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

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.