Abstract:
This research aims to investigate optimum zinc content, in 14 carat brazing alloy (58.5%), which produces good wettability. The investigation was conducted by varying the zinc contents in the range of 0-10% by weight and by keeping the ratio of silver to copper at 1:1. In order to avoid the zinc loss, copper and zinc were therefore mixed and molten together and subsequently cast in a form of "Master alloy" bar. The master alloy then later used to produce 14 brazing carat gold alloy. The wettability of alloys was measured, using sessile drop method, to obtain surface tension and contact angles of aloys of varying compositions. The effects of zinc on liquidus and solidus temperatures, hardness, strength and color of calloy were also studied. The results indicated that the liquidus and solidus temperatures decreased with increasing zinc content i.e., liquidus temperature of 720 ํC and 810 ํC for 10% and 0% wt.%Zn respectively. The contact angle and surface tension also decreased when zinc content increased. The contact angle of 0 wt%Zn was found to be 145 degrees whereas the contact angle of 10 wt%Zn was less than 60 degrees. The hardness and the strength changed insignificantly when the zinc contents were increased from 0 to 4 wt%. However when the zinc content was increased to more than 10 wt% the hardness and the strength of the alloy markedly increased. Zinc was also observed to have a bleaching effect on the 14 carat brazing alloys