A Nonlinear Viscous Model for Sn-Whisker Growth

Based on the mechanism of the grain boundary fluid flow, a nonlinear viscous model for the growth of Sn-whiskers is proposed. This model consists of two units, one with a stress exponent of one and one with a stress exponent of n (-1). By letting one of the constants be zero in the model, the constitutive relationship reduces to a linear flow relation or a power-law relation, representing the flow behavior of various metals. Closed-form solutions for the growth behavior of a whisker are derived, which can be used to predict the whisker growth and the stress evolution.