The Mechanisms of High Strength and High Conductivity of Cu-6Ag Alloy Sheets for High-Field Magnets
摘要
This study successfully fabricated a high-performance Cu-6 wt.% Ag alloy sheet for water-cooled magnets via an integrated process of heat treatment and cold deformation. The resulting material exhibits a tensile strength of 1027.6 MPa and an electrical conductivity of 72.1% IACS. The evolution of microstructure and properties throughout the processing route was systematically investigated. The results reveal a significant anisotropy in tensile strength between the transverse direction (TD) and the rolling direction (RD). Microstructural analyses indicate that the pronounced difference in the size of Ag-rich fibers in different directions, rather than the presence of shear bands in the TD, is the primary factor governing this strength anisotropy. The high conductivity (72.1% IACS) arises from reduced electron scattering due to Ag precipitation during aging and the formation of compositional gradient interfaces, which minimize interfacial resistance.