The Synthesis of In Situ Cu-NbC-VC Nanocomposites by Mechanical Alloying

Abstract:

This paper presents a study on the synthesis of Niobium Carbide (NbC) and Vanadium Carbide (VC) in Copper (Cu) matrix by mechanical alloying (MA) technique. The elemental powders of Cu, Niobium (Nb), Vanadium (V) and synthetic graphite powder were mechanically alloyed for 30 hours at 400 rpm in a planetary ball mill Fritcsh “Pulverisette 6” according to the stoichiometric ratio of Cu-(10-x) vol%NbC-(0+x) vol%VC (x=1,3,5,7,9). The milling was performed under Argon atmosphere. The as-milled powder were compacted at 400 MPa and sintered using a microwave sintering furnace at 900°C with 1 hour soaking time. The phase identification was performed by using the X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis on the as-milled powders and sintered pellets. From the result, the NbC and VC phases were successfully formed after milling, and were precipitated after sintering. The average crystallite size and lattice strain of Cu, before and after sintering were 42.302 nm, 0.013%, and 71.294 nm, 0.004%, respectively.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 695)
• Pages: 151-154
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.695.151
• Online since: November 2014
• Authors: Wan Mohd Hilmi Hussein Wan Omar, Nurulhuda Bashirom, Zuhailawati Hussain, Indra Putra Almanar, Wan Abdul Rahman Assyahid Wan Ibrahim
• Keywords: Mechanical Alloying, Microwave Sintering, Nanocomposite, Niobium Carbide, Vanadium Carbide

References

[1] H. Zuhailawati, Y. Mahani, Effects of milling time on hardness and electrical conductivity of in situ Cu–NbC composite produced by mechanical alloying, J. of Alloys and Compounds. 476 (2009) 142–146.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2008.09.018

[2] H. Zuhailawati, R. Othman, B. D. Long, U. Minoru,. Synthesis of copper–niobium carbide composite powder by in situ processing. J. of Alloys and Compounds, 464 (2008) 185–189.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2007.10.026

[3] B.L. Huang, R.J. Perez, E.J. Lavernia, M.J. Luton (1996) Formation of supersaturated solid solutions by mechanical alloying, Nanostructured Materials, Volume 7, Issues 1–2, January–February (1996), Pages 67-79.

DOI: 10.1016/0965-9773(95)00299-5

[4] B. D. Long, R. Othman, M. Umemoto, H. Zuhailawati, Spark plasma sintering of mechanically alloyed in situ copper–niobium carbide composite. Journal of Alloys and Compounds 505 (2010) 510–515.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2010.06.150

[5] M.T. Marques, V. Livramento, J.B. Correia, A. Almeida, R. Vilar , Production of copper–niobium carbide nanocomposite powders via mechanical alloying. Materials Science and Engineering A, 399 (2005) 382–386.

DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2005.03.090

[6] L. Lu, M.O. Lai, Mechanical Alloying. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston/ Dordrecht/London, (1998).

[7] M. Oghbaei, O. Mirzaee, Microwave versus conventional sintering: A review of fundamentals, advantages & applications. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 494 (2010), 175–189.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2010.01.068

[8] M.T., Marques, A.M. Ferraria, J.B. Correia, A.M. Botelho do Rego, R. Vilar, XRD, XPS and SEM characterisation of Cu–NbC nanocomposite produced by mechanical alloying, Materials Chemistry and Physics, 109 (2008), 174–180.

DOI: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2007.10.032