Synthesis of CuTi intermetallic compound by mechanical alloying route

A solid phase consisting of two or more metallic or semimetallic elements with well-defined stoichiometry and an ordered structure is called an intermetallic compound (IMC). IMCs are a diverse resource to understand the relationships between atomic structure, physical characteristics, and chemical composition. In this work, elemental powders of Cu and Ti in an equiatomic ratio were mechanically alloyed (MA) to develop the CuTi IMC. After 30 h of milling, the powder was annealed for 2 h at 1000 o C in an Ar atmosphere. In this novel method, Cu and Ti powders are milled in a 1:1 atomic ratio (Cu - 42.96 wt% Ti) for 30 h. The milled powder was then heated to 1000 °C for 2 h in an Ar atmosphere. Analytical methods such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), electron dispersion x-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis (DSC/TGA) were used to verify the synthesis of CuTi. This method effectively produced nanocrystalline CuTi. This study shows that the CuTi IMC may be synthesized from the binary Cu 50 Ti 50 by MA. • Successful synthesis of nanocrystalline CuTi IMC by mechanical alloying (30 h milling) followed by annealing at 1000 °C in Ar. • Thermodynamic and mechanical stability of CuTi phase confirmed, with CuTi showing lowest enthalpy of formation among Cu–Ti IMCs. • Comprehensive phase characterization performed using XRD, SEM, HRTEM, EDXS, and DSC/TGA to validate CuTi formation. • CuTi IMC combines Ti high strength Cu conductivity, making it attractive for electrical and structural uses. • Adoption of the B11 tetragonal structure highlights the ordered crystalline nature and stability of synthesized CuTi.