Molten salt-assisted processing of nanoparticle-reinforced Cu

There is a significant demand for Cu-based materials with high strength and high electrical conductivity for a wide range of applications. However, the long-standing trade-off between mechanical properties and electrical conductivity often inhibits the development of such high-performance Cu materials. Cu-based metal matrix nanocomposites (MMNCs) are promising to mitigate this trade-off, but it is extremely difficult to fabricate bulk MMNCs with a uniform nanoparticle dispersion through an economical approach. In this study, a novel molten salt-assisted incorporation method was developed to fabricate bulk Cu-based nanocomposites with uniformly dispersed WC nanoparticles. The mechanical properties, including hardness, strength and Young's modulus, were significantly enhanced without a great sacrifice in electrical conductivity. Furthermore, various salts, including KAlF4, borax, and NaCl, were found effective to incorporate WC nanoparticles into molten Cu. This molten salt-assisted incorporation method paves a pathway for the scalable manufacturing of bulk Cu-based MMNCs with excellent mechanical properties and good electrical conductivity for widespread applications.