Thermodynamic considerations of the setting reaction in Ag3Sn amalgams.

The setting reaction of Ag3Sn amalgams may be thought of as a liquid phase sintering problem in which the reactants seek to form products with the lowest thermodynamic potential. We discuss the thermodynamic and kinetic considerations of this reaction. The lowering of free energy has been given as the reason for the formation of the gamma1, gamma2,and beta1 phases and a qualitative reaction coordinate diagram has been hypothesized. The barrier height for the formation of the beta1 phase has been determined to be 137 kJ/mol.