Erosion study of copper matrix composites by LIBS method
| Project start: | 01.01.2013 |
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| Project end: | 31.12.2015 |
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| Programme: | VEGA |
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| Project number: | 2/0179/13 |
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| Institute position in the project: | The only one project investigator |
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| Project leader: | Štefan Kavecký |
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The subject field of the project is the research directed towards to materials erosion study at high temperature plasma conditions with application of laser ablation process by LIBS (Laser-Induced Plasma Spectroscopy) method. The project aim was also to study the laser ablation parameters effecting material mechanism erosion. The research was focused on the preparation of copper matrix composites suitable to prepare electrodes for plasma applications with increased service life. The characteristics of composites (composition, structure) in relation to its erosion stability were studied. The groups of composites with Cu matrix in combination with materials with increased ablation resistance: W, Al
2O
3, TiB
2, ZrB
2 were prepared in order to increase their conductivity and resistance to laser ablation. The project showed the possibility of using energetic rays from spectral analyzes LIBS or spark spectrometer for the study of ablation resistance of the prepared composites. The effects of energy and numbers of laser pulses as well as electrical discharges cycles in respect to mass of ablated material and its surface transformation were indicated. It has been found that presence of the high ablation resistance material, as W or Al
2O
3 (in amounts of 75 vol.% of W or 44 vol% of Cu), in Cu-W and Cu-Al
2O
3 composites increases their ablation resistance several times compared to pure copper. By optimizing the arrangement of W component in the composite it can be produced a composite with the effective heat dissipation characterized by higher durability under conditions of high-energy plasma.