Properties of powders produced by electrical explosions of copper–nickel alloy wires

Abstract

The phase and element compositions of surface and near-surface layers of particles in powders produced in gaseous argon by electric explosion of Cu–Ni alloy wires were studied. It was established that powders produced from Cu–Ni alloys are phase heterogeneous. Their size distribution function is three-modal. Their dispersivity increases with the increase of the energy input into a conductor. The principal phase stabilizing in electroexplosion end-products from alloys Cu–Ni23 and Cu–Ni45 is intermetallic compound Cu0.81Ni0.19. Apparently, the metal phases of copper or nickel are located in the central areas of the particles. A mechanism of particle formation during electrical explosion of wires was proposed.