Effect of cold-working process on corrosion behavior of copper

The microstructure, microhardness, texture and corrosion resistance of cold-swaged and cold-wiredrawn copper rods were evaluated. Elongated grains along the deformation direction were observed for both materials and the width of these grains decreased with the increase of reduction in area. Wiredrawn copper rods have higher microhardness than the swaged rods for the same reduction in area. The copper grains in both cold-worked rods presented a preferential orientation in the [1 1 0] crystallographic direction but this trend was more pronounced for swaged rods. The corrosion resistance of wiredrawn copper rods investigated in H2SO4 solutions was lower than that of swaged rods, and for both deformed materials the corrosion resistance decreased with the deformation degree.

► Higher microhardness of wiredrawn copper rods than swaged rods.
► Copper grain preferential orientation in the [1 1 0] direction for both rods.
► Lower corrosion resistance of wiredrawn copper rods than swaged rods.