The influence of the continuous casting conditions on the properties of high-strength two-phase CuMg alloys

Abstract

Constant tendency toward the improvement of the material properties nowadays creates opportunities for the scientists all over the world to design and manufacture new alloys almost every day. Considering the fact that companies all over the world desire alloys with the highest values of mechanical properties often coexisting with a reasonable electrical conductivity made it necessary to develop new materials based on Cu, such as CuMg alloys. However, before such new material may be mass produced it must undergo a series of tests in order to determine the production technology, its parameters and influence on the chemical composition, microstructural properties, and both mechanical and physical properties of CuMg alloys. The research tests have shown that with the increase of the casting feed the Brinell’s hardness of each material slightly increases (by 5 HB2.5/62.5). There is little to none impact of the casting feed on the electrical conductivity, values of which are between 20.6 and 21.4 MS/m (around 40% IACS-International Annealed Copper Standard) depending on the Mg content. The conducted scanning electron microstopy (SEM) analysis has shown that the magnesium precipitations are evenly distributed among the volume of the alloy, however, a significant difference in the density and shape of the Cu + Cu2Mg aggregates was noticed regarding various casting feed. Static compression test proved that these alloys may be subjected to strain hardening as the hardness of the material after compression increases by approximately 40 HB2.5/62.5.