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Tuning intermetallic growth and flexural performance in gallium-based amalgams via Sn/In alloying and solidifying at
Paul Elliott1, Hadi Noori2, Hanchen Huang3
1School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA. paul.elliott@okstate.edu.
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Gallium-based amalgams and preforms offer promising pathways for room-temperature bonding and low-temperature structural fabrication, yet their mechanical performance is constrained by brittle failure after interdiffusion-based solidification. This study investigates the mechanical and microstructural evolution of pastes formed by mixing copper particles with gallium (Ga), eutectic gallium-indium (GaIn), eutectic gallium-tin (GaSn), and eutectic gallium-indium-tin alloys (GaInSn), subjected to solidification at either room temperature or 100 °C. Four-point flexural testing showed that Ga and GaSn both strengthened after 100 °C solidification, reaching similar strength levels (~ 7 MPa), whereas GaIn and GaInSn weakened. Fracture surfaces showed plate-like intermetallic cleavage in Ga and GaSn, consistent with a rigid CuGa₂ framework. GaIn and GaInSn displayed more ductile features from dispersed In or InSn regions that disrupt CuGa₂ continuity. Overall, composition and solidification temperature control the balance between rigid intermetallic reinforcement and softer secondary phases. GaSn provides the most practical combination of strength, consistency, and cost for these low-temperature metal systems.
