Mechanical and electrical properties of Ti 2 SnC dispersion-strengthened copper

Ti2SnC dispersion-strengthened (DS) copper matrix composites were prepared by the hot-pressing method. The change of microstructure, mechanical properties, and electrical resistivity of the composites as a function of Ti2SnC volume fraction were studied. The results demonstrated that the grain size of Cu decreased pronouncedly by incorporating Ti2SnC, and the strengthening effect was significant. Improvements in yield strength of up to four times that of pure copper were found in Cu-1 vol.% Ti2SnC, however, the conductivity of the composite was still 85.6 % of pure copper. The high strength and low electrical resistivity indicated that Ti2SnC is a promising reinforcement for copper.