Solid Solubility of Carbon in Copper during Mechanical Alloying

Abstract

Solubility of carbon in solid copper during mechanical alloying using an Attritor type of ball mill was investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, microscopy, electron probe microanalysis and chemical analysis. Carbon atoms less than about 28.5 atomic percent are soluble in the solid copper consisting of nano-crystals during mechanical alloying of copper-graphite mixed powders. The supersaturated solute carbon atoms take the interstitial positions in the fcc α-Cu solid solution and result in the lattice expansion of the α-Cu.