Nanostructured AgCu system at repeated meltingStructure and thermal behavior

The thermal behavior of the eutectic powder particles mixture Ag-28% Cu (mass) represents the aim of this research. This comportment is studied from the point of view of the structural changes induced to the powder mixture processing by the wet mechanical alloying (WMA) technique. After 80 h of WMA in ethylene glycol aqueous solution and argon atmosphere, the initial powder mixture becomes nanostructured composite particles with bimetallic AgCu matrix reinforced by in situ processed Cu2O. The particle size distribution, depicted by laser diffraction technique, reveals the nanometric range of the composite particles between 60 and 80 nm. The phase identification, quantitative analysis as well as crystallite size measurements by XRD confirm the nanostructured feature of the bimetallic matrix, acknowledged by SEM with EDX and FIB, as well as the reinforcing components synthesis during the WMA process. Two successive melting processes have been developed to point out the increased melting point in the range of 928.00–946.10 °C. The thermal analysis, developed in argon atmosphere, highlights the thermal effects of AgCu/Cu2O nanoparticles generated by argon adsorption/desorption from the powders surface.