1. Key Laboratory of Research and Application of Multiple Hard Films of Liaoning Province, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang University,Shenyang 110044, China
2. Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Preparation Technology of Liaoning Province, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China
Aluminum-tin alloys are widely used in machinery manufacturing, aerospace, transportation and other fields because of their excellent mechanical properties, tribological properties, and electrical and thermal conductivity. In order to adapt to the research in different fields, a variety of aluminum-tin alloy preparation methods have been derived. Among them, the mechanical alloying method can prepare high-strength aluminum-tin alloys; but it is easy to promote the growth of tin whiskers to adversely affect the safety performance of alloy materials during high energy ball milling process; the casting process is simple and consumes less energy, but it is easy to produce severe segregation of tin phase; the surface deposition method can prepare nano-sized and uniform aluminum-tin alloys; but the magnetron sputtering method and spray molding method are both limited by the shape of the substrate, and the high equipment cost of the former is not conducive to large-scale production; while the production cost of electrodeposition method is low, and the coating can be evenly prepared on some complex-shaped substrates. It is expected to replace some high-cost preparation methods and become one of the preferred solutions for aluminum-tin alloy industrial production. In addition, adjusting different process parameters in various methods will also have different effects on the morphology and properties of aluminum-tin alloys. By referring to research reports on aluminum-tin alloys in recent years, the preparation methods of aluminum-tin alloys, the influence of various process parameters on the preparation of morphology and properties of aluminum-tin alloys, and the applications of aluminum-tin alloys in bearing materials, hydrogen production materials and electronic materials are reviewed. At the same time, prospects for the future research of aluminum-tin alloys are put forward.