This work studied the structural evolution of Cu-xMo (x = 5 and 8 wt.%) alloys processed by mechanical alloying using x-ray diffraction profiles, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetric and microhardness. X-ray diffraction analysis was done using the modified Williamson-Hall and Warren-Averbach methods. These were used to determine structural properties, such as crystallite size, stacking fault probability and energy, dislocation density of metallic powder as a function of the amount of Mo and milling time. The main results obtained for both alloys were higher dislocation density and Vickers microhardness values were measured and crystallites sizes of around 10 nm were measured for both systems at 50 h of milling. Lattice defects increase the free energy and the free energy curves shift upwards, therefore the solubility limits change and Cu-Mo solid solution is formed. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.