RECENT ADVANCES IN THE MANUFACTURING OF COPPER-BASE COMPOSITES

Copper-base fibre-reinforced in situ metal-matrix composites meet the demands concerning strength and electrical conductivity for many appli cations such as in high field resistive and pulse magnet technology, a utomobile and aerospace electrics or frames for electronic circuits. I n situ formed composites are manufactured by an initial process provid ing a two- or multi-phase alloy followed by heavy deformation. These i nitial samples can be supplied by casting procedures or by the sinteri ng of metal powders. Although considerable success was achieved by pro ducing initial specimens by the use of powder metallurgy, some recentl y developed melting techniques have been established as being competit ive or even superior methods. The present study focuses on the recent progress in the metallurgical melting and casting processes of Cu-base two-phase in situ formed composites, namely Cu-Ag and Cu-Nb.