CHAPTER 17

Chapter 18-

CHAPTER 17 Learning Objective: Electrical Properties Topic: ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY OF METALS

ISSUES TO ADDRESS...
For metals, how is conductivity affected by imperfections, T, and deformation?

Chapter 18- 1

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTION
Ohm's Law:
voltage drop (volts) current (amps)
(cross sect. area)

V = I R
resistance (Ohms)
eA

I V
L

Resistivity, and Conductivity, :

--geometry-independent forms of Ohm's Law
E: electric field intensity

V I = L A

Resistance: R =

L L = A A

resistivity (Ohm-m) J: current density I conductivity =

Chapter 18- 3

CONDUCTIVITY: COMPARISON
Room T values (Ohm-m) METALS conductors Silver 6.8 x 107 Copper 6.0 x 107 Iron 1.0 x 107
-1

CERAMICS Soda-lime glass 10-10 Concrete 10-9 Aluminum oxide <10-13

SEMICONDUCTORS POLYMERS Polystyrene Silicon 4 x 10-4 Polyethylene Germanium 2 x 100 GaAs 10-6 semiconductors
Selected values from Tables 18.1, 18.2, and 18.3, Callister 6e.

<10-14 10-15-10-17 insulators

Chapter 18- 4

Factors affecting electrical resistivity of metals

Electrons do not scatter from a perfect lattice. They scatter by defects, which can be:

Resistivity
increases with: --temperature --wt% impurity --%CW

atoms displaced by lattice vibrations vacancies and interstitials dislocations, grain boundaries impurities Influence of Temperature

tot of a metal depends on: temperature Impurities plastic deformation Mathiessens rule tot = T + i + d For pure metal and alloys (like Cu-Ni), rises linearly with T above about -200oC. Thus T = 0 + aT
Chapter 18- 5

 versus T for Cu and Cu-Ni alloys

Chapter 18- 6

Influence of Impurities Solid solution alloys always has a higher resistivity than do its pure component metals. 1. Atoms of different sizes cause a variation in the lattice parameter in electron scattering. 2. Atoms of different valences introduces a local charge difference which increases the scattering.. 3. For dilute single phase alloys : i (Z)2 Lindes Rule. 4. For concentrated single phase alloys: i = AA+ BB+AAB A+ B =1 and A is material constant. Nordheims Rule. 5. For a two phase alloy: i = V+ V, Influence of Plastic deformation Plastic deformation also raises the as a result of increased numbers of electron-scattering dislocations.
Chapter 18- 8

EX: ESTIMATING CONDUCTIVITY Question:

Yield strength (MPa)

--Estimate the electrical conductivity of a Cu-Ni alloy that has a yield strength of 125MPa.

180 160 140 120 100 21 wt%Ni 80 60 0 10 20 30 40 50

Resistivity, (10-8 Ohm-m)

wt. %Ni, (Concentration C)

Adapted from Fig. 7.14(b), Callister 6e.

50 40 30 20 10 0 0 10 20 30 40 50
wt. %Ni, (Concentration C)
Adapted from Fig. 18.9, Callister 6e.

= 30x10

Ohm m

1 = = 3.3x10 6 (Ohm m) 1
Chapter 18- 9

Conductivity of most materials is expressed by

= n e e
n = no. of free electrons per unit volume

e = electrical charge e = electron mobility

Chapter 18-

Electrical Characteristics of Commercial Alloys

Silver: High electrical conduction (lower ) but very expensive Good mechanical strength- the alloy CuBe is used. When weight is important one uses Al, which is half as good as Cu. Al is also more resistant to corrosion. high resistivity materials -nichrome (NiCr) or graphite are used.

Chapter 18- 10