Influence of Fe-additives on the microstructure and mechanical properties of vacuum copper condensates

Investigation of iron additives on mechanical properties of vacuum condensates with nano-twinned substructure of grains at static (microhardness) and dynamic (damping capacity) loads was studied. Cu–Fe vacuum condensates were produced at simultaneous deposition of component vapour phases on substrates under temperature conditions which enable formation of copper condensates with a nano-twinned substructure. It is established that small iron additives (up to 1.7 wt.%) lead to a considerable increase of Cu–Fe condensate microhardness. At further increase of iron content in copper right up to 7%, condensate microhardness stays at approximately the same level. Iron influence on dissipative properties of Cu–Fe condensates is manifested in a significant weakening of amplitude dependence of damping level and enhancement of temperature influence on it. Change of mechanical properties of vacuum condensates Cu–Fe at iron addition is associated with its influence on such microstructural characteristics of condensates as twin domain thickness, volume fraction of grains with nano-twinned substructure and their dimensions.