Phase decomposition and nano structure evolution of metastable nanocrystalline Cu-Co solid solutions during thermal treatment

Abstract

Nanocrystalline and ultrafine-grained Cu 100-x Co x (x = 26 and 76) solid solutions have been prepared by severe plastic deformation (SPD) of elemental powder mixtures. For both concentrations a supersaturated solid solution fcc phase was identified after the deformation process with grain sizes of less than 50 nm for Co rich solutions and around 100 nm for Cu rich solutions. Additionally, synthesis of nanocrystalline materials in the Cu-Co alloy system by electrodeposition has been conducted. Microstructural characterization by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and microhardness measurements are used to investigate the structural evolution, the thermal stability and mechanical properties of the different nanocrystalline Cu-Co alloy materials during isothermal and non-isothermal annealing. In this study it is shown that the phase decomposition of the metastable Cu-Co solid solutions has a significant influence on their thermal stability, which can be linked to the underlying microstructure that forms during annealing.