Effect of Fe Addition on the Microstructure and Properties of Cu-Ni-Si-Cr Alloys
摘要
There is a large amount of Cu-Ni-Si-Cr alloy waste on the market that is contaminated with iron filings, which require to be recycled and reused. In this study, four groups of Cu-2Ni-0.5Si-0.5Cr alloys with Fe additions (0 ~ 0.4 wt.% Fe) were fabricated to investigate the effect of Fe contents on the microstructure and properties of Cu-Ni-Si-Cr alloy. The results indicate that the precipitates in the Cu-Ni-Si-Cr-Fe alloy are Ni2Si and Cr3Si, while no Fe-rich phase was observed. Small Fe additions promote Cr3Si formation. Trace Fe significantly refines the grain structure and increases the dislocation and vacancy density in the alloy. The conductivity of the alloy decreased from 55.8% to ~ 50.1% IACS, while the increase in yield strength from ~ 584 MPa (0 wt.% Fe) to ~ 642 MPa (0.4 wt.% Fe). Moreover, the addition of Fe elevates the alloy's high-temperature softening resistance temperature, increasing from 545 to 578 °C. The Cu-Ni-Si-Cr-Fe alloy with Fe content of 0.2 wt.% achieves an optimal balance between strength, resistance to high-temperature softening, and electrical conductivity.