Ag and Cu powders were mechanically alloyed using high-energy planetary milling to evaluate the sinter-bonding characteristics of a die-attach paste containing particles of these two representative conductive metals mixed at atomic scale. This resulted in the formation of completely alloyed Ag-40Cu particles of 9.5 µm average size after 3 h. The alloyed particles exhibited antioxidation properties during heating to 225°C in air; the combination of high pressure and long bonding time at 225°C enhanced the shear strength of the chip bonded using the particles. Consequently, the chips sinter-bonded at 225°C and 10 MPa for 10 min exhibited a sufficient strength of 15.3 MPa. However, an increase in bonding temperature to 250°C was detrimental to the strength, due to excessive oxidation of the alloyed particles. The mechanically alloyed phase in the particle began to decompose into nanoscale Ag and Cu phases above a bonding temperature of 225°C during heating.
The effects of different types of process control agents (PCA) on the microstructure evolution of Ni-based oxide dispersion-strengthened superalloy have been investigated. Alloy synthesis was performed on elemental powders having a nominal composition of Ni-15Cr-4.5Al-4W-2.5Ti-2Mo-2Ta-0.15Zr-1.1Y2O3 in wt % using high energy ball milling for 5 h. The prepared powders are consolidated by spark plasma sintering at 1000oC. Results indicated that the powder ball-milled with ethanol as PCA showed large particle size, low carbon content and homogeneous distribution of elemental powders compared with the powder by stearic acid. The sintered alloy prepared by ethanol as PCA exhibited a homogeneous microstructure with fine precipitates at the grain boundaries. The microstructural characteristics have been discussed on the basis of function of the PCA.
The effect of replacing iron with transition metals (M = Mn, Cr, Co) on the microstructure of mechanically alloyed Al65Cu20Fe15 quasicrystalline powder was examined by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy methods. Powders of various compositions were milled in a high-energy planetary ball mill up to 30 hours at a rotation speed 350 rpm using WC milling media. The amount of the fourth additions was constant in all powders and Fe atoms were replaced with Mn, Cr or Co in a 1:1 ratio, while the content of the Al and Cu was selected in two ways: they remained the same as in the initial ternary Al65Cu20Fe15 alloy or changed to obtain e/a ratio = 1.75 (optimal for icosahedral quasicrystalline phase). Quasicrystalline phase formed in the quaternary Al65Cu20Fe7.5M7.5 powders, whereas in the second group of compositions only crystalline phases were identified.