Effect of La2O3 on microstructure and properties of Cu20Fe80 alloy by microwave sintering

It was prepared that Cu20Fe80 alloys using the mechanical alloying and cold pressing and the microwave sintering. The microstructure and the phase composition of Cu20Fe80 alloy were analyzed by SEM and XRD, respectively. The density and hardness of the alloys were measured. The effect of La2O3 on microstructure and properties of Cu20Fe80 alloy was investigated during the microwave sintering. The results have shown that the powder milling structure of Cu20Fe80 alloy is a flake layer which is refined and the mechanical alloying enhanced with increasing La2O3 content; The microstructure of the Cu20Fe80 alloy powder blank cold pressed is lamellar which gradually become dense, the density increases and the formability is improved with the increase of La2O3 content; The microstructure of the Cu20Fe80 alloys sintering was lamellar that the voids and the density and the hardness change with the increase of La2O3 content and the best La2O3 content was 0.2%.