Regulating the oxidation resistance of Cu-5Ag alloy by heat treatment.

• Influence of aging on oxidation of Cu-Ag alloy was investigated. • Aging enhanced the precipitation of Ag along grain boundaries. • Ag along grain boundaries is continuous. • Ag inhibited both the O inwards diffusion and Cu outwards diffusion. • Aging enhanced the oxidation of Cu-Ag alloy. Improving the oxidation resistance without sacrificing the electrical conductivity of Cu is of great importance for researchers due to its widespread application. In this study, oxidation resistance of Cu-5 wt%Ag alloy under solution treatment (ST) and aging treatment (AT) were studied systematically. It has been confirmed that AT sample demonstrates considerably higher oxidation resistance than ST sample at elevated temperatures. The aging treatment enhanced the formation of a continuous Ag network along grain boundaries, which could act as a barrier for both inward diffusion of oxygen and outward diffusion of Cu along grain boundaries during oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]