Fabrication and properties of high-strength extruded brass using elemental mixture of Cu–40% Zn alloy powder and Mg particle

In this paper, high-strength brass (Cu–40% Zn) alloy with magnesium (Mg) element was fabricated via powder technology process, and the effect of the additive Mg element on microstructural and mechanical properties of extruded brass alloys with α-β duplex phases was investigated. Pre-mixed Cu–40% Zn alloy powder with 0.5–1.5 mass% pure Mg powder (Cu–40% Zn + Mg) was consolidated using a spark plasma sintering (SPS) equipment. SPSed Cu–40% Zn + Mg specimens consisted of α-β duplex phases containing Mg(Cu1−xZnx)2 intermetallic compounds (IMCs) with a mean particle size of 10–30 μm in diameter. The IMCs were completely dissolved in the α-β duplex phases by a heat-treatment at 973 K for 15 min; thus, in order to disperse fine IMCs on α-β duplex phase matrix, the SPSed Cu–40% Zn + Mg specimens were pre-heated at the solid solutionizing condition, and immediately extruded. The extruded specimen exhibited fine α-β duplex phases, containing very fine precipitates of the above Mg(Cu1−xZnx)2 IMCs with 0.5–3.0 μm in diameter. In particular, a mean grain size of the extruded Cu–40% Zn + 1.0% Mg specimen was 3.32 μm analyzed using an electron back-scattered diffraction. Tensile properties of the extruded Cu–40% Zn + 1.0% Mg specimen were an average value of yield strength (YS): 328 MPa, ultimate tensile strength (UTS): 553 MPa, and 25% elongation. This indicated that the extruded Cu–40% Zn + 1.0% Mg specimen revealed the significantly high-strength properties compared to a conventional binary brass alloy with 229 MPa YS and 464 MPa UTS. A high strengthening mechanism of this wrought brass alloy was mainly due to the grain refinement because of a pinning effect by the fine Mg(Cu1−xZnx)2 precipitates at the boundaries of each phase.

► New high-strength extruded brass alloy with Mg was fabricated via powder metallurgy.
► The extruded alloy exhibited fine α-β phases, containing very fine precipitates.
► Yield strength (YS) of the extruded alloy was an average value of 328 MPa.
► The extruded alloy revealed 43% YS higher than that of an extruded binary brass alloy.
► Its high strengthening mechanism was mainly due to the grain refinement.