PNNL

Abstract

Palladium was added as a ternary component to a series of copper oxide-silver alloys in an effort increase the use temperature of these materials for potential ceramic brazing applications. Phase equilibria at low palladium and copper oxide concentrations in the Pd-CuOx-Ag system were determined experimentally using differential scanning calorimetry, microstructural analysis, and X-ray diffraction. Small additions of palladium were generally found to increase the temperature of the eutectic reaction present in the pseudobinary system, but have little effect on a higher temperature monotectic reaction. However once enough palladium was added (~5 mol%) to increase the new eutectic temperature to that of the original pseudobinary monotectic reaction, the pseudoternary monotectic temperature correspondingly began to move upward as well. The addition of palladium also forced the eutectic point to slightly lower silver concentrations, again causing a convergence with the former monotectic line.