Effect of chemical composition on the microstructure, hardness and electrical conductivity profiles of the Bi-Ge-In alloys

In this study, the microstructure, hardness, and electrical properties of selected ternary Bi-Ge-In alloys were investigated. Isothermal sections of the Bi-Ge-In system at 25, 200, and 300 ° C were extrapolated using optimized thermodynamic parameters from the literature. The used experimental techniques include optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersion spectrometry (EDS), Brinell hardness, and electrical conductivity measurements. The results of EDS phase composition analysis were compared with the calculated isothermal sections and a good overall agreement was reached. The results of the XRD were also in line with the predicted phase balance. By using ANOVA analysis and experimental results of Brinell hardness and electrical conductivity, a mathematical model was suggested for the calculation of these properties along with all composition ranges. The appropriated mathematical model was subsequently used for the prediction of hardness and electrical conductivity throughout the whole composition range.