Heat-resistant Al–0.2Sc–0.04Zr electrical conductor

• Published in: Materials science & engineering. A, Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing, 2012-08, Vol.552, p.353-358
• Main Authors: Zhou, W.W., Cai, B., Li, W.J., Liu, Z.X., Yang, S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ageing; Alloys; Aluminum; Aluminum alloys; Aluminum base alloys; Applied sciences; Cold rolling; Cold working; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Elasticity. Plasticity; Electric conductors; Electrical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Mechanical properties and methods of testing. Rheology. Fracture mechanics. Tribology; Metals. Metallurgy; Nanostructure; Physics; Plastic deformation; Precipitates; Resistivity; Solid solution, precipitation, and dispersion hardening; aging; Treatment of materials and its effects on microstructure and properties
• ISSN: 0921-5093; 1873-4936
• DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2012.05.051

► Tensile strength and conductivity are 213.3MPa and 61.7%IACS respectively. ► Comprehensive property is better than that of traditional Al conductor. ► Strength improvement is caused by finer precipitates and substructures. ► Electrical conductivity improvement is caused by closure of microvoids. The combined effects of ageing and cold-rolling on the tensile and conductive properties of Al–0.2Sc–0.04Zr alloys were investigated. Both the tensile strength and electrical conductivity of alloys after cold-rolling+ageing or pre-ageing+cold-rolling+ageing treatments are apparently better than that of the only aged alloy; furthermore, the improvements on the properties made by pre-ageing+cold-rolling+ageing are slightly greater than that by cold-rolling+ageing. TEM observations indicate that the increase of strength should be associated with the formation of finer Al3(ScZr) precipitates and substructure with boundaries pinned by nano-sized precipitates while the improvement of conductivity should be caused by the closure of microvoids. As an electrical conductor, the highest working temperature of Al–0.2Sc–0.04Zr with the best strength and conductivity can be as high as 345°C. It strongly suggests that the Al–Sc–Zr alloy has a great application prospect in heat resistant conductor fields.