Metallography of copper-tin alloys

When powder metallurgical compacts, made from mixtures of elemental copper and tin powders, are heated from room temperature to the sintering temperature, they undergo various metallographic changes, often with several Cu-Sn phases occurring simultaneously in the structure. In order to make a comprehensive analysis of the sintering behavior, it was essential to ascertain how these phases form in the microstructure. A detailed study of the effect of different heat treatments was therefore conducted.