Research project: Graphene reinforced lead-free solder composites
Tin whisker growth on lead-free solder of copper-based conductors is a serious reliability problem in electrical and electronic devices. The growth of tin whisker can be spontaneous and an irreversible process. Some whiskers can grow to several hundred microns in length, which are long enough to cause electrical-shorting leading to the failure of electrical and electronic devices. Examples of failures have been seen in commercial satellite, electronics in aeroplanes, reactors, heart pacemaker, consumer electronics, etc.