Effect of Dopants Particulates on the Structure and Mechanical Properties of Copper- 12wt% Aluminium Alloy

Abstract

This research focuses on the development of copper-12wt% aluminum alloys reinforced with 0.5wt% to 5.0wt% weight percentages of titanium, chromium, and nickel particulates. The mechanical (tensile strength, hardness, and percentage elongation) and structural properties of the copper-12wt% aluminum alloy was studied. The samples were tested according to ASTM standards. Metallographic analysis was conducted by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to complement observations from the implemented characterization techniques. The results showed that the addition of reinforcing particulates to copper-12wt% aluminum alloy modified the structure of the alloy, resulting in improvements in the ultimate tensile strength and hardness of the experimental alloy by 34.2%, and 31.5% respectively, at 2.5wt%. Furthermore, samples reinforced with nickel exhibit higher tensile strength (297MPa) and hardness (412BHN) than those reinforced with titanium and chromium. The percentage elongation of the alloy decreased as the quantity of reinforcing components increased. The metallographic analysis revealed an equitable distribution of reinforcing particles, precipitations of smaller kappa-phases, and the presence of large globular intermetallic compounds in the microstructure, all of which contributed to the alloy's improved mechanical properties