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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