The evolution of microstructure and properties of Cu-Cr alloys synthesized via flake powder metallurgy assisted by mechanical alloying and hot pressing

In the study, the effects of mechanical alloying (MA) time and Cr content (wt%) on the microstructure, density and hardness, electrical conductivity and oxidation resistance of Cu-Cr alloys were investigated. Cu-Cr alloy powders containing 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 wt%Cr powders were milled for 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 h in a planetary ball mill. Results showed that experimental density of pure copper sample was measured as 7.03 g/cm3. The highest density of 8.43 g/cm3 was achieved for the Cu-Cr alloys with 0.5 wt% Cr fabricated by 4 h of MA. The hardness of Cu-Cr alloys increased with increasing MA time and Cr content. The Cu-Cr sample containing 2 wt% Cr showed highest hardness value of-128 HB. Electrical conductivity of Cu-Cr alloys with 0.5 wt% Cr fabricated by alloying for 4 h reached to the optimum of 91 IACS%.

Automated summary

The effects of mechanical alloying (MA) time and Cr content (wt%) on the microstructure, density and hardness, electrical conductivity and oxidation resistance of Cu-Cr alloys were investigated. The results showed that increasing MA time and Cr content led to higher hardness and density, while Cu-Cr alloys with 0.5 wt% Cr alloyed for 4 h exhibited the optimum electrical conductivity.