Effects of Ni addition on liquid phase separation of Cu-Co alloys

This article deals with the effects of Ni addition on liquid phase separation of Cu-Co alloys. The results reveal that Ni addition can partly restrain the liquid phase separation of Cu-Co alloys, resulting in a decrease of the volume fraction for the Co-rich particles from the liquid phase separation and in refined microstructures. The composition analysis indicates that Ni is dissolved in both the Co-rich and the Cu-rich phases, but the Ni content in the Co-rich phase is much higher than that in the Cu matrix. The decreasing amount of Co-rich particles from the liquid phase separation and the refined microstructure are responsible for the GMR improvement of Cu-Co alloys with Ni addition.