Microstructure evolution and properties of a Cu-5 wt% Mo alloy with high conductivity and high anti-soften temperature

Abstract

A Cu-5 wt% Mo alloy with high conductivity and high anti-soften temperature were fabricated by combining mechanical alloying with spark plasma sintering (SPS). Cu-5 wt% Mo mixed powders with four kinds of ball milling parameters were prepared by mechanical alloying. The sintered Cu-5 wt% Mo alloy was rolled and aged. The rolled Cu-5 wt% Mo alloy achieved a relative density of 98.19%, an electrical conductivity of 92.6%IACS, a microhardness of 128.6 HV, an ultimate tensile true stress of 441.2 MPa, and an elongation of 24.9%. Nanoscale Mo precipitates were formed during aging process. The aged Cu-5 wt% Mo alloy reached an electrical conductivity of 96.5%IACS and an anti-soften temperature of 950 ℃. These findings are instructive for the development of copper alloy materials with high conductivity and high anti-soften temperature.