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https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-019-3860-x 1059-9495/$19.00

Structural, Mechanical, and Electrical Behavior

of Ceramic-Reinforced Copper Metal Matrix Hybrid
Composites
Manvandra Kumar Singh and Rakesh Kumar Gautam

(Submitted February 11, 2017; in revised form December 10, 2018)

This article presents the structural, mechanical, and electrical behavior of ceramic-reinforced copper metal
matrix hybrid composites developed by stir-casting technique. Commercial copper was used as matrix, and
different weight percentages of boron carbide (B4C), with constant weight percentage of tungsten carbide,
boron nitride, and chromium, were used as reinforcements. Copper hybrid composites were characterized
by high-resolution x-ray diffraction, optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive
analysis of x-ray, high-resolution scanning electron microscope, and Fourier transform infrared spec-
troscopy. Density, hardness, tensile strength, compressive strength, and electrical conductivity were also
analyzed. These hybrid composites show improved mechanical properties such as hardness, tensile
strength, and compressive strength, while relatively lower density and electrical conductivity were ob-
served.

process, i.e., pressure infiltration (Ref 16), squeeze casting (Ref

Keywords density, electrical conductivity, FTIR, hardness, metal
matrix composite, stir-casting, tensile strength
1. Introduction
Pure copper has very good thermal and electrical properties
although mechanical properties are poor in monolithic form.
The addition of hard ceramic particles to the soft copper matrix
can significantly improve the tribological and mechanical
properties without any significant loss of its thermal and
electrical properties (Ref 1-5). Metal matrix composites, with
their enhanced mechanical and tribological properties, offer a
wide range of application in aerospace, automotive, marine, and
defense industries in comparison with its unreinforced metal
matrix (Ref 6-8). The composite products are highly accepted
due to requisite properties, such as high specific strength,
YoungÕs modulus, high strength, low thermal expansion
coefficient, and wear resistance (Ref 9).
Metal matrix hybrid composites were developed by the
addition of more than one reinforcement with different
properties to the soft matrix and alloy (Ref 10-14). There are
several methods used to develop particle-reinforced metal
matrix composites. Typically, these methods are categorized as
vapor deposition method, liquid-state processing, and solid-
state processing. Commonly, the solid-state processing and
liquid-state processing are used to fabricate particle-reinforced
metal matrix composites (Ref 15). In the present study, the
liquid-state process was used to develop the metal matrix
hybrid composites. There are numerous methods of liquid-state
Manvandra Kumar Singh and Rakesh Kumar Gautam,
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of
Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi 221005, India.
Contact e-mail: mksingh.rs.mec13@itbhu.ac.in.
17), pressure less infiltration (Ref 18), and stir casting (Ref 19).
In the present investigation, stir-casting technique was used to
develop the copper hybrid composites due to its economical
aspect. Metal matrix hybrid composites were developed by the
addition of two or more different reinforcements into matrix.
Superior mechanical properties of hybrid composites were
achieved by combining the advantages of variable size and
shape of reinforcing particles. In addition, it offers more
freedom of design and wide opportunities to optimize the
performance of hybrid composites for potential applications in
the aerospace and automotive fields. Comparatively low
volume of reinforcements is required to develop copper hybrid
composites (Ref 20-22).
2. Materials and Experimental Details
Figure 1(a), (b), (c), and (d) shows the SEM morphology of
B4C, BN, WC, and Cr reinforcing particles, respectively. It was
observed that BN and WC reinforcing particles exhibit
homogeneous and regular shape, as shown in Fig. 1(b) and
(c), respectively. However, their particle sizes were in the range
of 4.0 to 4.5 lm and 1.5 to 2.0 lm, respectively, as shown in
Fig. 1(b¢) and (c¢). The morphology of B4C shows no
agglomeration and appears as uniform and regular in shapes,
as shown in Fig. 1(a). Figure 1(a¢) shows the particle size of
B4C, and it was in the range of 6-8 lm. The particle sizes of
reinforcement always play a major role on the mechanical
properties such as toughness, ductility, and strength. Larger
particle-reinforced metal matrix composite materials may have
defects, such as cracking during tensile or compressive testing,
which results in premature failure of the composites (Ref 15).
Figure 1(d) and (d¢) shows the irregular and larger shape of
chromium particle and particle size ranging between 60 and
70 lm. Different ceramics, such as WC, BN, and B4C, have
been taken as reinforcements because of their specific mechan-

Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance

ical and tribological properties. Chromium was added to the
copper matrix to improve its solubility and wettability (Ref 23).
Here, lower volume contents ( £ 10 wt.%) of ceramic rein-
forcements have been selected as per the work reported by
some other authors on copper-based composites (Ref 1, 24-27).
Therefore, low wt.% of reinforcements was selected to obtain
the optimum mechanical properties of copper-based hybrid
composites. Moreover, the particle size of reinforcements in
microrange was chosen because nano-sized particles are prone
to agglomeration (Ref 15).
Stir-casting technique was used to develop the copper-based
metal matrix hybrid composites. The commercial copper (CC)
was selected as the matrix, whereas the constant weight
percentages of WC, BN, Cr, and the different weight percent-
ages of B4C were used as reinforcements. The details of their
weight percentage and purity are given in Table 1. Small pieces
of CC in pre-calculated amount were placed in a graphite
crucible and kept in electric muffle furnace. The temperature of
the furnace was set to 1200C, heating rate of the furnace was
400C/h, and holding time of the furnace at this temperature
was set for 30 min. When the commercial copper pieces in
graphite crucible completely change its phase from solid to
molten state, the reinforcements of WC, BN, Cr, and B4C were
inserted one by one into molten metal as copper foil-wrapped
packets while continuously stirring for 5 min. After stirring, the
molten admixture was poured into a permanent steel mold and
kept in open air for cooling. The developed cast ingots were
used for various characterizations. The developed hybrid
composites are designated as Cu-1.5WC-1BN-0B4C-2Cr [hy-
brid composite (HC)-1], Cu-1.5WC-1BN-0.5B4C-2Cr (HC-2),
Cu-1.5WC-1BN-1B4C-2Cr (HC-3), and Cu-1.5WC-1BN-
1.5B4C-2Cr (HC-4). Assay correction was done to achieve
the accurate proportion of materialsÕ weight in the composi-
tions.

Fig. 1 SEM morphology of reinforcing particles (a) B4C, (b) BN, (c) WC, (d) Cr, and their particle size frequency plot (aÕ)-(dÕ), respectively

Table 1 Compositional detail of the CC, HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-4
S. no. Types of materials Compositions Purity (%) Wt.% Wt. in (g) Wt. after assay correction (g)

1 CC CC 99.5 100 500 502.51

2 HC-1 CC 99.5 95.5 477.5 479.89
WC 98.0 1.5 7.5 7.65
BN 99.0 1.0 5.0 5.05
B4C 98.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Cr 99.0 2.0 10.0 10.10
3 HC-2 CC 99.5 95.0 475.0 477.38
WC 98.0 1.5 7.5 7.65
BN 99.0 1.0 5.0 5.05
B4C 98.0 0.5 2.5 2.55
Cr 99.0 2.0 10.0 10.10
4 HC-3 CC 99.5 94.5 472.5 474.87
WC 98.0 1.5 7.5 7.65
BN 99.0 1.0 5.0 5.05
B4C 98.0 1.0 5.0 5.10
Cr 99.0 2.0 10.0 10.10
5- HC-4 CC 99.5 94.0 470 472.36
WC 98.0 1.5 7.5 7.65
BN 99.0 1.0 5.0 5.05
B4C 98.0 1.5 7.5 7.65
Cr 99.0 2.0 10.0 10.10

Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance

 100
Wt: after assay correction ¼
purity of materials
 wt: of materials taken ðg Þ
High-resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD) made by
Rigaku, Japan, was used to identify the phases and structural
behavior of the materials. The solid specimens of the CC and
hybrid composites have the dimension of 20 9 20 mm2. 10 to
100 of incident angles and Cu Ka1 radiations were used for the
HRXRD.
Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of the CC and
hybrid composites were recorded in the midinfrared range of
4000-400 cm1 using PerkinElmer Spectrum 100 FTIR spec-
troscopy by KBr pellet technique.
The optical microscope was used to observe the microstruc-
ture of the CC and hybrid composites. The specimens were
ground with the emery papers with grit size of 400, 600, 800,
1000, 1200, and 1600. Brasso was used as polishing media.
10 g FeCl3 and 10 mL HCl in 100 mL distilled water solution
used as etchant for CC, HC-1, and HC-2. However, color
etchant with the composition of 20 g chromic acid, 2 g sodium
sulfate and 1.7 mL HCl (35%) in 100 mL distilled water so-
lution was used for HC-3 and HC-4 for better imaging (Ref 28).
Scanning electron microscope (SEM, model ZEISS EVO 18
Research) was used to characterize the size and morphology of
the reinforcing powders as well as fractured surface of CC and
hybrid composites. EDAX (model Oxford Instruments X-act-
51PDD0048) coupled with SEM was used to analyze the
element in CC, developed hybrid composites, and its fractured
surfaces. ArchimedesÕ principle was used to measure the
density of CC and hybrid composites; however, the theoretical
density of the materials was measured by rule of mixture
(ROM). The hardness of the CC and hybrid composites was
measured with Vickers hardness tester under the load of 100 g
for dwell time of 10 s. The electrical resistivity of CC and
hybrid composites was measured by using four-probe technique
with the instrument source meter [Model No. 2400, made by
Keithley Instruments, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)]. In this tech-
nique, the prepared samples of the CC and hybrid composites
were coated with silver paste to increase the conductance
between specimen and copper probe. An alternating current
(AC) supplied to the specimen and resistance was observed as
an output. The obtained resistance was used to calculate the
resistivity and conductivity by using the relation, electrical
resistivity (q) = RA L X m, electrical conductivity (r) = q1,
respectively. The calculated conductivity of the materials was
reported in terms of International Annealed Copper Standard
(IACS). Each experiment was repeated thrice to get repeata-
bility in electrical conductivity results.
The tensile and compressive tests were performed on the
Instron tensile testing machine (model no 4206 from USA with
1 mm/min cross-head speed) and hydraulic press machine,
respectively. Standard dimensions of the tensile and compres-
sive test specimen are shown in Fig. 2. The abbreviations TS1,
TS2, TS3 were used for tensile specimens and CS1, CS2, CS3
for compressive specimens. The compressive test was per-
formed at an initial strain rate of 102 s1; cylindrical specimen
was used in compliance with ASTM standards (E9-89a) (Ref
19) for measuring the compressive response of the CC and
hybrid composites. The percentage reduction was maintained at
50%, and end surfaces of the specimens were maintained as
Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance
normal to axis of specimen. The average result of three repeated
tests for both tensile and compressive in each case is reported.
3. Results and Discussion
3.1 High-Resolution X-Ray Diffraction
Figure 3(a) shows the high-resolution x-ray diffraction
(HRXRD) pattern of CC, HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-4. The
results have been verified with Joint Committee Powder
Diffraction Standards (JCPDS) data file. It has been observed
that hybrid composites contain all the original peaks of copper,
and no additional peaks were found in the diffraction pattern.
However, HC-1 and HC-2 showed few copper oxide peaks in
addition to the copper peaks. The absence of the additional
peak of reinforcing particles is attributed to low weight
percentage (less than 5 wt.%) of reinforcements into the copper
matrix (Ref 29). However, the sharp peak of HRXRD pattern
indicates the better crystallinity of the hybrid composites. The
HRXRD pattern of hybrid composites exhibits slight change in
peak intensity as compared with CC. It is attributed to the
improved crystallographic perfection along the plane observed
by HRXRD. It may be because of the presence of reinforcing
elements in the lattice of pure copper materials (Ref 30-32).
The peak broadening was observed in the enlarged view of
diffraction plane (222) at diffraction angle of 2h = 95.097 as
shown in Fig. 3(b). It is attributed to the effect of ceramic
reinforcement in the copper matrix. It was also observed that as
the percentage of B4C increases from x = 0 to x = 1.5 wt.%, the
peak shifted to the left and became broader as compared with
copper peak. The broadening of the peak was also due to the
decrease in crystallite size.
To understand the peak broadening in the HRXRD pattern
of the hybrid composites, the full width at half maxima
(FWHM or b) was calculated for every peak at each diffraction
angle for all the developed materials. Table 2 shows the details
of peak positions, diffraction planes, and their respective
FWHM. Increase in FWHM indicates the decrease in crystallite
size.
Figure 4 shows the effect of B4C on FWHM of the HRXRD
peaks. It was observed that as the B4C increases up to 1.0 wt.%,
the FWHM increases up to 0.2478, but it comes down to
0.1637 when the B4C goes to 1.5 wt.%. It means that there is
decrease in the broadening of peak, but this broadening is still
more in comparison with the first two compositionsÕ broaden-
ing. This broadening of the peak is the consequence of the
reduction in the crystallite size, and such reduction in crystallite
size is possible due to the anomalous broadening effect.
Williamson–Hall (W–H) analysis (Ref 33) of the FWHM
(b) of various Bragg peaks, as shown in Fig. 4, was carried out
to understand the origin of the anomalous broadening of
HRXRD peaks due to the addition of B4C with the exclusion of
Ka2 contribution and instrumental broadening effects. Figure 5
shows the W–H plot, a relation between b cos h/k and sin h/k,
where h is the BraggÕs angle. For CC, the plot was expected to
be a horizontal line parallel to the sin h axis, but it shows some
slope due to the presence of a small internal strain. It was also
observed that the slope of the linear fit remains almost the same
for 0 wt.% of B4C, but increases significantly on increasing the
B4C from 0.0 to 1.0 wt.%. The strain and crystallite size
calculated from the W–H plot are enumerated in Table 3. The
Fig. 2 Dimensional detail of specimen for (a) tensile test, (b) compression test

Fig. 3 (a) HRXRD pattern of CC, HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-4, (b) HRXRD peak broadening (at 2h = 95.097 degree)

Table 2 Detail of the FWHM of CC, HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-4 with their respective peak positions
S. Peak position Diffraction FWHM (b-deg.) FWHM (b-deg.) FWHM (b-deg.) FWHM (b-deg.) FWHM (b-deg.)
no. (2h-deg.) planes of CC of HC-1 of HC-2 of HC-3 of HC-4

1 43.383 (111) 0.1489 0.1492 0.1548 0.2478 0.1637

2 50.442 (200) 0.2313 0.2535 0.2517 0.3812 0.2345
3 74.123 (220) 0.1714 0.2505 0.2549 0.3936 0.2064
4 89.849 (311) 0.2920 0.3014 0.3878 0.5424 0.3422
5 95.097 (222) 0.2026 0.2134 0.2520 0.3824 0.2417

W–H analysis shows that the crystallite size decreases by about
48.5% on increasing the B4C from 0.0 to 1.0 wt.%, whereas
strain increases by 96.40%. This implies that the anomalous
broadening of the peak as shown in Fig. 3(b) is not only due to
crystallite size, but also due to a significant increase in strain.
From Fig. 5, it was observed that all the points do not lie on
straight line for all the B4C additions; this suggests that the
strain is anisotropic for all compositions (Ref 34).
3.2 Fourier Transform Infrared Analysis
Figure 6 shows the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR)
spectra of the CC, HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-4. FTIR spectra

Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance

 3.3 EDAX Analysis of Materials
Figure 7(a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) shows the EDAX spectrum
of the CC, HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-4, respectively. EDAX
spectrum reveals the presence of the reinforcing elements of
WC, B4C, BN, and Cr in the hybrid composites shown by their
respective peak intensity, weight, and atomic percentage. All
elements can be detected in principle, though not all instru-
ments are equipped for elements with low atomic number (Ref
35, 36). Therefore, the intensity peak of boron element is absent
in the entire EDAX spectrum of the hybrid composites. The
intensity peak of the oxygen is observed in the entire EDAX
spectrum as shown in Fig. 7(a), (b), (c), (d), and (e). It may be
attributed to the oxidation due to residual oxygen in furnace.
This EDAX analysis confirms that the hybrid composites
possess all the reinforcing materials.
3.3.1 Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of EDAX
Spectrum of HC-3 at  300 Counts. Qualitative and
quantitative analysis of EDAX spectrum of HC-3 was per-
Fig. 4 Variation of the FWHM with B4C content formed to ensure the presence of reinforcing materials in the
hybrid composites. Qualitative analysis of EDAX spectrum
involves various steps, but the two most important steps are
discussed and reported here. The first step involves comparison
of the energy of the peaks found in the spectrum with their
respective standard energy. Table 4 shows the details of
spectrum peak energy compared with their respective standard
energy. However, in the second step, escape peak (an artifact or
by-product mainly associated with the high-intensity peaks,
should be marked off as each present element is identified) is
removed from the raw spectrum as shown in Fig. 8(b).
For quantitative analysis, CastaingÕs approximation (Ref 37,
38) was performed for the EDAX spectrum of HC-3 as shown
in Fig. 8(c). According to the Castaing approximation, the
relative intensity of an x-ray line is approximately proportional
to the mass concentration of the element concerned. In this
approximation, apparent concentration (C¢) can be derived
using the relationship, C¢ = (Isp/Ist)Cst = KCst, where Isp and Ist
are the intensities measured for specimen and standard,
respectively, and Cst is the concentration of the element
Fig. 5 Williamson–Hall (W–H) plot for CC, HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, concerned in the standard. Table 5 shows the K-ratio and
and HC-4 difference of the elements of the spectrum of HC-3 which help
in the qualitative analysis.
Table 3 Detail of the strain and crystallite size of CC,
HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-4 3.4 Microstructural Analysis
S. no. Types of materials Strain Crystallite size (nm) Figure 9(a), (b), (c), and (d) shows the HRSEM microstruc-
ture of the hybrid composites, i.e., HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-
1 CC 0.00068 116.67 4, respectively. From Fig. 9, it is observed that the ceramic-
2 HC-1 0.00139 68.20 reinforced particles are visible and well distributed in the
3 HC-2 0.00236 56.10 copper matrix. This is an indication that the stir-casting process
4 HC-3 0.00273 35.09 used for the development of copper hybrid composites is
5 HC-4 0.00247 51.06 reliable. Some agglomeration of the reinforcing materials in the
copper matrix is also observed in HRSEM micrograph of HC-1
as shown in Fig. 9(a). Figure 9 also reveals the presence of
of the CC show its vibrational peaks at  2162,  2232,
porosity in the hybrid composites, which can be seen in their
 2344,  2847, and  2919 cm 1. However, when the CC
HRSEM micrograph. However, the presence of interface
is reinforced with WC, BN, B4C, and Cr, the new peaks are
reaction is not observed in the HRSEM micrograph of the
observed at  1370 and  804 cm1 which correspond to the
hybrid composites as shown in Fig. 9.
presence of the B-N stretching vibrations mode of BN and B-N-
Figure 10(a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) shows the typical
B bending vibrations. This bending vibration may be attributed
microstructure of the CC, HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-4, at
to the increasing wt.% of B4C. Therefore, the presence of these
1009 magnification. The changes in the microstructure of
stretching vibrations and bending vibrations of B-N and B-N-B
hybrid composites can be easily observed compared to the
confirms that the hybrid composites have the reinforcing
copper microstructures, which means the reinforcement of the
materials.

Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance

Fig. 6 FTIR spectra of CC, HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-4
ceramic particles has played a significant role in the copper
matrix. It is also observed that the grain refinement takes place
in the microstructures of HC-1, HC-2, and HC-3, as shown in
Fig. 10(b), (c), and (d), respectively, which also plays a vital
role in the improvement in strength of the HC-1, HC-2, and
HC-3. It is due to the reinforcing particles, which restrain the
degree of freedom of grain boundaries and further stop the
grain growth so that it is limiting the average grain size of the
microstructures (Ref 1). The microstructure of the CC shows
twins, and these twins (R3) grain boundaries contain various
facets with different crystallography that is clearly depicted in
Fig. 10(a) and 11. It may be possible in copper hybrid
composites also. However, faceting is a well-documented
phenomenon known for both surfaces and interfaces, particu-
larly, grain boundaries. Faceting can be considered as a phase
transition when the original surface or grain boundaries
dissociate into flat segments whose energy is less than that of
the original surface or grain boundary. Grain boundary faceting
proceeds only close to the so-called coincidence misorientation
(Ref 39). The R9 grain boundary is unstable against the
dissociation reaction: R9 fi R3 + R3. Therefore, elongated
twins with well-developed R3 grain boundaries appear during
the growth of crystal, instead of planes or facets. Faceting is a
temperature- and composition-dependent phenomenon of the
copper alloys where we expect that at high temperature only the
facets with highest density of coincidence sites appear, and with
decreasing temperature, the number of existing facets will
gradually increase, including the facets with less and less
dense-packed coincidence sites and shallower energetic minima
(Ref 40).
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Fig. 7 EDAX spectrum of (a) CC, (b) HC-1, (c) HC-2, (d) HC-3, and (e) HC-4

Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance

Table 4 Detail of spectrum peak energy compared with respective standard energy
Cr K Cu K WM

Element CK NK OK Peak1 Peak2 Peak3 Peak1 Peak2 Peak3 Peak1 Peak2 Peak3 Peak4

Spectrum 0.284 0.409 0.543 0.574 5.403 5.989 0.952 8.083 8.979 1.387 2.054 8.403 8.743
energy
(KeV)
Standard 0.284 0.409 0.543 0.574 … 5.989 0.952 … 8.979 1.809 2.281 10.207 11.544
energy
(KeV)
Principal K 1s K 1s K 1s L3 2P3/2 … K 1s L2 2P1/2 … K 1s M5 3d5/2 M4 3d3/2 L3 2p3/2 L2 2p1/2
emission
line

Fig. 8 EDAX spectrum of HC-3 for qualitative and quantitative analysis at  300 counts

Table 5 Detail of the K-ratio value for the element in the EDAX spectrum of HC-3
S. no. Elements Wt.% in spectrum K-ratio Difference, %

1 CK 12.68 0.125 2.0

2 NK 3.83 0.030 28.0
3 OK 4.07 0.020 104.0
4 Cr K 1.30 0.060 78.0
5 Cu K 76.55 0.733 4.0
6 WM 1.56 0.010 56

The microstructure of CC and sections of R3 CSL
perpendicular to the {110} tilt axis with position of various
facets and micrograph of intersections of (100)CSL with other
facets are shown in Fig. 11. Thus, micrographs in Fig. 10 and
11 show that the alloys have different amounts of twins as well
as differences in their facets. In turn, the character of grain
boundaries present in the samples could strongly influence their
properties.
3.5 Relative Density and Porosity of Materials
Table 6 shows the variation of relative density and porosity
of CC, HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-4. The relative density of

Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance

Fig. 9 HRSEM microstructure of (a) HC-1, (b) HC-2, (c) HC-3, and (d) HC-4

Fig. 10 Microstructure of (a) CC, (b) HC-1, (c) HC-2, (d) HC-3, and (e) HC-4

the hybrid composites decreases, and porosity increases with
the increasing wt.% of B4C reinforcement with constant wt.%
of WC and BN into the copper matrix. It is attributed to the
addition of low density (g/cm3), irregular shape, and size of
B4C and BN reinforcements (Ref 41). As shown in Table 6,
there is some enhancement in relative density of HC-3 as
compared with other hybrid composites but not more than its
copper matrix. This may be attributed to the lowering in
porosity due to proper orientation and well-occupied space by
reinforcing materials into the copper matrix. Relative density of
hybrid composites such as HC-1, HC-2, and HC-4 is decreasing
with the increase in reinforcement. It is due to the increase in

Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance

Fig. 11 (a) Microstructure of CC and sections of R3 CSL perpendicular to the {110} tilt axis with the position of various facets and
micrograph of intersections of (100)CSL with other facets (b) (100)CSL and 9R facets, (c) (100)CSL and (010)CSL facets, (d) (100)CSL and
(110)CSL facets (Ref 40)

Table 6 Variation of relative density, porosity, hardness, compressive strength, ultimate tensile strength, and electrical
conductivity of CC, HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-4
S. Types of Relative Porosity, Vickers hardness, Compressive strength, UTS, Electrical conductivity, %
no. materials density, % % HV MPa MPa IACS

1 CC 92 ± 0.41 8.0 88 ± 5 365 ± 15 228 ± 8 85 ± 5

2 HC-1 88 ± 0.25 12.0 121 ± 8 455 ± 10 265 ± 9 43 ± 3
3 HC-2 85 ± 0.20 15.0 139 ± 9 485 ± 15 291 ± 16 32 ± 2
4 HC-3 91 ± 0.29 9.0 175 ± 8 555 ± 12 343 ± 15 25 ± 4
5 HC-4 84 ± 0.32 16.0 155 ± 12 560 ± 16 317 ± 12 19 ± 3

the porosity in the hybrid composites as shown in Table 6. An Orowan strengthening mechanisms in addition to the interface
increase in porosity is due to the addition of the irregular shape between the matrix and reinforcements (Ref 47).
and different size of reinforcing particles into the matrix with An increase in ultimate tensile strength (UTS) is observed
their different crystal geometry, such as rhombohedral, hexag- with the increase in the B4C content from 0 to 1.0 wt.% as
onal, and bcc. Agglomeration of reinforcing particles in the given in Table 6. An improvement of 16.2, 27.6, 50.4, and
matrix may also initiate the enhancement of porosity in the 39.0% in ultimate tensile strength is observed for HC-1, HC-2,
materials as observed in Fig. 9(a). HC-3, and HC-4, respectively. It may be attributed to the
combined effect of improved hardness of the hybrid composites
3.6 Mechanical Properties (Ref 48) and increased wettability of copper matrix by the
addition of Cr. Wettability is an influencing factor to ensure
Table 6 shows the variation of the Vickers hardness of CC,
good bonding between the reinforcement and matrix; good
HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-4. It is observed that there is a
bonding is always required for the improvement in ultimate
significant increase in the Vickers hardness of hybrid compos-
tensile strength of materials (Ref 42). In addition, the lowering
ites (from 88 to 175 HV) with the increase in B4C content from
in crystallite size and grain refinement of the hybrid composite
0.0 to 1.0 wt.%. The presence of hard B4C with other
materials may also play a vital role in the improvement in
reinforcements increases the Vickers hardness of hybrid
ultimate tensile strength of the materials. HC-3 has the highest
composites with increasing their content (Ref 42). Similar
ultimate tensile strength among all, as shown in Table 6. It is
trend was also reported for reinforcements of SiC, B4C, and
also noticed that HC-4 has higher ultimate tensile strength than
AlB2 particles to enhance the hardness of the composites (Ref
other hybrid composite materials and matrix but lower than
43, 44). Such enhancement in hardness may be attributed to the
HC-3, because of its lower density and hardness compared with
variation in the plastic deformation of hybrid composites due to
HC-3. Ultimate tensile strength of hybrid composites may also
the reinforcement of hard ceramic particles in softer matrix (Ref
be enhanced by the incorporation of ceramic particles in copper
45). The hardness of the hybrid composites is also influenced
matrix that increase the work hardening in the materials. The
by other reasons, such as their low crystallite size, which was
work hardening in the hybrid composites is due to the
calculated by W–H plot as discussed above, by grain refine-
geometric constraints imposed by the presence of the ceramic
ment that is observed in microstructures (Ref 24), and elastic
reinforcements. When the matrix is significantly work hard-
modulus and thermal mismatch between reinforcing particles
ened, the matrix is placed under great constraint with an
and matrix (Ref 46). The hardness of the hybrid composites
inability of the strain relaxation to take place (Ref 49).
also increases due to the involvement of Hall–Petch and

Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance

Fig. 12 SEM morphology of the fractured surface of CC, HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-4 (a)-(e) at 709 and (a¢)-(e¢) at 20009

Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance

 From Table 6, it is clear that the compressive strength of the
hybrid composites is higher than its CC matrix. The percentage
enhancement in the compressive strength is 24.65, 32.87,
52.05, and 53.42% of HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-4,
respectively, with respect to CC. It is attributed to the presence
and proper distribution of the harder ceramics particles into the
matrix (Ref 50). Such improved compressive strength of hybrid
composites is attributed to the load transfer effect under an
applied load. The load is transferred from the softer matrix via
interface of the ceramic reinforcement and copper matrix to the
typically higher stiffness ceramic reinforcements. In this
manner, strengthening takes place by the ceramic reinforcement
carrying much of the applied load. Although the reinforcing
particles have a low aspect ratio, it is still significant in
providing compressive strength to the hybrid composite
materials (Ref 50, 51). The compressive strength of the hybrid
composite materials may also improve because of the variation
in thermal expansion coefficient of matrix and ceramic
reinforcing particles, which increase the dislocation density at
the interface of matrix and reinforcement (Ref 52). However,
grain refinement also plays a vital role in the enhancement of
strength (Ref 53) and mechanism of Orowan strengthening
which also influence the compressive strength (Ref 54). Thus,
all these strengthening mechanisms are responsible for
improved compressive strength of hybrid composites.
3.7 Fractured Surface Analysis
Figure 12(a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) and (a¢), (b¢), (c¢), (d¢), and
(e¢) shows the SEM morphology of the fractured surface of CC,
HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-4 at 70 and 20009 magnification,
respectively. Figure 12(a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) reveals the
typical fractures from the tensile test samples. Ductile fracture
has two types of geometry, such as cup and cone, whereas
brittle fracture shows the flat surface feature. It is observed that
the CC has a cup type of failure, which clearly indicates its
ductile nature as shown in Fig. 12(a). However, the fractured
surface of hybrid composites shows approximately flat sur-
faces, which confirms that the hybrid composites have a brittle
nature. It is attributed to the increase in the hardness of the
hybrid composites due to the addition of hard ceramic particles
into the copper matrix. The fracture surface of the HC-3 at 709
magnification shows the maximum flatness, which confirms
that it is the most brittle and hardened among all, as shown in
Fig. 12(d). Morphology of the CC at 20009 magnification
reveals larger size of dimples, which indicates the ductile
fracture behavior. Such larger dimples are the consequence of
the coalescence of the localized microvoids (Ref 42, 55), as
shown in Fig. 12(a¢). The micrograph of the fractured surface
of HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-4 at 20009 magnification
shows smaller dimples compared with the matrix, which
indicate the brittle nature of fracture as shown in Fig. 12(b¢),
(c¢), (d¢), and (e¢). The fractography of the highest strengthened
HC-3 shows a unique geometry like a strong networking of
spider nets, as shown in Fig. 12(dÕ), with almost zero
microvoids. Such new geometry of fractography strongly
recommends for the consideration of the high strength and
brittle nature of materials.
3.8 Electrical Conductivity
Table 6 shows the electrical conductivity of hybrid com-
posite materials. Electrical conductivity is reported in terms of
the percentage International Annealed Copper Standards (%
IACS). It is observed that the electrical conductivity decreases
with the increase in B4C content at constant wt. % of WC and
BN. The electrical conductivity decreases from 85 (of CC) to
43% IACS (of HC-1) with the addition of 1.5 wt.% WC and 1
wt.% BN with zero wt.% of B4C into the copper matrix.
Moreover, the 43% IACS electrical conductivity of HC-1
decreases to 32% IACS (of HC-2) when B4C increases from 0
to 0.5 wt.% with the same amount of WC and BN, whereas
decrease in electrical conductivity from 32 (of HC-2) to 25%
IACS (of HC-3) and from 25 (of HC-3) to 19% IACS (of HC-
4) is observed when the wt.% of B4C increases from 0.5 to 1.0
and 1.0 to 1.5, respectively, with similar amount of WC and
BN. Losses of electrical conductivity by 49.41, 62.35, 70.58,
and 77.64% are observed in HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, and HC-4,
respectively, with respect to CC. Here, the hybrid composites
are showing a lower conductivity compared with its copper
matrix (ranging from 78 to 92% IACS) (Ref 56). Such lowering
in the conductivity of hybrid composites is attributed to the
reinforcement of the non-conducting ceramic materials, such as
WC, BN, and B4C into the copper matrix (Ref 57). In addition,
decrease in electrical conductivity of the hybrid composites
may also be attributed to the presence of porosity in the hybrid
materials as enumerated in Table 6. The presence of a
conductive network is essential for achieving high electrical
conductivity. Particle–particle interaction develops the network
of conductive path within the developed hybrid composite
materials. With the addition of higher amount of ceramic
reinforcement into copper matrix, porosity is introduced in the
hybrid composites, which disturb the network continuity in the
conductivity path (Ref 58, 59).
4. Conclusions
From the above results and discussion, the following
conclusions are drawn:
1. Stir-casting technique is a successful and economical
method to develop copper-based hybrid composites.
2. With the addition of ceramic reinforcements in copper
matrix, shifting of peaks, strain in materials, and changes
in crystallite size are observed. Optimum straining and
crystallite size are observed in HC-3.
3. Relative density of the hybrid composites is found to be
lower than its matrix.
4. Hardness and ultimate tensile strength of the hybrid com-
posites increase with increasing B4C up to 1.0 wt.%;
thereafter, the properties decrease. Optimum hardness and
ultimate tensile strength are observed in HC-3.
5. Morphology of fractured surface of CC shows the ductile
behavior, whereas hybrid composites reveal brittle nature.
6. The fractography of the highest strengthened HC-3 shows
a unique geometry like spider nets with almost zero mi-
crovoids. Such unique fractography can be considered for
a material which has high hardness and tensile strength.
7. Compressive strength of the hybrid composites is higher
than its matrix and shows the increasing tendency as B4C
increases from 0 to 1.5 wt.%, at constant wt.% of WC,
BN, and Cr.
8. Grain refinement is observed in the microstructure of the
hybrid composites, which plays a vital role in the
improvement in the mechanical properties.
Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance
9. Electrical conductivity of the hybrid composites is lower
than its matrix and decreases on increasing B4C addi-
tions, at constant wt.% of WC, BN, and Cr.
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