Effect of chromium and zirconium content on structure, strength and electrical conductivity of Cu-Cr-Zr alloys after high pressure torsion

The effect of Cr and Zr contents on the properties of ultra-fine grained (UFG) Cu-Cr-Zr alloys subjected to high-pressure torsion (HPT) was studied. It is found that increasing in chromium content above the solubility limit does not cause additional hardening both after HPT and after subsequent aging. In contrast, excessive alloying with zirconium allows obtaining a structure with a smaller grain size, enhances structure stability during heat treatment and noticeably increases strength with high electrical conductivity of the alloy after HPT and additional aging.