Evaluation of the Electrical Conductivity and Mechanical Properties of Cu-3Ti-1.5Ni-0.5Si Quaternary Alloy

A high strength and super electrical conductive Cu-3Ti-1.5Ni-0.5Si quaternary alloy with improved hardness and ductility has been developed. The alloy components were melted in an inert gas controlled vacuum melting furnace, rapidly cooled in ice, homogenized at 900 degrees C for 5 h, and age heat treated at an aging temperature of 480 degrees C for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 h, respectively. The strength, hardness, ductility, and the electrical conductivity of the developed alloys were investigated and the microstructure analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The average grain size and particle size distributions were obtained and discussed. Results show that the alloy recorded high strength and hardness of 760 MPa and 385 HV, respectively, after aging for 5 h. These improvements were linked with the minimal average grain size of similar to 4.5 mu m and uniform particle size distribution. Excellent electrical conductivity and percentage elongation with maximum values of 37.4% IACS and 25.1%, respectively, were also recorded after 1 h. The studied Cu-3Ti-1.5Ti-0.5Si alloy demonstrated excellent combinations of ductility, strength, hardness, and electrical conductivity.