A Novel Process to Prepare Cu-Ni-P Alloy Using Electroless Plating and Spark Plasma Sintering
摘要
A new Cu-Ni-P alloy was synthesized through electroless plating and spark plasma sintering (SPS), followed by a series of heat treatment processes. These results indicate that electroless plating effectively coats the surface of the Cu particles with a uniform Ni-P layer. As the content of Ni-P increases, precipitates of P and Ni form at the grain boundaries, leading to an increase in the mechanical properties of the alloy, accompanied by a reduction in electrical conductivity. The alloy with the composition of Cu-4.8Ni-0.5P with less precipitates exhibits good mechanical properties and electrical conductivity. The optimal comprehensive properties were achieved when the alloy was aged at 450 °C for 8 h, with abundant nanoscale precipitates of Ni2P and Ni12P5, resulting in a hardness of 181.55 HV and a conductivity of 33.86% IACS.