Effect of Corrosion in Alkaline Solution to the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cu/Sn-9Zn/Cu

Corrosion resistance performance of binary eutectic tin-zinc (Sn-9Zn) solder was investigated in 6 M potassium hydroxide. The corrosion resistance performance of the solder was studied through potentiodynamic polarization. Double dissolution peaks were seen during polarization, indicating preferential dissolution of elements from this solder. Tensile strength measurement shows substantial loss of ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the joint made after polarization. Microstructure characterization proved that weak spots were introduced as active elements removed during polarization. This showed that microstructure alteration contributed to the loss of UTS after polarization.