Microstructure of a new ODS Cu–0.7wt-%Cr–0.11wt-%Zr material produced by a novel powder metallurgical method

ABSTRACT

A new oxide dispersion strengthened Cu–0.7wt-%Cr–0.11wt-%Zr material was processed via mechanical alloying (MA) and hot isostatic pressing (HIP). A fine dispersion of yttria particles (Y₂O₃) was incorporated to the Cu matrix via the addition of yttrium (III) acetate tetrahydrate (C₆H₉O₆Y·4H₂O) powder (Y3ATH), which decomposed during thermomechanical processing and subsequent thermal annealing. The microstructure after consolidation by HIP revealed the coexistence of zones with a low and high density of precipitates/particles, LDPZ and HDPZ, respectively. The HDPZ were characterized by fine grains with an average size of ∼300 nm and fine Y–O rich particles (∼40 nm) and Cr rich coarse particles (∼215 nm), homogenously distributed in the Cu matrix. However, the LDPZ contained coarse grains containing 60°/〈111〉 (Σ3) twins’ boundaries.

KEYWORDS:

• ODS copper alloys
• mechanical alloying
• microstructure
• EBSD

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Group of Electron Microscopy of CENIM-CSIC for EBSD measurements, especially to D. Antonio Tomás López.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Comunidad de Madrid [Grant Number TECHNOFUSIÓN(III)CM (S2018/EMT-4437)] and Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad [Grant Number ENE2015-70300-C3-2-R MINECO/FEDER].

Notes on contributors

M. Eddahbi

M. Eddahbi is PhD in Science Physics in 1998 from the University of Complutense of Madrid, Spain. He studied physics and mechanical properties of light metallic materials at National Center of Metallurgical Research CENIM-CSIC from 1990 till 2006 (Predoctoral and postdoctoral stages), domaining the thermomechanical processing techniques: Rolling, Extrusion, ECAE, Charpy, etc.., and the microstructural analysis techniques: OM, SEM, TEM, EBSD and micro- and nano-indentations etc. In such period, he focused extensively his research on processing new materials for structural application in the aerospace domain.

From 2006 till now he is a scientific researcher at Department of Physics at the University of Carlos III of Leganés-Madrid, working in processing and characterization of new ODS copper materials and ODS steels for fusion nuclear reactors. The author participated in more than fifteen projects of scientific and industrial objectives, and published more than forty papers and communications.

M. A. Monge

M. A. Monge after obtaining my degree in Physical Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid in 1993, I started my PhD within the doctoral program of the same university. This activity was complemented my training as a teacher as Assistant Professor at the University Carlos III of Madrid since 1994, where nowadays I have a permanent position. During my doctoral studies I spent nine months at the TKK (Helsinki Institute of Technology, Finland), learning positron annihilation spectroscopy technique. These experimental techniques were used in my PhD research work, focused on the study of bound states of the positron in condensed matter and the assembly of the positron spectroscopy laboratory of the UC3M (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid-Spain).

After obtaining the PhD degree in Physics from the Complutense University, obtaining the highest possible qualification, I spent a year as a postdoctoral fellow at ENEA (National Agency for the Development of New Technology, Energy and Environment, Italy). The results were published in JCR journals, including Physical Review Letters. Since my undergraduate degree, I have held teaching responsibilities hired at the University Carlos III, within the area of Physics. I have been a member of different management bodies of my university, both elected and appointed.

My research activity has been developed within numerous competitive research projects, sometimes as head of the project. My expertise and research fields are:

1. Production and characterization of alloys, metal matrix materials and ceramic materials, with a large experience for materials for nuclear fusion applications, developing low or reduced activation materials. Also, I have a large expertise in the powder metallurgical route.

2. Large experience in the development of thermomechanical processing techniques to improve the alloys properties: treatments, rolling, extrusion or processing by ECAP (constant section angular extrusion). A great experience in the application of HIP (Hot Isostatic Compaction).

3. Experience with the next experimental techniques: SEM, TEM, EBDS, positron annihilation spectroscopy techniques, mechanical test (microindentation, nanoindentation, tensile and compression mechanical test, IR/VIS/UV spectroscopy and X-Ray diffraction.

A. Muñoz

A. Muñoz studied Physics at University of Complutense of Madrid. He obtained PhD in Science Physics from the University of Joseph Fourier of Grenoble France. Since 1993 he is professor at the University of Carlos III of Leganés-Madrid-Spain. He was working in different fields research among which: mechanical strength of metals and refractory materials, powder metallurgy, neutron diffraction applied to the resolution of magnetic and crystallographic structures.

O. J. Dura

O. J. Dura studied physics at University of Granada-Spain and completed his PhD at University of Castilla-La Mancha where he became assistant professor at Department of Applied Physics in 2012. His fields of research are among others transport properties, synthesis of nanostructured complex oxides, thermoelectricity and thin films obtained through sputtering technique.

B. Savoini

B. Savoini got the PhD degree in Physics at the University of Autónoma of Madrid and. She is associate professor in the Physics Department of the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid since 2012. Her main research activities are focused on the production and characterization of metal alloys for structural and high heat transfer applications in future fusion reactors.