SOLID SOLUBILITY OF CARBON IN COPPER DURING MECHANICAL ALLOYING

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.