Ti-added alumina dispersion-strengthened Cu alloy fabricated by oxidation

• The bulk type of alumina dispersion-strengthened Cu alloy was fabricated by the diffusion of oxygen into the bulk alloy in ambient atmosphere.
• The small Ti addition to an alumina-dispersed Cu alloy changed the shape and distribution of alumina in the Cu matrix.
• The Ti added alumina dispersed alloy increase the alloy’s conductivity, strength and ductility simultaneously.

Two types of alumina dispersion-strengthened Cu alloy were fabricated by surface oxidation reaction by the aging of Cu–0.31 wt%Al and Cu–0.28 wt%Al–0.07 wt%Ti alloys in air. After heat treatment at 980 °C for 1 h in air, a 0.2 mm-thick alumina-dispersed plate could be prepared. The alumina-dispersed alloy with Ti addition showed higher values of conductivity, hardness, and tensile strength than the alloy without Ti.