstructure on the electrochemical corrosion behavior was also analyzed based on electrochemical parameters, determined by Tafel plots, polarization curves and an equivalent circuit analysis after corrosion tests carried out in a sulphuric acid solution. It was observed that the corrosion resistance decreases and the ultimate tensile strength increases with decreasing cellular spacing

ASSUNTO(S)

metallic alloys microestruturas materiais resistentes a corrosão ligas (metalurgia) solidification mechanical properties of metals solidificação metais microstructure corrosion resistant materials

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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