ELEVATED-TEMPERATURE MICROSTRUCTURAL STABILITY OF HEAVILY COLD-WORKED INSITU COMPOSITES

Elemental powders of Cu (99. 6% pure) and Fe (99. 3% pure, with 0. 015% C) were mixed to obtain a composition of 13. 4 wt % Fe. This mixture was compacted, sintered and arc melted. The rod served as the starting blank from which composite wires were drawn. The communication presents preliminary evidence that recrystallization suppression occurs for the fibrous microstructure of Cu-Fe composite wires at fine fiber spacings. A second thermal instability, spheroidization of the fibrous microstructure driven by surface energy forces, is also of concern. Though this phenomenon has not yet been throughly characterized for deformation processed Cu-Fe composite wires, data have been gathered which offer some insight as to the nature of the process. This enables statements regarding capillary shape instability.