Microstructure and Properties of Powder Metallurgy Cu-Zr Alloys

A novel quenching medium-high speed flow of high purity N-2 was used in the paper. Cu-Zr alloys produced by powder metallurgy was solution heat treated in vacuum and quenched in the high speed flow of high purity N2 and then aged for different time. HV, HB, TEM, SEM, EDS were used to characterize the structures and properties. The results show that with increasing of SHT time, HB and electrical conductivity decreases while HV increases. When the aging time is shorter than 12 h, HB and electrical conductivity increases while HV decreases; when the aging time is longer than 12 h, HB and HV decrease while electrical conductivity increases because of precipitates coarsening. The precipitation phase is Cu2Zr.