Nanoscale Sn-Bi-Ag compound powders were successfully synthesized using the pulsed wire discharge (PWD) method. In PWD, when a high current is passed through high-density metal wires, the wires explode because of resistance heating, forming fine particles or metal vapor. In this study, we used Sn-Bi and Ag wires in order to obtain three-component nanopowders. A high current was applied to the wires between the electrodes in a N2 atmosphere. We discussed the results based on the K factor, which is the ratio of the charging energy of the capacitor to the vaporization energy of the wire. The three-component (Sn-Bi-Ag) nanoparticles were synthesized under a N2 atmosphere at 4 and 6 kV. From the particle-size distribution curves, it was found that the mean particle diameter (D1) values of the Sn-Bi and Ag nanopowders were within the range of 16.32-42.37 nm under each condition. The melting point of the Sn-Bi-Ag nanoparticles was found to be within the range of 188.68-214.97 ℃, which is about 40 ℃ lower than that obtained from the phase diagram and computational thermodynamics of the Sn-Bi-Ag system. In this study, the nanopowders were obtained by subjecting the wires at extreme energies, to improve their solid solubility. † (
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.