Development (fabrication& characterization) of new Cu nanostructured & nanoceramic-Cu composites. Heider Yasser Thamir; PhD student Supervised by: Dr. M. J. Kadhim Dr. A. SH. Jabur

SUMMARY & AIM OF RESEARCH During recent years, nanomaterials have received increasing attention in advanced technology due to their outstanding mechanical, physical& chemical properties compare with their corresponding bulk counterparts.

. These properties are affected by many parameters such as size, surface area, shape, chemical composition, morphology& structure. Therefore, detailed studies should be taken place to investigate new nanostructured materials. Because of their high electrical& thermal conductivity, copper& its alloys have found widespread applications, such as resistance welding electrodes, high voltage switches, motor commutators, continuous casting moulds& others.

The required properties of these products are the high mechanical properties& high electric& thermal conductivity. Also, its often required that properties remain stable in different operating conditions,& often also that they are resistant to variant force, current& thermal loads. Some compromise in this regard can be achieved using precipitation hardened alloys.

However, a serious drawback of these materials is instability of their mechanical properties& electric& thermal conductivity at elevated& high temperature, resulting from temperature instability of their microstructure. Therefore, a rising trend to use new copper-based functional materials, such as materials dispersion-hardened, usually by the particles of oxides, carbides& others, obtained by powder metallurgy techniques..

Within this group of materials particular attention is being drawn to those of nanometric size copper matrix grains & ceramic particles

The aims of this study: 1- production & characterization of nanosize copper powders. 2- study the effect of powder technology parameters on: a- powder technology nanograins copper products. b- the effect of nanosize ceramic powder- cu composites by powder technology.

Plan of research The study includes: 1- production & characterization of nanosize copper powders. 2- study the ability of controlling the nanosize copper powders' properties like particle size, particle size distribution, shape, morphology, … etc. through controlling the parameters of synthesis method(s).

3- fabrication & characterization of powder technology products based on nanosize copper powders. 4- fabrication & characterization of powder technology nanosized ceramic powder-cu composites.

The synthesis techniques include: 1- chemical vapor deposition 2- physical vapor deposition 3- cryogenic ball milling 4- flame spray reactor 5- hydrolysis 6- two phase approach (reduction reaction inside block copolymer micelles) 7- solvothermal, or hydrothermal

The characterization includes: 1- mechanical properties such as hardness & compression strength. 2- electrical & thermal conductivity. 3- Structural studies using: optical, scanning& transmission microscopes, DTA & DSC. 4- compositional changes using EDS & WDS.

5- Phase analysis using X-ray diffraction & X-ray step scanning.

The End

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