Joo-Yul Lee

Effect of V Addition on Hardness and Electrical Conductivity in Cu-Ni-Si Alloys

The effect of vanadium (V) addition on the microstructure, the hardness and the electrical conductivity of Cu-2.8Ni-0.7Si alloys was investigated. The V-free, the 0.1 wt% V-added, the 0.2 wt% V-added Cu base alloys were exposed to the same experimental conditions. After the cold rolling of the studied alloys, the matrix was recrystallized during the solution heat treatment at 950 °C for 2 h. However, small amounts of vanadium substantially suppressed the recrystallization and retarded the grain growth of the Cu base alloys. The added vanadium accelerated the precipitation of Ni2Si intermetallic compounds during aging and therefore it contributed positively to the resultant hardness and electrical conductivity. It was found that the hardness and the electrical conductivity increased simultaneously with increasing aging temperature and time with accelerated precipitation kinetics by the addition of vanadium. In the present study, the Cu-2.8Ni-0.7Si alloy with 0.1 wt%V was found to have an excellent combination of the hardness and the electrical conductivity when it was aged at 500 °C.

Effect of polyethylene glycol on electrochemically deposited trivalent chromium layers

Abstract The structural characteristics of the trivalent chromium deposits and their interfacial behavior in the plating solution with and without polyethylene glycol molecules were observed by using various electrochemical methods such as cyclic voltammetry, open circuit potential transition, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry. It is shown that the polyethylene glycol molecules make the reductive current density lower in the trivalent chromium plating system and promote a hydrogen evolution reaction through their adsorption on the electrode surface. And the trivalent chromium layer formed from the polyethylene glycol-containing solution has somewhat higher density of cracks on its surface and results in a lower film resistance, lower polarization resistance, and higher capacitance in a corrosive atmosphere. It is also revealed that the formation of chromium carbide layer is facilitated in the presence of polyethylene glycol, which means easier electrochemical codeposition of chromium and carbon, not single chromium deposition.

Effect of pulse reverse current on the micro-structure development of thin copper mesh on transparent polyimide film

Effect of pulse reverse current on the microstructure of a copper electro-deposition was studied to make copper-mesh on a transparent polyimide (PI) film for electromagnetic interference materials. Thiourea as an organic additive in a modified copper sulfate bath significantly influenced micro-structure of the deposits. Smooth surface and preferred orientation were observed in the layers with the organic additive. Square wave pulse was more useful to produce a micro-sized copper-mesh.

Fabrication of thin copper mesh for electromagnetic interference of display panel by pulse reverse current method and study on the microstructure by small angle neutron scattering

A copper sheet with mesh was mass-produced by continuously combining three techniques, electroforming with pulse-reverse current, transfer technique onto a transparent polyimide (PI) film and oxidation processes. Thiourea as an organic additive in a modified copper sulfate bath changes the reduction potentials of copper complexes, which results in effectively controlling the crystal orientation, surface roughness and microstructure of the copper layer. An electroformed copper layer without thiourea has a relatively rough surface with an average surface roughness of about 144.7 nm, whereas, the copper layers with thiourea have a smooth surface with an average surface roughness in the range of 6.3 to 12.1 nm. The copper layers with thiourea have a preferred orientation of crystal structure such that Cu (111) peak intensity increases, whereas, Cu(220) peak intensity decreases with thiourea addition. Electroforming with a rectangular pulse current density including etching at +640 mAcm−2 for 1.8 msec and plating at −160 mAcm−2 for 4 msec in a modified copper sulfate bath with 200 ppm-thiourea at 25 °C is one of optimum conditions to massproduce a copper mesh sheet roll with 300 μm pitch, 10 μm mesh width and thickness, and 200 m long.

Investigation of the Effect of Solution Acidity and Organic Additives on the Electrodeposition of Trivalent Chromium Ions

The effect of solution acidity and organic additives, polyethylene glycol (PEG), on the trivalent chromium electroplating was systematically investigated in the view point of electroreduction of trivalent chromium ions and solution stability. It was found that solution acidity controlled at pH 2.5 showed the widest current range for bright electrodeposits in the presence of PEG additives, which reduced the local current intensification at high current densities. Through complex interaction between PEG additives and hydrogen ion, that is, solution acidity, electrode potential was moved in the negative direction in the bulk solution, while it shifted in the positive when electric potential was scanned. In conjunction with electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM), it was found that PEG additives had a role in promoting the electron transfer to trivalent chromium ion complexes in bulk solution and their adsorption at the electrode surface as well as interfering with hydrogen ion reduction process below pH 2.5. The PEG additives developed the nodular morphology during electroreduction of trivalent chromium ions with the increase of solution acidity and enhanced its current efficiency by maintaining the consumption of complexant, formic acid, at low speed.

Cr/nanodiamond composite plating with cobalt cation additive

Abstract The effect of cationic additive on Cr/nanodiamond plating was studied. Chromium plating was performed in Sargent bath. Morphology of deposit was observed by scanning electron microscope(SEM); microhardness by hardness tester; wear rate by tribometer; amount of diamond in deposit by combustion method and passivity by potentiodynamic scan. Experimental results show that in the presence of cobalt cation, the amount of nanodiamond particle in the deposit is increased. With increasing diamond particle amount, the metallurgical, mechanical and electrochemical properties of Cr/nanodiamond deposit are improved. However, this improvement seems to be constrained. In the presence of 10 g/L of nanodiamond powder and 2.5 g/L of cobalt cation in the bath, the amount of diamond particle in deposit is increased by 4 times; and wear rate of Cr-Co/nanodiamond deposit is decreased by 2–3 times as compared with pure Cr/deposit. The passive current of Cr-Co/nanodiamond composite deposit is decreased from 18 to 8 μA. The morphology of Cr/nanodiamond is smooth remarkably in the presence of cobalt cation.

Electro-magnetic insulating behavior of thin multilayered copper-nickel composite mesh sheet formed by two-step pulse electroplating

Layer-by-layer depositions of nickel and copper with nano-sized thickness were well formed by two-step pulsation at pH 4.5. The multi-layers were composed of a copper-rich nickel phase of 8: 2 with 14-nm thickness and a nickel-rich copper phase of 9: 1 with 16-nm thickness, respectively. The Ni2+-citrate solution controls the optical and chemical properties of the Cu2+Ni2+-citrate solution. The absorbance change with pH was related to complex formation. The relative contents of nickel and copper of an electroplated layer depended on electroplating conditions like the current density and pH. The electromagnetic shielding efficiency of the copper-nickel composite mesh/PI film showed more effective electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties than a pure copper mesh/PI film in the GHz frequency range.

The Effect of Polyethylene Glycol on the Trivalent Chromium Electroplating

The effect of organic additives, polyethylene glycol (PEG), on the trivalent chromium electroplating was analysed in the view point of current efficiency, solution stability and metallurgical structure. It was measured that PEG-containing trivalent chromium solution had about 10% higher current efficiency than pure solution and controlled the micro-crack density of electrodeposits. PEG exhibited profound effect on the solution stability by reducing the consumption rate of formic acid which acts as a complexant to lower the activation energy required for electrochemical reduction of trivalent chromium ions. It was also revealed that the formation of chromium carbide layer was facilitated in the presence of polyethylene glycol, which meant easier electrochemical codeposition of chromium and carbon, not single chromium deposition. Trivalent chromium layer formed from PEG-containing solution was amorphous with local nano-crystalline particles, which were prominently developed on the entire surface after non-oxidative heat treatment.