Study on the microstructure and properties of HfCxNy-Cu composites prepared by spark pulse sintering

In this work, novel HfCxNy-Cu composites with varying HfCxNy contents were fabricated via subsequent spark pulse sintering (SPS). The influence of HfCxNy addition on the mechanical properties, wear properties, and electrical conductivity of the HfCxNy-Cu composites was systematically studied. The 5HCu composites exhibit a hardness of 136.8 HV and an electrical conductivity of 50.2 % ICAS. Whereas, the hardness of the 10HCu composites increased to 148.3 HV. Moreover, 5HCu composites rather than 10HCu exhibited better lubrication performance and wear resistance, the average friction coefficient and wear rate were measured to be 0.41 and 0.026 mg/min, respectively. The potential applications of HfCxNy-Cu composites include high-temperature structures and electronic device heat dissipation.