Characterization of ultrafine Ag–Cu powders

Supersaturated, ultrafine Ag–Cu powders prepared by arc discharge method were characterized by X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy. Peak shape analysis and Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction pattern were applied to better refine the structure of the Ag–Cu powders. Experimental results indicate that the as-prepared Ag–Cu powders are mainly comprised of three fcc phases with different Ag contents. Besides, small particles with low-symmetry structures were also observed in the specimen. The formation of the Ag–Cu powders is discussed.