The oxidation resistance of copper-aluminum alloys at temperatures up to 1,000°C

In this study, the high-temperature oxidation resistance of copper and copper-aluminum alloys in air was investigated using thermo-gravimetric analysis. Upon heating in air copper starts to noticeably oxidize at temperatures above 400degreesC. It was found that as the temperature inncreased, more aluminum was required in order to protect the copper Alloying with 4 wt.% aluminum leads to a remarkable improvement in oxidation resistance. The atmosphere used to heat the samples to the required test temperatures had a noticeable impact on the subsequent oxidation rates. When heated in argon before being oxidized, copper alloys with 3 wt.% and 4 wt.% aluminum showed excellent oxidation resistance with rates 1,000 times less than that of pure copper at 1,000degreesC. However, when these alloys were heated in air, they were much less effective at providing oxidation resistance.