Reaction kinetics of Cu–Ni and B 4 C in Cu–Ni alloy under solid-state sintering

Cu–Ni/B₄C diffusion couples were prepared by pressure-assisted sintering at different temperatures for different lengths of time under vacuum condition, and then phase composition and reaction kinetics of the products in the Cu–Ni alloy were investigated systematically. Results show that there is a reaction that occur between the Cu–Ni alloy and B₄C, whose reaction products are Ni₂B particles inside the Cu–Ni alloy along with a mixture of Ni₂B and amorphous C at the interface between them. The diffusion of B into Cu–Ni alloys, important to the preparation of (Ni₂B + C)/Cu composites, is interface-controlled and the thickness of the reaction layer containing Ni₂B particles inside the Cu–Ni alloys can be expressed as .