Mechanical alloying of Cu-xCr (x = 3, 5 and 8 wt.%) alloys

This work studies the structural evolution of Cu-xCr (x = 3, 5 and 8 wt.%) alloys processed by mechanical alloying using X-ray diffraction profiles, scanning microscopy and microhardness analysis. X-ray diffraction analysis using the modified Williamson-Hall and Warren-Averbach methods were used to determine structural properties, such as crystallite size, stacking fault probability and energy, dislocation density, lattice parameters and crystallite size distribution of metallic powder as a function of Cr amount and milling time. Lattice defects increase the Gibbs free energy and the Gibbs free energy curves shift upward, therefore the solubility limit change.