Development of lead free pulse electrodeposited tin based composite solder coating reinforced with ex situ cerium oxide nanoparticles

• The ball milled ceria nanoparticles are co-electrodeposited successfully in tin matrix.
• The microhardness of the composite increases with ceria upto an optimum level.
• Various composite properties depend on the amount of ceria in the matrix.

Pure Sn and Sn–CeO2 nanocomposite films have been pulse electrodeposited from an aqueous electrolyte containing stannous chloride (SnCl2⋅2H2O) and triammonium citrate (C6H17N3O7). The codeposition is achieved by adding different amounts of ball milled CeO2 nanopowders (1–30 g/L) with a mean particle size of ∼30 nm to the electrolyte. Microstructural characterizations have been carried out by X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy coupled with an energy dispersive spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The microstructural observations show that a uniform microstructure is obtained at a concentration of ∼6 wt% CeO2 in the deposits corresponding to 15 g/L CeO2 in electrolyte. Thus, incorporation of an optimum amount of CeO2 in a composite provides better mechanical, and wear and friction properties, without sacrificing the electrical resistivity significantly.

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