Science and Education Publishing Materials Science and Metallurgy Engineering 1 2 2013 12 09 Reliability Level of Pb-Sb-Cu Alloy Electrical Resistance Dependence on Its Melting Temperature and Copper Input Concentration 42 49 EN C. I. Nwoye Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria A. O. Agbo C. C. Nwogbu S. Neife E. M. Ameh MSME2013126 10.12691/msme-1-2-6 2013 09 27 2013 11 27 2013 12 09 This paper assesses the reliability level of Pb-Sb-Cu alloy electrical resistance dependence on its melting temperature and copper input concentration. The alloy was cast by pouring a stirred mixture of heated Pb-Sb alloy and powdered copper into a sand mould and then furnace cooled. Results of electrical test carried out indicate that the electrical resistance of the Pb-Sb-Cu alloy decreases with increase in the melting temperature of the Pb-Sb-Cu alloy. This invariably implied decrease in the electrical resistivity of the alloy. Increased copper addition (0.99-8.26 wt%) to the base alloy (Pb-Sb) also correspondingly decreased the electrical resistance. The experimental results were complement by results generated using a derived model. The validity of the two-factorial derived model expressed as: ξ = - 0.1248ɤ - 0.0398ϑ + 66.615 was rooted on the expression ξ - 66.615 = - 0.1248ɤ - 0.0398ϑ where both sides of the expression are correspondingly approximately equal. Statistical analysis of the experiment, derived model & regression model-predicted results shows that the standard errors incurred in predicting the Pb-Sb-Cu alloy electrical resistance for each value of the melting temperature and copper input were 0.1247, 0.1722 & 3.517 x 10-5 % and 0.4276, 0.1797 & 0.3593 % respectively. Evaluations indicate that Pb-Sb-Cu alloy electrical resistance per unit rise in the melting temperature and copper mass-input as obtained from experiment, derived model & regression model-predicted results were 0.2507, 0.2309 & 0.2496 ΦΩ /°C and 0.094, 0.0866 & 0.0936 Ω / g respectively. Deviational analysis indicated that the maximum deviation of derived model-predicted electrical resistance from the experimental results was less than 3%. This translated into over 97% operational confidence and reliability level for the derived model and over 0.97 reliability coefficient for the Pb-Sb-Cu alloy electrical resistance dependence on the alloy melting temperature and copper input concentration.