Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Cu-15wt.%Ag Microcomposites Processed by Equal Channel Angular Pressing

Equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) with intermediate heat treatment was employed to optimize the strength of Cu-15 wt.%Ag. Changes in microstructure, electrical properties and mechanical properties were studied as a function of pressing methods and heat treatment. ECAPed Cu-15wt.%Ag exhibited ultrafine-grained microstructures with the shape and distribution of Ag-rich lamellae dependent on the processing routes. For route A in which the sample was pressed without rotation between each pass, the initial dendrites of Ag-rich phase were elongated along the shear direction and developed into elongated filaments. For route C in which the sample was rotated by 180 degree after each pass, the morphology of initial dendrites of Ag-rich phase was not much modified and the networked structure remained even after 8 passes of ECAP. For route Bc in which the sample was rotated by 90 degree after each pass, the initial dendrites became finer by fragmentation with no pronounced change of the shape and distribution of Ag-rich lamellae. The strength of Cu-15wt.%Ag ECAPed using route Bc was found to be greater than those ECAPed using route A, suggesting that the substructural strengthening is more effective in strengthening than the interface strengthening.

등통로각압축공정을 이용하여 제작된 Cu-15wt.%Ag 미세복합재료의 미세구조 및 기계적, 전기적 특성