Solubility of carbon in solid copper during mechanical alloying using
an Attritor type of ball mill was investigated by means of X-ray diffr
action, microscopy, electron probe microanalysis and chemical analysis
. Carbon atoms less than about 28.5 atomic percent are soluble in the
solid copper consisting of nano-crystals during mechanical alloying of
copper-graphite mixed powders. The supersaturated solute carbon atoms
take the interstitial positions in the fcc alpha-Cu solid solution an
d result in the lattice expansion of the alpha-Cu.