Enhanced strength and electrical conductivity in ultrafine-grained Cu-Cr alloy processed by severe plastic deformation

Abstract

The influence of severe plastic deformation on strength and electrical conductivity in the Cu-Cr copper alloy has been studied. Microstructure of ultrafine-grained samples was investigated by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction with special attention on precipitation of small chromium particles after various thermal treatments. Effect of dynamic precipitation leading to enhancement of strength and electrical conductivity was observed. It is shown that ultrafine-grained samples enable to demonstrate the combination of enhanced thermal stability up to 500°C, high ultimate tensile strength of 790-840 MPa and enhanced electrical conductivity of 81-85% IACS. The contributions of grain boundaries and precipitates to enhanced properties of ultrafine-grained copper alloy are discussed. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.