{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,31]],"date-time":"2026-03-31T16:47:54Z","timestamp":1774975674831,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,10]],"date-time":"2024-01-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1704844800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)","award":["2021M2D2A1A02048838"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2021M2D2A1A02048838"]}]},{"name":"National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)","award":["RS-2022-00155311"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RS-2022-00155311"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Materials"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study presents an experimental approach to address sulfur-induced embrittlement in copper alloys. Building on recent theoretical insights, we identified specific solute elements, such as silicon and silver, known for their strong binding affinity with vacancies. Through experimental validation, we demonstrated the effectiveness of Si and Ag in preventing sulfur-induced embrittlement in copper, even though they are not typical sulfide formers such as zirconium. Additionally, our findings highlight the advantages of these elements over traditional solutes, such as their high solubility and propensity to accumulate along grain boundaries. This approach may have the potential to be applied to other metals prone to sulfur-induced embrittlement, including nickel, iron, and cobalt, offering broader implications for materials engineering strategies and alloy development.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ma17020350","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,10]],"date-time":"2024-01-10T07:50:48Z","timestamp":1704873048000},"page":"350","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Copper Alloy Design for Preventing Sulfur-Induced Embrittlement in Copper"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2838-1995","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Minkyu","family":"Ahn","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Myongji University, 116 Myongji-ro, Cheoin-gu, Yongin 17058, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9166-4061","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jinwoo","family":"Park","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Myongji University, 116 Myongji-ro, Cheoin-gu, Yongin 17058, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gyeongsik","family":"Yu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Myongji University, 116 Myongji-ro, Cheoin-gu, Yongin 17058, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sangeun","family":"Kim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Myongji University, 116 Myongji-ro, Cheoin-gu, Yongin 17058, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dong-Keun","family":"Cho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 111, Daedeok-daero 989, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34057, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hyung-Ha","family":"Jin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 111, Daedeok-daero 989, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34057, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6057-5733","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chansun","family":"Shin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Myongji University, 116 Myongji-ro, Cheoin-gu, Yongin 17058, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1163","DOI":"10.1016\/0036-9748(75)90399-3","article-title":"A study of sulfur embrittled oxygen free copper","volume":"9","author":"Clough","year":"1975","journal-title":"Scr. Met."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"398","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msea.2014.09.029","article-title":"Temperature dependent transition of intragranular plastic to intergranular brittle failure in electrodeposited Cu micro-tensile samples","volume":"618","author":"Wimmer","year":"2014","journal-title":"Mater. Sci. Eng. A"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"64","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actamat.2018.06.013","article-title":"Sulfur-induced embrittlement in high-purity, polycrystalline copper","volume":"156","author":"Meiners","year":"2018","journal-title":"Acta Mater."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.1016\/S0921-5093(97)00750-8","article-title":"Low temperature creep ductility of OFHC copper","volume":"246","author":"Henderson","year":"1998","journal-title":"Mater. Sci. Eng. A"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3321","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1004839825660","article-title":"On the dynamic embrittlement of copper-chromium alloys by sulfur","volume":"35","author":"Misra","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Mater. Sci."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109171","DOI":"10.1016\/j.matdes.2020.109171","article-title":"The microstructure and mechanical properties of copper in electrically assisted tension","volume":"196","author":"He","year":"2020","journal-title":"Mater. Des."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"94","DOI":"10.1179\/174328009X392967","article-title":"Intermediate temperature embrittlement of copper alloys","volume":"54","author":"Laporte","year":"2009","journal-title":"Int. Mater. Rev."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"134","DOI":"10.1179\/1743278210Y.0000000009","article-title":"Evidence for internal diffusion of sulphide from groundwater into grain boundaries ahead of crack tip in Cu OFP copper","volume":"46","author":"Arilahti","year":"2011","journal-title":"Corros. Eng. Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.7733\/jnfcwt.2023.004","article-title":"Design of Copper Alloys Preventing Grain Boundary Precipitation of Copper Sulfide Particles for a Copper Disposal Canister","volume":"21","author":"Ahn","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Nucl. Fuel Cycle Waste Technol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1487","DOI":"10.1016\/0036-9748(87)90288-2","article-title":"Improvement in ductility at intermediate temperatures by a small addition of yttrium in a Cu-30%Zn alloy","volume":"21","author":"Kanno","year":"1987","journal-title":"Scr. Met."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.1016\/1359-6462(96)00098-X","article-title":"Dynamic embrittlement in an age-hardenable copper-chromium alloy","volume":"35","author":"Misra","year":"1996","journal-title":"Scr. Mater."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113533","DOI":"10.1016\/j.matchar.2023.113533","article-title":"Trace cerium\/ yttrium addition for inhibiting sulfur-induced intermediate temperature embrittlement in ultrahigh-purity copper","volume":"207","author":"Hua","year":"2024","journal-title":"Mater. Charact."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"742","DOI":"10.2320\/matertrans1960.28.742","article-title":"Improvement in hot ductility in a Cu-4.4mol%Sn alloy by adding a small amount of third elements","volume":"28","author":"Kanno","year":"1987","journal-title":"Trans. Jpn. Inst. Met."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"69","DOI":"10.2320\/matertrans1960.26.69","article-title":"Effect of a Small Addition of Transition Elements on Annealing Characteristics of Cold-Worked Pure Copper","volume":"26","author":"Suzuki","year":"1985","journal-title":"Trans. Jpn. Inst. Met."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"070602","DOI":"10.1103\/PhysRevMaterials.1.070602","article-title":"Impurity effects on the grain boundary cohesion in copper","volume":"1","author":"Li","year":"2017","journal-title":"Phys. Rev. Mater."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143397","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msea.2022.143397","article-title":"Trace sulfur-induced embrittlement of ultrahigh-purity copper","volume":"848","author":"Hua","year":"2022","journal-title":"Mater. Sci. Eng. A"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1417","DOI":"10.1016\/S1359-6454(99)00036-1","article-title":"Theoretical investigation of sulfur solubility in pure copper and dilute copper-based alloys","volume":"47","author":"Korzhavyi","year":"1999","journal-title":"Acta Mater."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"334","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jallcom.2014.04.053","article-title":"First-principles study of solute\u2013vacancy binding in Cu","volume":"608","author":"Wang","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Alloys Compd."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15010","DOI":"10.1038\/npjcompumats.2015.10","article-title":"The Open Quantum Materials Database (OQMD): Assessing the accuracy of DFT formation energies","volume":"1","author":"Kirklin","year":"2015","journal-title":"NPJ Comput. Mater."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"309","DOI":"10.1007\/BF02655204","article-title":"Tempered martensite embrittlement and intergranular fracture in an ultra-high strength sulfur doped steel","volume":"12","author":"Briant","year":"1981","journal-title":"Met. Trans. A"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Christien, F. (2020). Role of Impurity Sulphur in the Ductility Trough of Austenitic Iron\u2013Nickel Alloys. Materials, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/ma13030539"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"578","DOI":"10.1007\/BF03377732","article-title":"Sulfur Embrittlement of Cobalt","volume":"8","author":"Martin","year":"1956","journal-title":"JOM"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100001","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rsurfi.2020.100001","article-title":"Reducing sulfur to improve thermal embrittlement in electrodeposited nickel using citric acid","volume":"1","author":"Watanabe","year":"2020","journal-title":"Results Surf. Interfaces"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113680","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scriptamat.2020.113680","article-title":"Surfactant effect of impurity sulphur in ductility dip cracking of a high-chromium nickel model alloy","volume":"194","author":"Rapetti","year":"2021","journal-title":"Scr. Mater."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"95","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actamat.2013.12.021","article-title":"On the mechanism of sulfur fast diffusion in 3-D transition metals","volume":"67","author":"Lomaev","year":"2014","journal-title":"Acta Mater."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"73","DOI":"10.2320\/matertrans1960.28.73","article-title":"Effects of a Small Amount of Added Elements on the Ductility of a Cu-8 mass%Sn alloy at elevated temperatures","volume":"28","author":"Kanno","year":"1987","journal-title":"Trans. Jpn. Inst. Met."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107821","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mtcomm.2023.107821","article-title":"Influence of alloying elements and composition on microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu-Si, Cu-Ag, Cu-Ti, and Cu-Zr alloys","volume":"38","author":"Park","year":"2024","journal-title":"Mater. Today Commun."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5968","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actamat.2007.07.026","article-title":"Short-circuit diffusion in an ultrafine-grained copper\u2013zirconium alloy produced by equal channel angular pressing","volume":"55","author":"Amouyal","year":"2007","journal-title":"Acta Mater."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1425","DOI":"10.1016\/j.matchar.2008.01.002","article-title":"Recrystallization of pure copper investigated by calorimetry and microhardness","volume":"59","author":"Benchabane","year":"2008","journal-title":"Mater. Charact."},{"key":"ref_30","first-page":"684","article-title":"Effect of a small addition of zirconium on hot ductility of a Cu-Cr alloy","volume":"79","author":"Kanno","year":"1988","journal-title":"Z. Metallkde"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"329","DOI":"10.1016\/j.engfailanal.2019.02.027","article-title":"A review of underlying reasons for intergranular cracking for a variety of failure modes and materials and examples of case histories","volume":"100","author":"Lynch","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eng. Fail. Anal."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6376","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-020-20083-6","article-title":"Learning grain boundary segregation energy spectra in polycrystals","volume":"11","author":"Wagih","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nat. Commun."}],"container-title":["Materials"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1996-1944\/17\/2\/350\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T13:43:54Z","timestamp":1760103834000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1996-1944\/17\/2\/350"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,10]]},"references-count":32,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,1]]}},"alternative-id":["ma17020350"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ma17020350","relation":{},"ISSN":["1996-1944"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1996-1944","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,10]]}}}