Effect of Zn addition on mechanical properties of brass hollow spheres

Polymer spheres coated with a slurry, consisting of copper(I) oxide + Zn (0–30 wt.%) powders, water and polyacrilamide (PA), were sintered at temperatures ranging from 800 to 930 °C under a hydrogen atmosphere to fabricate high-porous brass hollow spheres. The metallurgical and mechanical properties of the spheres were investigated with different Zn contents and sintering temperatures. Increasing sintering temperature accelerated the Zn evaporation and sphere densification. Increasing Zn content and decreasing sintering temperature increased the porosity of the spheres, but degraded their mechanical properties.