Effects of CeO2 nanoparticles addition on shear properties of low-silver Sn–0.3Ag–0.7Cu-xCeO2 solder alloys

Abstract In this article, the shear properties of Sn–0.3Ag–0.7Cu-xCeO 2 composite solder alloys were investigated at strain rates of 10 −3 s −1 , 10 −2 s −1 , and 10 −1 s −1 under three different temperatures of 25 °C, 75 °C, and 125 °C. Scanning electron microscope equipped with Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was used to observe the microstructural evolution and the fracture surface of the composite solder alloys. The results show that appropriate addition of CeO 2 nanoparticles can improve the shear stress of the composite solder alloys. However, the excessive addition of CeO 2 nanoparticles could degrade the mechanical properties. With an increase in strain rate or a decrease in test temperature, the shear stress of all solder alloys shows an increasing trend. A modified constitutive model was used to describe the effect of strain rate and temperature on shear stress. The optimum addition concentration of CeO 2 nanoparticles in Sn–0.3Ag–0.7Cu-xCeO 2 solder alloys is about 0.5 wt%, which possesses the highest shear stress.