Silver Brazing Alloy Composition for Low Melting and Better Wettability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional silver brazing materials face challenges in reducing silver content while maintaining a low melting point and minimizing the temperature difference between solidus and liquidus temperatures, which affects workability and joint quality, and often prioritize melting point reduction over processability and wettability.

Innovation Solution

A silver brazing material with a silver content between 35% and 45%, combined with specific ranges of zinc, manganese, nickel, and tin, where the manganese to nickel ratio is optimized to generate an intermetallic compound that reduces the melting point and narrows the temperature difference, improving processability and wettability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the silver content is reduced, then the material cost is reduced, but the melting point increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesilver contentVSAvoidmelting point
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the composition ratios of multiple alloying elements (silver: 35-45 mass%, zinc: 18-28 mass%, manganese: 2-6 mass%, nickel: 1.5-6 mass%, tin: 0.5-5 mass%) to achieve a melting point of 705°C or lower while reducing silver content to 45 mass% or less, thereby resolving the contradiction between cost reduction and melting point control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite alloy system combining silver, zinc, manganese, nickel, and tin in specific proportions. This multi-element composite composition works synergistically to reduce the melting point while maintaining mechanical properties, allowing silver content to be reduced without causing melting point increase

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Temperature

If the melting point is reduced, then the working temperature is lowered, but the temperature difference between solidus and liquidus increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemelting pointVSAvoidworkability
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses parameter changes to simultaneously control multiple thermal parameters: the solidus temperature is reduced to 705°C or lower, while the temperature difference between solidus and liquidus is controlled to 50°C or less. This is achieved by optimizing the composition parameters of all alloying elements to create a narrow melting range, thereby improving workability without sacrificing the low melting point advantage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If the temperature difference between solidus and liquidus is reduced, then the workability is improved, but the composition control becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveworkabilityVSAvoidcomposition control
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent establishes specific parameter ranges for each alloying element that, when controlled within these ranges, automatically ensure the temperature difference between solidus and liquidus remains 50°C or less. This provides a practical composition control guideline that simplifies manufacturing while achieving excellent workability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs readily available alloying elements (zinc, manganese, nickel, tin) that can be easily added during conventional brazing material production. These elements serve as effective modifiers to control the melting characteristics without requiring complex or expensive materials, making the composition control process more accessible and simpler to implement

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The optimized composition achieves a melting point of 705°C or less, a temperature difference of 50°C or less, and enhanced processability and wettability, enabling efficient brazing with reduced energy costs and improved joint quality.

Implementation Method 1

the manganese to nickel ratio is optimized to generate an intermetallic compound that reduces the melting point and narrows the temperature difference

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectIntermetallic compound formation:

Implementation Method 2

the silver brazing material has a melting point of 705°C or less, and a temperature difference between solidus and liquidus of 50°C or less

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMelting: Melting

Data Source

PatentUS11638973B2Silver brazing material and joining method using the silver brazing material
Publication Date: 2023.05.02 TANAKA KIKINZOKU KOGYO KK

AI summary

A silver brazing material containing silver, copper, zinc, manganese, nickel, and tin as indispensable constituent elements. The silver brazing material includes 35 mass % or more and 45 mass % or less silver, 18 mass % or more and 28 mass % or less zinc, 2 mass % or more and 6 mass % or less manganese, 1.5 mass % or more and 6 mass % or less nickel, and 0.5 mass % or more and 5 mass % or less tin, with the balance being copper impurities. Within these compositional ranges, a predetermined relation is set between the manganese content and the nickel content, whereby the silver brazing material can be provided with excellent characteristics also in terms of processability or wettability. In the silver brazing material of the present invention, the silver content is reduced, and also melting point reduction and the narrowing of the temperature difference between solidus temperature and liquidus temperature are attempted.