Feb 13 2004
Background
The addition of palladium to silver increases its resistance to tarnishing or the formation of silver sulphide. However, they are not considered tarnish resistant until the composition reaches 60% Palladium/40% Silver.
Key Properties
The addition of palladium to silver:
• Increases its hardness
• Increases its melting point or creates a more refractory alloy
• Increases its nobility and resistance to tarnishing
Applications
Silver/palladium alloys developed by Heraeus in 1931 have been used for dentistry in applications such as bridges and crowns.
Silver/palladium alloys are also used in conductive films and pastes, as well as to make multilayer capacitors.
They are also used in AC and DC low current electronic applications, often as contacts. This is because they are ductile and can easily be made into the required shape. However, their use is somewhat restricted due to their high cost.
Primary author: AZoM.com