Mechanical properties of heavily deformed copper alloy

Mechanical properties of copper wires were examined. The copper wires containing 5 similar to 10 mass % chromium and 1 similar to3 mass % silver were produced through heavily cold deformation. It was expected that the copper wire was easily fractured during cold deformation because of the existence of brittle chromium phase in the alloy. In fact, the copper wire was fractured due to large work hardening, when the true strain [eta] exceeded 5. However, the copper wire annealed at 1273K for 6 ks in the middle of deformation process could be smoothly drawn to eta =8. After precipitation treatment for silver phase at 473K for 1.8 ks, the wire was able to further drawn to eta =8.4. The final deformed wire showed tensile strength higher than 1200MPa.