Analisis Pengaruh Penambahan Partikel TiC terhadap Karakteristik Paduan Cu-Ni-Mo menggunakan Model Pencampuran V-Mixer dan Mechanical Alloying

Abstract

This study aims to examine the effect of powder mixing methods and variations in the fraction of titanium carbide (TiC) reinforcement particles on the physical, mechanical, and electrical conductivity properties of Cu–Ni–1 wt.% Mo–TiC alloys as electrode material candidates for Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM). The alloys were synthesized through powder metallurgy methods with TiC compositions of 0.5 wt.% and 1.5 wt.%, processed using V-mixer and mechanical alloying methods, respectively. After mixing (V-mixer 120 rpm for 2 hours and mechanical alloying 1000 rpm for 2 hours), the powders were cold compacted at a pressure of 310 MPa for 15 minutes and sintered at 770 °C for 60 minutes. The characterizations carried out included density testing, Vickers hardness, compression testing, electrical conductivity, wear rate, microstructure and SEM observations, as well as surface porosity analysis and optimization using Taguchi and ANOVA. Overall, mechanical alloying and TiC addition resulted in a more homogeneous distribution of reinforcing particles, grain refinement, and increased hardness and wear resistance with a consequent decrease in electrical conductivity. Compared to a commercial Cu–50 wt.% W electrode (hardness 115 VHN, 54% IACS), the 1.5 wt.% TiC configuration with mechanical alloying (V4) is worth considering when high hardness and low wear rate are prioritized, while 0.5 wt.% TiC with mechanical alloying (V2) is more suitable when higher electrical conductivity is prioritized, with the compressive strength of both variants being around 95 MPa.