Microstructure and second-phase strengthening mechanisms of CuTeCrY alloy

Abstract

A CuTeCrY alloy prepared by homogenising annealing, hot extrusion, solution treatment, cold drawing, and a heat ageing treatment has tensile strength and electrical conductivity of 430 MPa and 78.9% IACS, respectively. Electron microscopy analyses show that a metastable CrCu₂Te phase in the solid solution alloy is eliminated by the ageing treatment, and a 3–5 nm granular bcc-Cr phase becomes distributed in the matrix. This nanometre Cr second phase is the main contributor to the strengthening of the alloy whereas the second-phase strengthening effects of micrometre Cr and Te phases are weak.

KEYWORDS:

• Solid solution
• ageing
• cold drawing
• microstructure
• second phase strengthening

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr Bing Ye and Dr Yang Bai for his help during the course of experiments. In addition, we thank Dr Jiang, Dr Cao and Dr Wang from Ningbo Branch of Chinese Academy of Ordnance Science, respectively.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Ningbo Key Technology Research and Development in 2021 [grant number 2021H003]; the central government has earmarked funds for Guiding Local Scientific and Technological Development [grant number YDZX2022143]; Major Project of Science and Technology Innovation 2025 [grant number 2021Z084].