Abstract:
To meet the demand of enterprises for simplified processing and achieve the comprehensive properties of high strength and high conductivity in CuCr alloys, this study investigated the effects of different solution and aging treatments on hot-rolled CuCr alloys. Through experimental research on CuCr alloys subjected to solution treatments at temperatures ranging from 800–
1000 ℃ and aging treatments at 500 ℃ for durations of 1–6 hours, the variations in microstructure, hardness, and electrical conductivity were analyzed. The results show that after solution treatment, Cr precipitates as Cr-rich phases, while after solution and aging treatments, it precipitates as elemental Cr. Fine and dispersed precipitates can enhance strength, whereas coarsening leads to deteriorated comprehensive properties. With increasing solution temperature, the hardness continuously rises, reaching 124.33 HV at
1000 ℃, while the electrical conductivity first decreases and then increases, peaking at 87.67% IACS at 950 ℃. The electrical conductivity reaches its maximum of 89.16% IACS after 5 hours of aging, and the hardness reaches its peak of 114.5 HV after 4 hours of aging, after which both begin to decline. The optimal comprehensive properties are achieved with a hardness of 100.71 HV and an electrical conductivity of 85.61% IACS under the process conditions of solution treatment at 950 ℃ followed by aging at 500 ℃ for 4 hours.This finding delivers a low-cost, readily implementable process route for enterprises, and further provides novel insights into the development and process optimization of analogous copper alloys.