Influence of AlB2 compound on elimination of incoherent precipitation in artificial aging of wires drawn from redraw rod extruded from billets cast of alloy AA-6101 by vertical direct chill casting

In this article, a processing method of high conductive (HC) and extra-high conductive (EHC) electrical wires from AA-6101 alloy to manufacture aerial non-composite, composite, and various types of OPGW conductors has been presented. In HV-transmission lines, the most important problem is optimisation between tensile strength of conductor material and electrical conductivity. Alloys AA-6101 and AA-6201 are the best 6xxx series of aluminium used in transmission lines. But their conductivities are not as good as EC-grade 99.7% aluminium. Low conductivity conductors, which are preferred because of requirement of high tensile strength related to geographical conditions, cause loss of the produced electrical energy thus they need long time in pay back of the transmission line investment. However, using processing method applied to Al–Mg–Si alloys described here these problems can be considerably eliminated.The study defines an improving-method applied to AA-6101 in log casting by vertical direct chill (DC) to produce modified billet. Redraw rod is manufactured by extrusion press using modified AA-6101 billets. Artificial aging of drawn wires in the furnace to get them with properties of high tensile stress and high conductivity can be managed by obeying treatment parameters given in the article.International conductor standards defining material properties of 6xxx series require generally low strength but high conductivity from the AA-6101 wires and high strength with low conductivity from AA-6201. However, the method presented here gives a new way to produce AA-6101 wires with high tensile stress and high or extra-high conductivity. This is succeeded by elimination of incoherent effect of Mg2Si particles with metal matrix in precipitation hardening by exposing short time artificial aging to the alloy AA-6101 in the furnace on condition that alloy AA-6101 must be inoculated with AlB2 in casting stage. AlB2 precipitates trace amounts of the transition elements Cr, V, Ti and Zr. Thus, the alloy does not need long heat treatment in the furnace to gain high conductivity. Consequently, decreased diffusion time results high strength wires with high electrical conductivity.