Solid Solution Particles Research Articles

Microstructural characteristics and wear-resistant mechanisms of WC-TiC-co coatings with varying TiC contents

In this work, the microstructural characteristics and tribological properties of HVOF-sprayed WC-TiC-Co coatings with varying amounts of TiC addition were studied, along with a comparison with those of the traditional WC-Co coating. The incorporated TiC exhibited a diverse presence in the coatings, including (Ti,W)C solid solution particles and interfacial layers, residual TiC particles, as well as Ti-monolayer that induced planar defects within WC grains. The high stability of (Ti,W)C layers at the WC/Co interfaces effectively suppressed the formation of W2C in the WC-TiC-Co coatings. Notably, the coating with 10 wt% TiC demonstrated superior wear resistance owing to the hardening effects of (Ti,W)C particles and interfacial layers. This effectively mitigated the wear mechanisms such as plastic deformation, extrusion, and micro-cutting of the Co binder, which would otherwise lead to the pull-out of WC particles and accelerate the wear process. These findings provide valuable insights into the microstructure design and performance optimization of WC-based coatings.

Effect of Ti or Zr alloying on the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of W-Cu immiscible bimetallic composite

W-Cu immiscible bimetallic composite is an electrically and thermally conductive material with high temperature service potential. In present work, to improve its load bearing capacity, Ti and Zr were introduced to enhance the W-Cu interfacial bond strength and to achieve solid solution reinforcement. By infiltration of Cu-Ti/Zr alloy with different compositions into the W skeleton, both the strength and hardness were enhanced without sacrificing ductility. The Ti/Zr incorporation transformed the incoherent interface of W-Cu to a (W-Ti/Zr)-(Cu-Ti/Zr) semi-coherent interface. By utilizing the EDS technique, significant compositional interdiffusion between immiscible metals was revealed. Moreover, the introduction of Ti/Zr purified grain boundaries by capturing the reactive oxygen to generate TiO2 and ZrO2, which inhibited W-Ti/Zr grain growth by Zenner pinning. As the alloy content rose from 0 wt% to 5 wt%, the average grain size of the W-Ti/Zr (or W) alloy decreased from 2.14 µm to 1.40 µm. It is noteworthy that the alloying with 2.50 wt% Ti reached peak microhardness (417 HV), bending strength (1546 MPa), and ultimate tensile strength (532 MPa). However, the presence of Cu-Ti/Zr solid solution and oxide particles increased the scattering effect of electrons in the Cu matrix, leading to a falling in electrical conductivity.

Construction of 1D/3D Co9S8/Mn0.3Cd0.7S Schottky heterojunction for dramatically boosted photocatalytic H2 evolution performance

One of the most crucial strategies for transforming solar energy into sustainable hydrogen energy is photocatalytic H2 evolution, and constructing an effective and durable photocatalyst remains a difficult task. Herein, a 1D/3D Co9S8/Mn0.3Cd0.7S Schottky heterojunctions were successfully fabricated by three-step hydrothermal procedure, in which 3D Mn0.3Cd0.7S solid solution particles were immobilized on the 1D tube-like Co9S8 surface, allowing for extremely effective charge separation and transfer. Through coupling Co9S8 with Mn0.3Cd0.7S, the photocatalytic H2 evolution activity and stability were significantly boosted. The 7 % Co9S8/Mn0.3Cd0.7S heterojunction possessed the highest photocatalytic activity with the H2 evolution rate of 1586.4 μmol⋅h−1, which was 3.73 times larger than that of pristine Mn0.3Cd0.7S, corresponding to 21.8 % apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) at 420 nm monochromatic light. The Schottky heterojunction mechanism between Co9S8 and Mn0.3Cd0.7S could plausibly explain the enhanced photocatalytic H2 evolution performance, according to density functional theory (DFT) calculations and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) measurements. This investigation would offer the useful insights to develop Co9S8 cocatalyst for application in photocatalytic H2 evolution.

Preparation and Structure of Zinc–Calcium Hydroxyapatite Solid Solution Particles and Their Ultraviolet Absorptive Ability

The calcium ions (Ca2+) of calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHap) were substituted with zinc ions (Zn2+), and zinc–calcium hydroxyapatite solid solution (ZnCaHap) particles were prepared via a precipitation method. The structure of the various obtained particles was investigated via powder X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The ultraviolet (UV) absorption ability of the particles was also investigated using UV–Vis spectroscopy. The morphology of the CaHap comprised fine ellipsoidal particles, and long rod-like particles and large plate-like particles were mixed with the fine particles at higher Zn2+ contents in the particles. Pure ZnCaHap particles were obtained from the starting solution at less than Zn/(Zn + Ca) ([XZn]) of 0.25. Another crystal phase was mixed with the ZnCaHap phase at [XZn] ≥ 0.25. The crystallinity and lattice parameters a and c of the particles decreased with an increase in [XZn] from 0 to 0.10. The UV absorptive ability of the particles first increased and then decreased with increasing Zn2+ content and showed a maximum at [XZn] = 0.30.

Effect of ZrSnO4 solid solution on the crystallization behavior of Li2O–Al2O3–SiO2 glasses

AbstractHerein, the crystallization behavior of a Li2O–Al2O3–SiO2 (LAS) glass system with the addition of ZrO2 and SnO2 as nucleating agents was investigated using X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, four‐dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy, and X‐ray absorption fine‐structure measurements. At lower heat‐treatment temperatures, the addition of ZrO2 and SnO2 afforded a ZrSnO4 solid solution (SS), whereas at higher heat‐treatment temperatures, the ZrSnO4 SS decomposed, affording tetragonal ZrO2 and tetragonal SnO2. LAS‐based crystalline phases, such as β‐quartz and β‐spodumene phases SS, were formed after the formation of the ZrSnO4 SS. ZrSnO4 SS particles a few nanometers in size were present in contact with the β‐quartz SS particles a few dozen nanometers in size. This suggests that the ZrSnO4 SS served as a crystal nucleus for the β‐quartz SS, promoting its growth.

Interpretable machine learning-based analysis of mechanical properties of extruded Mg-Al-Zn-Mn-Ca-Y alloys

In this study, the mechanical properties of as-extruded Mg-Al-Zn-Mn-Ca-Y alloys were quantitatively investigated with respect to alloying elements, extrusion temperature, microstructure and texture through interpretable machine learning (IML). To overcome the lack of data, two methods were devised to augment the existing dataset by 39 times using the mean and standard deviation of the measured data. Artificial neural networks predicted room-temperature tensile properties with an accuracy ranging from 0.842 to 0.997 based on R2 using 12 predictors for a total of 1179 data points. Shapley additive explanation identified that Al and Mn are the key determinants for strength and elongation, respectively. Partial dependence plots investigated the interaction of all features to understand the quantitative correlation between features. This IML approach revealed that texture, solid solution and secondary particles are related to the main strengthening mechanism of as-extruded Mg alloys. These results can provide insights into the utilization of IML approach to predict material properties and describe key variables for designing lightweight structural metals.

Influence of Current Density upon Hydrogenation on the Shape Memory Effect of Binary TiNi Alloy Single Crystals

Some results concerning the hydrogen effect at electrolytic saturation at a current density of j = 1500 and 3500 A/m2 for 3 h at room temperature on the temperature dependence of the yield stress σ0.1(T) and the shape memory effect (SME) under tension of the [011]-oriented Ti-50.55%Ni (at.%) alloy single crystals are presented. It was shown that hydrogen is in a solid solution and forms particles of titanium hydride TiH2 after hydrogenation at j = 1500 and 3500 A/m2, respectively. Both hydrogen in the solid solution and TiH2 particles led to a decrease in the Ms temperature of the onset of the forward martensitic transformation (MT) upon cooling and the Md temperature (Md is the temperature at which the stresses for the onset of the stress-induced MT are equal to the stresses for the onset of plastic flow of the high-temperature B2 phase), and increased the yield stress σ0.1 of the B2 phase at the Md temperature compared to hydrogen-free crystals. It was found that the SME under stress depends on the tensile stress level and current density. The maximum SME εSME = 10 ± 0.2% at σex = 200 MPa and εSME = 10.5 ± 0.2% at σex = 300 MPa was observed in the hydrogen-free crystals and after hydrogenation at j = 1500 A/m2, respectively, which exceeded the theoretical value of lattice deformation ε0 = 8.95% for the B2-B19′ MT in [011] orientation under tension. At j = 1500 A/m2, the physical reason for the excess of the SME of the theoretical ε0 value was due to the increase in the plasticity of B19′ martensite upon hydrogenation. At j = 3500 A/m2, εSME = 8.0 ± 0.2%, and it was less than ε0 = 8.95% for B2-B19′ MT in [011] orientation under tension. The decrease in SME after hydrogenation at j = 3500 A/m2 was associated with the interaction of two types of B19′-martensite: oriented under stress and non-oriented, formed near TiH2 particles. It was shown that the redistribution of hydrogen in the bulk of the crystals during long-term holding for 168 h at 263 K after hydrogenation at j = 1500 A/m2 increases the SME relative to crystals without long-term holding: 3.5 times at 50 MPa and 1.8 times at 100–150 MPa. After long-term holding, εSME = 9.5 ± 0.2% at 150 MPa, which exceeds the theoretical value ε0 = 8.95% for B2-B19′ MT in [011] orientation under tension.

Synthesis of Spherical β-Quartz Solid-Solution Particles Derived from Cordierite Using a Flame Process

Synthesis of Spherical β-Quartz Solid-Solution Particles Derived from Cordierite Using a Flame Process

CeO2 Protective Material against CMAS Attack for Thermal–Environmental Barrier Coating Applications

Calcium–magnesium–alumina–silicate (CMAS) attack is a crucial issue for thermal–environmental barrier coatings (T/EBCs) with the ever-increasing operating temperature of turbine engines. In this study, CeO2 has been demonstrated as a promising protective material for T/EBCs against CMAS attack. At 1300 °C, CeO2 powder kept excellent phase and structural stability in molten CMAS; there were some CMAS constituents dissolved into the CeO2 lattice to form a solid solution. With higher CeO2 contents and longer duration time, more CeO2 solid solution particles were formed, which acted as the nucleating agent for CMAS crystallization. As a result, apatite, anorthite and wollastonite crystalline products were easily generated. At 1300 °C for 10 h, CeO2 pellets covered with CMAS powder had limited degradation, which was attributed to the rapid crystallization of molten CMAS due to the excellent nucleating agent effect of the precipitated CeO2 solid solution.

Simultaneously enhancing strength and ductility of HCP titanium via multi-modal grain induced extra dislocation hardening

According to Considère necking criterion, enhancing strength of a material will decrease its elongation to failure, i.e. ductility, even if the strain hardening rate remains unchanged. Unfortunately, four traditional strengthening mechanisms including grain refinement, deformation, solid solution and 2nd-phase particle strengthening increase the yield strength by increasing the critical shear stress for slip initiation and unexceptionally reduce the strain hardening ability and ductility. Recent experiments revealed that implementation of heterostructures can produce extra hetero-deformation induced (HDI) hardening and thus reduce ductility loss while enhancing strength. However, the improved ductility was still less than that of coarse-grained counterparts. Here we fabricated a bulk heterostructured Ti with a uniform multi-modal grain size distribution in which the single individual micro-grain is surrounded and constrained by three-dimensional ultrafine grains. Tensile tests revealed the multi-modal Ti has a high yield strength of 800 MPa, ductility of 28.5%, and outstanding HDI hardening effect compared with its coarse-grained counterparts (a yield strength of 550 MPa and ductility of 26.5%). These mechanical properties of our multi-modal Ti are also superior to other literature reported data of heterostructured Ti. Microstructural characterization further reveals the uniform distribution between hard and soft domains produces maximum interface density and HDI hardening effect. Moreover, the HDI causes extra 〈c + a〉 geometrically necessary dislocations piling ups in the constrained micro-grains, which produce enough and extra strain hardening to maintain and even enhance slightly the ductility. Our work provides a strategy to simultaneously enhance strength and ductility of metals via enough and extra strain hardening capability increase.

Microstructure and Thermal Shock Resistance of Zr7/8Ti1/8B2-20 vol% SiC Composites Synthesized by Mechanical Alloying and Spark Plasma Sintering

ZrB2-based composites are promising ultra-high temperature materials, nonetheless their poor damage tolerance and low oxidation resistance hinder their practical applications. In the present work, Zr1–xTixB2-20 vol% SiC composites were prepared based on the mechanical alloying (MA) method and spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique. The results showed that solid solution of ZrTiB4 can be obtained by taking nano-sized ZrB2-TiB2 powders from the MA process. The Zr7/8Ti1/8B2-20 vol% SiC composites presented higher fracture toughness due to various toughening mechanisms, such as ‘crack deflection’ and ‘pull out’ induced by the finer solid solution particles and nano-sized graphite. Consequently, Zr7/8Ti1/8B2-20 vol% SiC composites possessed a residual strength of 180 MPa after thermal shock test with a temperature difference of 1000°C, while the conventional ZrB2-20 vol% SiC composites only remained at 81.4 MPa.

Tuning structure, mechanical properties, and oxidation resistance of (Nb, Ta)C1-y solid solution powders via the dissolution-precipitation process

The formation of (Nb, Ta)C1-y solid solution powders via annealing NbC, TaC, and Co mixed powders at 1300 °C, 1500 °C, and 1900 °C in inert atmospheres was governed by the dissolution-precipitation mechanism, which was verified by the thermodynamic calculation. Only when the annealing temperature above 1500 °C can lead to the formation of homogeneous (Nb, Ta)C1-y powders and further modify not only the morphology from microcuboids with distinct edges and corners to a rounded shape at 1900 °C but also the carbon vacancy concentration from 0.08 to 0.02. Thermally stable (Nb, Ta)C1-y solid solution particles could achieve good comprehensive performance with the balance between mechanical properties and oxidation resistance by tuning the Nb/Ta ratio. In specific, TaC helped to enhance the oxidation resistance of (Nb, Ta)C1-y even compared with monocarbides, whereas the addition of NbC improved hardness and Young's modulus. Apparently, the presence of carbon vacancy could further increase the hardness.

Insights into thermodynamic destabilization in Mg-In-D hydrogen storage system: A combined synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction study

In this study, ultrafine Mg(In) solid-solution particles were successfully prepared through an arc plasma method and their deuterium uptake/release performances were systematically estimated with respect to the identically processed pure Mg particles. Thermodynamic destabilization and kinetic enhancement of Mg-In-D system were achieved simultaneously with lower deuterium ab/desorption enthalpies and decreased desorption temperatures. For the first time, an in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (ISXRD) coupled with neutron powder diffraction (NPD) technique and density functional theory (DFT) calculations clearly substantiated that an indium diffusion-dominated phase transition is the driving force for the evolution from mixture of MgD2 and Mg-In intermetallic to Mg-based solid solution during the deuterium release (DR). The ISXRD results clarified the real-time phase transition from MgIn to Mg3In at 515 K and the interreaction of MgD2 and Mg3In at 640 K, by which the matrix could be destabilized to trigger an indium-diffusion governed DR reaction in deuteride. Moreover, with the aid of NPD experiment, the microstructure evolution of Mg-In-D system demonstrated the continuous diffusion of indium into Mg/MgD2 upon desorption. The solubilized indium in MgD2 effectively reduced the D-migration energy barrier and stabilized the lattice structure to restrain the constriction of Mg-D bonds, through which the noticeable improvement on both thermodynamic and kinetic performances of the Mg-In system was achieved. The combination of synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction offers a high-efficiency strategy to fathom the hydrogen discharging mechanism from the viewpoint of real-time phase transitions and crystalline structure evolutions.

Morphology and Structure of Brass–Invar Weld Interface after Explosive Welding

This paper presents the results of a study of the morphology and structure at the weld interface in a brass-Invar bimetal, which belongs to the class of so-called thermostatic bimetals, or thermobimetals. The structure of the brass-Invar weld interface was analyzed using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), with the use of energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrometry and back-scattered electron diffraction (BSE) to identify the phases. The distribution of the crystallographic orientation of the grains at the weld interface was obtained using an e-Flash HR electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD) detector and a forward-scatter detector (FSD). The results of the study indicated that the weld interface had the wavy structure typical of explosive welding. The wave crests and troughs showed the presence of melted zones consisting of a disordered Cu-Zn-Fe-Ni solid solution and undissolved Invar particles. The pattern quality map showed that the structure of brass and Invar after explosive welding consisted of grains that were strongly elongated towards the area of the highest intensive plastic flow. In addition, numerous deformation twins, dislocation accumulations and shear bands were observed. Thus, based on the results of this study, the mechanism of Cu-Zn-Fe-Ni structure formation can be proposed.

Novel precipitation strengthened Al-Y-Sc-Er alloy with high mechanical properties, ductility and electrical conductivity produced by different thermomechanical treatments

This study investigated the evolution of the microstructure, mechanical properties, and electrical conductivity of novel Al-0.2Y-0.2Sc-0.3Er alloy in as-cast, as-rolled, and annealed states. Aluminum solid solution and τ2 (Al75–76Er11–17Y7–14) eutectic phase particles with a size of 50–200 nm were identified in the as-cast alloy sample by scanning electron microscopy investigation and phase diagram analyses. A precipitation strengthening mechanism was implemented during annealing at 300 °C for 7 h due to L12 precipitates of Al3(Sc,Y,Er) phase with a maximum diameter of 10 nm. The same structure was formed in the samples annealed at 300 °C for 7 h after rolling the as-cast alloy without aging treatment. The samples aged before rolling formed a more homogenous and finer substructure, with a grain structure formed after annealing rolled sheets. Significantly more uniform structures facilitate achieving higher strength and electrical conductivity. Al-0.2Y-0.2Sc-0.3Er alloy aged at 300 °C for 7 h, hot and cold rolled, and annealed at 300 °C for 7 h exhibited a good combination of strength and electrical conductivity: YS = 191 MPa, UTS = 207 MPa, El. = 14 %, and EC = 59.7 % IACS.

Morphological Heredity of Intermetallic Nb5Si3 Dendrites in Hypereutectic Nb-Si Based Alloys via Non-Equilibrium Solidification

For hypereutectic Nb-Si based alloys, primary Nb5Si3 phases typically grow in a faceted mode during equilibrium or near-equilibrium solidification, which damages the ductility and toughness. To address this issue, here we artificially manipulate the growth morphology of Nb5Si3 using electron beam surface melting (EBSM) and subsequent annealing treatments. Results show that such a non-equilibrium solidification pathway enables the transition from faceted growth to non-faceted dendritic growth of Nb5Si3, along with evident microstructure refinement, generation of metastable β-Nb5Si3 phases and elimination of chemical segregation. The transformation from β-Nb5Si3 to α-Nb5Si3 and Nb solid solution (Nbss) particles is triggered by the annealing treatment at 1450 °C for 5 h. Also, we find the annealing-mediated formation of inherited Nb5Si3 dendrites that maintain the dendritic morphology of the original as-solidified β-Nb5Si3 dendrites. This work thus provides a feasible routine to obtain thermally stable and refined α-Nb5Si3 dendrites in hypereutectic Nb-Si based alloys.

Synthesis of hollow ceria-zirconia solid solution particles by spray pyrolysis with organic ligands and its oxygen storage capacity

CeO2-based materials have been explored as oxidative catalysts owing to the reversible oxygen absorption and release behavior. The catalytic property is stabilized by addition of ZrO2 to form the solid solution. Hollow CeO2-ZrO2 solid solution particles were prepared by a spray pyrolysis method with organic additives, characterized by SEM, XRD and TEM, and evaluated for oxygen storage capacity (OSC). Spherical hollow particles with a size of about 500 nm formed, which were composed of about 10 nm nanoparticles. CeO2-rich particles had cubic crystal structure, while tetragonal phase was included in ZrO2-rich particles. The addition of organic ligands was effective to form uniform solid solution and increase specific surface area. The spray-pyrolysis temperature should be low to keep the specific surface area. At 50 mol% ZrO2, although the specific surface area was not so high as 20 m2/g, the maximum OSC of 650 μmol-O2/g was achieved. It was found that the OSC depends on ZrO2 content and the oxygen release rate increases with specific surface area.

Selective Laser Melted Rare Earth Magnesium Alloy with High Corrosion Resistance.

Magnesium (Mg) degrades too fast in human body, which limits its orthopedic application. Single-phase Mg-based supersaturated solid solution is expected to possess high corrosion resistance. In this work, rare earth scandium (Sc) was used as alloying element to prepare Mg(Sc) solid solution powder by mechanical alloying (MA) and then shaped into implant using selective laser melting (SLM). MA utilizes powerful mechanical force to introduce numerous lattice defects, which promotes the dissolution of Sc in Mg matrix and forms supersaturated solid solution particles. Subsequently, SLM with fast heating and cooling rate maintains the original supersaturated solid solution structure. Immersion tests revealed that high Sc content significantly enhanced the corrosion resistance of Mg matrix because of the formation of protective corrosion product film, which was also proved by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. Thereby, Mg(Sc) alloy showed a relatively low degradation rate of 0.61 mm/year. In addition, cell tests showed that the Mg(Sc) exhibited favorable biocompatibility and was suitable for medical application.

Exploiting the Multifunctionality of M2+/Imidazole-Etidronates for Proton Conductivity (Zn2+) and Electrocatalysis (Co2+, Ni2+) toward the HER, OER, and ORR.

This work deals with the synthesis and characterization of one-dimensional (1D) imidazole-containing etidronates, [M2(ETID)(Im)3]·nH2O (M = Co2+ and Ni2+; n = 0, 1, 3) and [Zn2(ETID)2(H2O)2](Im)2, as well as the corresponding Co2+/Ni2+ solid solutions, to evaluate their properties as multipurpose materials for energy conversion processes. Depending on the water content, metal ions in the isostructural Co2+ and Ni2+ derivatives are octahedrally coordinated (n = 3) or consist of octahedral together with dimeric trigonal bipyramidal (n = 1) or square pyramidal (n = 0) environments. The imidazole molecule acts as a ligand (Co2+, Ni2+ derivatives) or charge-compensating protonated species (Zn2+ derivative). For the latter, the proton conductivity is determined to be ∼6 × 10–4 S·cm–1 at 80 °C and 95% relative humidity (RH). By pyrolyzing in 5%H2–Ar at 700–850 °C, core–shell electrocatalysts consisting of Co2+-, Ni2+-phosphides or Co2+/Ni2+-phosphide solid solution particles embedded in a N-doped carbon graphitic matrix are obtained, which exhibit improved catalytic performances compared to the non-N-doped carbon materials. Co2+ phosphides consist of CoP and Co2P in variable proportions according to the used precursor and pyrolytic conditions. However, the Ni2+ phosphide is composed of Ni2P exclusively at high temperatures. Exploration of the electrochemical activity of these metal phosphides toward the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) reveals that the anhydrous Co2(ETID)(Im)3 pyrolyzed at 800 °C (CoP/Co2P = 80/20 wt %) is the most active trifunctional electrocatalyst, with good integrated capabilities as an anode for overall water splitting (cell voltage of 1.61 V) and potential application in Zn–air batteries. This solid also displays a moderate activity for the HER with an overpotential of 156 mV and a Tafel slope of 79.7 mV·dec–1 in 0.5 M H2SO4. Ni2+- and Co2+/Ni2+-phosphide solid solutions show lower electrochemical performances, which are correlated with the formation of less active crystalline phases.

Microstructural evolution and its effect on the mechanical properties of Cu–Ag microcomposites

Abstract The microstructure and the mechanical properties of Cu– Ag alloys with 7 and 24 wt.% Ag are investigated. The microstructure of the alloys is mostly determined by the silver content. That of Cu-24 wt.% Ag alloys consists of a Cu-rich solid solution and the eutectic. Otherwise, the microstructure of Cu-7 wt.% Ag alloys consists of primarily solidified dendrites of a Cu-rich solid solution and small Ag-rich particles. The composition strongly influences the work-hardening rate. In order to achieve an ultimate tensile strength of 1 GPa, a logarithmic cold-deformation strain, η, of about 3.7 is required (η = ln A 0/A) for the 7 wt.% Ag alloy, whereas for Cu-24 wt.% Ag alloys η = 3.1 is sufficient. In as-cast alloys with 7 wt.% Ag a strong segregation is observed, which, consequently, leads to a strong decrease of the age-hardening effect. Therefore, the Cu-7 wt.% Ag alloy has to be homogenised before aging. The application of Cu–Ag alloys with a Ag-content below 8 wt.%, i. e. an the maximum solubility at the eutectic temperature, bears mainly two advantages: (i) less addiction to shear-band formation, and (ii) a higher electrical conductivity in comparison to equivalently treated Ag-rich alloys due to the small Ag content.