Identification of Cr and Cr₂Nb precipitates in as-melt-spun Cu-Cr-Nb ribbons

Abstract

A material with high thermal conductivity and mechanical strength at elevated temperatures is required for certain aerospace applications. Copper based alloys precipitation hardened with near zero solubility phases are candidate materials. Utilizing rapid solidification technology, elements such as Cr and Nb can be dissolved into liquid copper and fully precipitated out in the solid state. However, such elemental precipitates readily coarsen at elevated temperatures. The aim of this work was to create a more stable refractory metal intermetallic phase, C2Nb, in an essentially pure copper matrix via melt spinning.Ribbon was produced by induction melting a master alloy in an alumina crucible with a hole diameter of 1 mm (0.040-inch) using a graphite susceptor under an argon atmosphere. The alloy was heated to 1593°C (2900°F)and ejected onto a Cu wheel with a surface velocity of 20 m/s using a pressure of 0.07 MPa (10 psi). The resulting composition of the ribbon was 1.95 a/o Cr and 0.48 a/o Nb as determined by bulk spectrographic analysis.