Microstructure and properties of in-situ synthesized Cu-1Â wt%TiC alloy followed by ECAP and post-annealing

A dispersion-strengthened copper alloy with 1 wt% TiC for commercial electrical-contact wires was prepared by in-situ reaction casting, grain-ultrafining by equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) and subsequent annealing with aim to obtain excellent comprehensive performance. The results showed that fine TiC particles were in-situ synthesized in the as-cast Cu matrix and aggregated in clusters, and thus mechanical properties of the as-cast alloy deemed insufficient. Continued ECAP at 473 K significantly refined the grains of the as-cast alloy and improved the distribution of TiC particles. Due to multiple strengthening mechanisms, the ECAP-processed alloys maintained good conductivity with obviously enhanced tensile strength and hardness values. After post-ECAP annealing, the elongation and conductivity of the fine-grained copper alloy increased with the adequate tensile strength. The novel combined process endows the alloy appropriate performance to serve current high-frequency electrification railway systems.