Fabrication and characterization of Y₂O₃ dispersion strengthened copper alloys

Part of special issue: Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Fusion Reactor Materials (ICFRM-16).Three copper base materials were fabricated following different routes: cast Cu–1 wt.%Y (C-Cu1Y) produced by vacuum induction melting, and Cu–1 wt.%Y (PM-Cu1Y) and Cu–1 wt.%Y2O3 (PM-Cu1Y2O3) both processed by a powder metallurgy route and sintering by hot isostatic pressing. PM-Cu1Y alloy was prepared by cryomilling and PM-Cu1Y2O3 by conventional milling at room temperature. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, optical and electron microscopy and microhardness measurements. C-Cu1Y presents a characteristic eutectic microstructure while PM-Cu1Y2O3 exhibits a composite like microstructure. Electron microscopy analyses of as-HIP PM-Cu1Y revealed irregular decoration of yttrium-rich oxides at the grain boundaries and an inhomogeneous dispersion of polygonal shaped yttrium-rich oxides dispersed in the Cu matrix. Tensile tests performed on PM-Cu–1Y on the temperature range of 293–773 K have showed a decrease of the yield strength at temperatures higher than 473 K, and monotonically decrease of the ultimate tensile strength and maximum plastic strain on increasing temperature.This research has been supported by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain (ENE2012-39787-C06-05). The financial support from the Comunidad de Madrid, through the programs TECHNOFUSION (S2009/ENE-1679) and ESTRUMAT (CM S2009MAT-1585), and the additional subvention from EURATOM/CIEMAT association through contract EFDA (WP12-MAT-HHFMAM-02) are also gratefully acknowledged.Publicad

Fabrication and characterization of Y2O3 dispersion strengthened copper alloys

© 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Three copper base materials were fabricated following different routes: cast Cu-1 wt.%Y (C-Cu1Y) produced by vacuum induction melting, and Cu-1 wt.%Y (PM-Cu1Y) and Cu-1 wt.%Y2O3 (PM-Cu1Y2O3) both processed by a powder metallurgy route and sintering by hot isostatic pressing. PM-Cu1Y alloy was prepared by cryomilling and PM-Cu1Y2O3 by conventional milling at room temperature. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, optical and electron microscopy and microhardness measurements. C-Cu1Y presents a characteristic eutectic microstructure while PM-Cu1Y2O3 exhibits a composite like microstructure. Electron microscopy analyses of as-HIP PM-Cu1Y revealed irregular decoration of yttrium-rich oxides at the grain boundaries and an inhomogeneous dispersion of polygonal shaped yttrium-rich oxides dispersed in the Cu matrix. Tensile tests performed on PM-Cu-1Y on the temperature range of 293-773 K have showed a decrease of the yield strength at temperatures higher than 473 K, and monotonically decrease of the ultimate tensile strength and maximum plastic strain on increasing temperature.Peer Reviewe