High-strength Cu–Zr binary alloy with an ultrafine eutectic microstructure

Abstract

In this study, we synthesized Cu-Zr binary alloys reinforced with an ultrafine eutectic microstructure. The alloys consisted of alternating layers of a hard superlattice phase and a ductile Cu phase with a very fine interlamellar spacing of ∼60 nm. The superlattice phase enhanced the strength of the alloys while the laminated composite structure helped improve their plasticity, making their mechanical properties comparable to those of the earlier reported high strength alloys. This paper discusses the fundamental microstructural aspects that influence the mechanical properties of these alloys.

Non-equilibrium copper-based crystalline alloy sheet having ultrahigh strength and good electrical conductivity

“…Assuming that a cold rolling is not a heating process, the formed periodic local structure seems to be purely structural rather than being a chemical one. Such a periodicity could be found for similar Cu-Zr binary alloy reported in [13]. However, the periodicity reported in [13] is composed of alternating small bands of fcc-Cu and Cu 5 Zr-based superlattice structure with a periodicity of about 2 nm.…”

“…Such a periodicity could be found for similar Cu-Zr binary alloy reported in [13]. However, the periodicity reported in [13] is composed of alternating small bands of fcc-Cu and Cu 5 Zr-based superlattice structure with a periodicity of about 2 nm. By assuming the difference in periodicity and (1 1 1) spacing of Cu 5 Zr structure, the present periodic local structure is possibly attributed to the newly precipitation of fine Cu 5 Zr particle from the Zr-supersaturated fcc-Cu phase.…”

Micro-to-nano-scale deformation mechanisms of a bimodal ultrafine eutectic composite

“…Microstructural investigations of such UEAs and BUECs have shown that not only structural heterogeneity concerning the length-scale, the morphology and the phase selection in the lamellar structure but also chemical heterogeneity driven by liquid separation of minor elements at the colony boundaries are crucial to achieve plasticity without sacrificing the strength 10 . Thus, the appropriate selection of minor alloying elements capable to introduce structural and chemical heterogeneity is important to manipulate the ultrafine microstructure in these alloys 11 12 . Further detailed microstructural investigations on deformed UEAs and BUECs clearly revealed that the homogeneous flow often occurs by effective dissipation of the shear stress along the colony boundaries thus resulting in a rotation of the ultrafine colonies 13 .…”

Strong, ductile, and thermally stable Cu-based metal-intermetallic nanostructured composites

“…1(g). Furthermore, there is evidence for the presence of chemical fluctuations and residual stresses within the intermetallic phase, which complicates the diffraction analysis26. In our MINCs, no special growth orientation of intermetallic compound with respect to the casting direction was observed.…”