Influence of casting techniques on hardness, tarnish behavior and microstructure of Ag-Cu-Zn-Si sterling silver jewelry alloys

ผู้แต่ง

  • Chutimun Chanmuang Faculty of Gems, Burapha University
  • Wonnaporn Kongmuang Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University
  • J.T.H. Pearce National Metals and Materials Technology Center
  • Torranin Chairuangsri Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University

คำสำคัญ:

Sterling silver alloy, Microstructure, Tarnish resistance, Vickers Hardness

บทคัดย่อ

The effects of Zn and Si on the hardness, tarnish resistance and microstructures of experimental Ag-Cu-Zn-Si alloy were investigated by means of vickers hardness, tarnish testing, optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The various compositions of 935 sterling silver alloys produced by different casting techniques, investment (lost wax) process and metal mould casting, were compared. An induction casting machine with a vacuum system was used for investment casting at 1,025°C with the mould temperature at 600°C whereas a LPG/oxygen single flame tip torch was used for the metal mould process. Vickers hardness of the samples produced via metal mould casting has higher hardness than that of the samples obtained by investment casting. The hardness of standard 935Ag sterling samples produced by metal mould casting was around 66 HV while it was around 56 HV for the investment cast samples. The increase in hardness is related to differences in the cooling rate of solidification rather than to the addition of third elements. The tarnish test was performed by immersing the samples in 0.1% Na2S solutions for 15-180 min. To specify the color change by tarnishing, the surface color differences (DE*) were measured according to the Commission International d’ Eclairage (CIELAB) standard. It was found that the tarnish resistance was improved with high additions of elements especially Si. Furthermore, Si addition plays an important role in a complete microstructural modification, which coincides with the increase in tarnish resistance of sterling silver alloys, in terms of transforming a lamellar eutectic structure to a predominantly Cu-Si continuous structure.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

เอกสารอ้างอิง

Menon, A. (2007). Proceedings of the Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing Technology. Santa Fe, New Mexico : 421.

Fischer-Buehner, J. (2003). Proceedings of the Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing Technology. Santa Fe, New Mexico : 29.

Nisaratanaporn, S. and Nisaratanaporn, E.(2003). The anti-tarnishing, microstructure analysis and mechanical properties of sterling silver with silicon addition. J. Met. Mater. Miner. 12 (2) : 13-18.

Nisaratnnaporn, E., Wongsriruksa, S., Pongsakitwat, S. and Lothongkum, G. (2007). Study on the microstructure, mechanical properties, tarnish and corrosion resistance of sterling silver alloyed with manganese. Mater. Sci. Eng. A 445-446 : 663-668.

Basso, A., Bertoncello, R., Bottelli, F., FischerBuehner, J. and Poliero, M. (2010).Proceedings of the Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing Technology. Santa Fe, New Mexico : 1.

Gusmano, G., Montanari, R., Montesperelli, G., Tata, M.E., Bemporad, E., Valente, M., Kaciulis, S. and Mattagno, G. (2001). Influence of Si, Ni and Co additions on gold alloy for investment cast process. J. Alloys. Compd. 325 (1-2) 252-258.

Qingqing, Y., Weihao, X., Dingjie, S., Zheng, Y. and Ronghui, W. (2008). Rare Met. Mater. Eng. 37(6) : 947.

Grimwade, M. (2006). Introduction to Precious Metals: Metallurgy for Jewelers and Silversmiths. Brynmorgen, Maine.

ดาวน์โหลด

เผยแพร่แล้ว

2012-12-20

วิธีการอ้างอิง

[1]
C. . Chanmuang, W. Kongmuang, J. Pearce, และ T. Chairuangsri, “Influence of casting techniques on hardness, tarnish behavior and microstructure of Ag-Cu-Zn-Si sterling silver jewelry alloys”, J Met Mater Miner, ปี 22, ฉบับที่ 2, ธ.ค. 2012.

ฉบับ

ปีที่ 22 ฉบับที่ 2 (2012)

บท

Original Research Articles

การอนุญาต

ลิขสิทธิ์ (c) 2012 วารสารโลหะ, วัสดุ และแร่

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:

    1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

 

    1. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.