discharge plasma sintering;  SiC/Cu;  Composites

SiC/Cu coated composite powder was selected and SiC/Cu cermet composites were prepared by the latest discharge plasma sintering method. XRD, SEM and other methods were used to characterize the fired samples. The results show that during the sintering process of discharge plasma, the substances in the firing sample and the corresponding content change due to the action of plasma. The density of the sample increases with the increase of temperature, and the hardness peaks at about 730°C, which is the optimal firing temperature for the preparation of SiC/Cu cermet composites by discharge plasma sintering. Due to the reinforcement of SiC, the hardness of SiC/Cu cermet composites is much higher than that of Cu.