Study on the Corrosion and Nano-Mechanical Properties of Cu-18 wt.% Ag Composites by Dynamic Nano-Indentation Method

The effect of irradiation on the corrosion and nano-mechanical properties of Cu-18 wt.% Ag composites with lamellar-type structure was evaluated using a dynamic nano-indentation method. An immersion corrosion test in aerated 1 M-H2SO4 solution revealed local attack of the interface of copper by galvanic corrosion. The nano-hardness of the as-received Cu-18 wt.% Ag composites was about 32.3 GPa, which was reduced by 30.0% by vacuum annealing at 300 degrees C for 3 h, and by 23.8% by irradiation. Irradiation and annealing had a marked influence on silver boundary morphology. The apparent surface energy of the copper estimated using the Mullins model was about 3.63 J/m(2).