SINTERING IN THE COPPER-TIN SYSTEM .1. IDENTIFICATION OF PHASES AND REACTIONS

Copper-tin self-lubricating bearings have been manufactured by the pow der metallurgy industry since the 1920's, but the alloying mechanism b etween copper and tin is not established unambiguously. This paper des cribes the microstructural changes that occur at the Cu-Sn interface d uring heating. Differential thermal analysis is used to 'fingerprint' the various reactions occurring in the system. It is observed that the diffusion of copper into tin predominates during heating. Except for the formation of beta via a eutectoid reaction between alpha and gamma , all reaction give sharp thermal peaks.