Abstract: An ingot of material which is normally too brittle to allow successful rolling and wrought processing is formed so as to have a thickness-to-width ratio of less than about 0.5 and is annealed in a temperature range of 1000° F. to 2500° F. for a preselected time. The ingot is then rolled in a temperature range of 1500° F. to 2500° F. Additional/optional annealing of the resulting rolled plate in a temperature range of 500° F. to 2000° F., or between room temperature and 1500° F., and/or a final annealing between 500° F. and 1500° F., is possible. Sputtering targets are cut out of the rolled plate and used for the manufacture of storage disks.

Abstract: A solder paste having a powder of a Zn-containing solder alloy such as an Sn—Zn based alloy in admixture with a soldering flux such as a rosin flux is improved by adding from 0.1% to 5.0% by weight of a glycidyl ether compound such as alkyl, alkenyl, or aryl glycidyl ether. The improved solder paste has increased resistance to aging and to concomitant deterioration in solderability caused by reaction of Zn in the solder alloy with ingredients in the flux and has a substantially extended shelf life.