Enthalpy Effect of Adding Cobalt to Liquid Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu Lead-Free Solder Alloy: Difference between Bulk and Nanosized Cobalt

Heat effects for the addition of Co in bulk and nanosized forms into the liquid Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu alloy were studied using drop calorimetry at four temperatures between 673 and 1173 K. Significant differences in the heat effects between nano and bulk Co additions were observed. The considerably more exothermic values of the measured enthalpy for nano Co additions are connected with the loss of the surface enthalpy of the nanoparticles due to the elimination of the surface of the nanoparticles upon their dissolution in the liquid alloy. This effect is shown to be independent of the calorimeter temperature (it depends only on the dropping temperature through the temperature dependence of the surface energy of the nanoparticles). Integral and partial enthalpies of mixing for Co in the liquid SAC-alloy were evaluated from the experimental data.