Microstructure, electrical conductivity, and stress relaxation resistance of Cu–0.3Be–0.5 Co alloy under heat treatment and two-stage cold rolling
摘要
The effects of heat treatment and two-stage cold rolling on the microstructure, electrical conductivity, and stress relaxation resistance of Cu–0.3Be–0.5Co alloys was systematically investigated. The relationship between microstructural evolution and the electrical conductivity and stress relaxation resistance was determined by analyzing grain size, precipitates, and dislocation densities of the alloys in various states. After aging for 60 min at 450 °C and cold rolling for 50%, the Cu–0.3Be–0.5Co alloy achieved an electrical conductivity of 49.9% IACS, with stress relaxation rate of less than 10% within 100 h. The CR2 sample exhibited a significantly refined grain size, with numerous fine BeCo phases uniformly distributed within the matrix and a high density of dislocations surrounding the precipitates. The improvements in micro-hardness and electrical conductivity were primarily due to the precipitation of the BeCo phase. The stress relaxation process in Cu–Be–Co alloys consists of an initial dislocation interaction stage, followed by a stage involving dislocation-precipitate interactions. These findings have important implications for the development of low-beryllium Cu–Be alloys with high strength, good electrical conductivity and excellent stress relaxation resistance.