Processing of CuAg15 alloy wire using severe plastic deformation

Dr. Wojciech Głuchowski, Prof. Zbigniew Rdzawski, Dr. Joanna Sobota, Dr. Justyna Domagała-Dubiel

Copper, due to its properties of typical materials used in the electrical industry (e.g. susceptibility to metal working, corrosion resistance, high thermal conductivity, high electrical conductivity and the ability to create numerous alloys with significant technical sense), is regarded as one of the most popular wire materials. More than half of the produced copper is used up in production of wires and cables in the electrical industry. Achieving very high mechanical and electrical properties in the products made of copper alloys is not easy and requires the use of appropriate alloying elements and use of appropriate metal working and heat treatment. Numerous studies have shown that achieving the high strength and the high electrical properties for Cu-Ag alloys is possible when we reach nanometric microstructure. Achieving such microstructure is possible by applying the methods of severe plastic deformation (SPD). The SPD techniques used for the refinement of the structure are: ECAP, CWS, HPT, KOBO, RCS, ARB and others. In addition to the techniques mentioned above also applying of a combination of conventional forming processes with suitable sequence of deformation can contribute to substantial refinement of the material structure. In this work it was decided to prepare CuAg15 alloy wires and perform processing technology of severe plastic deformation – repetitive corrugation and straightening (RCS). Thus obtained material was subjected to the investigation of mechanical properties and microstructure.