Strength, Hardness, and Ductility Evidence of Solid Solution Strengthening and Limited Hydrogen Embrittlement in the Alloy System Palladium-Copper (Cu wt. % 5–25)

Strength, hardness, and ductility characteristics were determined for a series of palladium-copper alloys that compositionally vary from 5 to 25 weight percent copper. Alloy specimens subjected vacuum annealing showed clear evidence solid solution strengthening. These showed, as function increasing copper content, increased yield strength, ultimate Vickers microhardness, while their was little affected by compositional differences. Annealed alloy subsequently exposure hydrogen at 323 K PH2 = 1 atm embrittlement up composition ~15 wt. % Cu. The magnitude the decreased with content in alloy.