Microstructure and thermal properties of Bi-Sn eutectic alloy

Abstract

Alloys based on Sn and Bi are considered to be one of the best soft lead-free solders due to their low melting temperature and low price. In addition, Bi-Sn alloy with a eutectic composition represents a promising candidate as a metallic phase change material (PCM) for use in the field of thermal energy storage (TES). The accurate knowledge of microstructural and thermophysical properties such as the latent heat of melting, thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity is of crucial importance for PCM selection. Thus, the aim of the current study has been to determine the microstructure, latent heat of melting and thermal conductivity of a eutectic alloy from the binary Bi-Sn system.