Microstructure and properties evolution of in-situ fiber-reinforced Ag−Cu−Ni−Ce alloy during deformation and heat treatment

Abstract

Silver-based alloys are significant light-load electrical contact materials (ECMs). The trade-off between mechanical properties and electrical conductivity is always an important issue for the development of silver-based ECMs. In this paper, we proposed an idea for the regulation of the mechanical properties and the electrical conductivity of Ag−11.40Cu−0.66Ni−0.05Ce (wt%) alloy using in-situ composite fiber-reinforcement. The alloy was processed using rolling, heat treatment, and heavy drawing, the strength and electrical conductivity were tested at different deformation stages, and the microstructures during deformation were observed using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The results show that the method proposed in this paper can achieve the preparation of in-situ composite fiber-reinforced Ag−Cu−Ni−Ce alloys. After the heavy deformation drawing, the room temperature Vickers hardness of the as-cast alloy increased from HV 81.6 to HV 169.3, and the electrical conductivity improved from 74.3% IACS (IACS, i.e., international annealed copper standard) to 78.6% IACS. As the deformation increases, the alloy strength displays two different strengthening mechanisms, and the electrical conductivity has three stages of change. This research provides a new idea for the comprehensive performance control of high-performance silver-based ECMs.

Keywords

silver alloy / electrical contact materials / drawing / in-situ fiber-reinforced

References

[1] Zhang M, Tian WB, Zhang PG, Ding JX, Zhang YM, Sun ZM. Microstructure and properties of Ag−Ti₃SiC₂ contact materials prepared by pressureless sintering. Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 2018, 25(7): 810.

[2] Wang HT, Wang ZX, Wang LZ, Wang JQ, Zhu YC. Effect of sintering temperature on the physical properties and electrical contact properties of doped AgSnO₂ contact materials. Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 2018, 25(11): 1275.

[3] Li HY, Wang XH, Guo XH, Yang XH, Liang SH. Material transfer behavior of AgTiB₂ and AgSnO₂ electrical contact materials under different currents. Mater. Des., 2017, 114, 139.

[4] H. Zhang, X.H. Wang, Y.P. Li, C.S. Guo, and C.M. Zhang, Preparation and characterization of silver-doped graphene-reinforced silver matrix bulk composite as a novel electrical contact material, Appl. Phys. A, 125(2019), No. 2, art. No. 86.

[5] K.T. Kloch, P. Kozak, and A. Mlyniec, A review and perspectives on predicting the performance and durability of electrical contacts in automotive applications, Eng. Fail. Anal., 121(2021), art. No. 105143.

[6] Biyik S, Arslan F, Aydin M. Arc-erosion behavior of boric oxide-reinforced silver-based electrical contact materials produced by mechanical alloying. J. Electron. Mater., 2015, 44(1): 457.

[7] T. Aida, K. Uchimura, T. Noguchi, and S. Ogata, Effect of alloying elements on the radio noise characteristics of silver based alloy contacts, [in] 1984 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility, Tokyo, 1984, p. 1.

[8] Castro-Dettmer Z, Persad C. Performance of a copper-silver alloy as an electromagnetic launcher conductor material. IEEE Trans. Magn., 2005, 41(1): 176.

[9] Colombo S, Battaini P, Airoldi G. Precipitation kinetics in Ag−7.5 wt.% Cu alloy studied by isothermal DSC and electrical-resistance measurements. J. Alloys Compd., 2007, 437(1–2): 107.

[10] Zhang HK, Zhao HZ, Zhou YH. A high-hardness compound in the Ag−Cu−Zr system. Sci. Bull., 1986, 31(9): 615

[11] Li ZJ, Tian JJ, Zhu SW, Chen JL, Jin QL, Xie M. The study on microstructure and solidification path of AgCuZnNi brazing alloy. Precious Met., 2016, 37(3): 6

[12] R. Shirakawa, S. Suzuki, A. Matsuda, and N. Shibata, Cd-free silver alloy for sliding contact, [in] Electrical Contacts — 1992 Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth IEEE Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts, Philadelphia, 1992, p. 119.

[13] Chen YT, Xie M, Yang YC, Zhang JM, Liu MM, Wang SB, Yang YF. Effects of Zn content on the grain growth law of Ag−Cu−Zn alloys. Rare Met. Mater. Eng., 2014, 43(1): 57.

[14] R. Holm, Electric Contacts: Theory and Application, Springer, 1981, p. 109.

[15] Qiao X, Wang J, Zhou SP, He XY, Li J, Zhuang DX, Jiang CG. Effect of trace cerium on the electrical contact properties of AgCuNi alloy. Rare Met. Mater. Eng., 2008, 37(7): 1309

[16] Wei MX, Liu Q, Gao QQ, Zhao TM, Zheng XY, Long XQ, Xie M, Chen YT. Study the influence of rare earth elements on microstructure and property of AgCuNi alloy. Precious Met., 2019, 40(S1): 31

[17] Wang SH, Li QL, Liu W, Yao YW. Effect of rare earth on the microstructure of AgCuNi alloys. J. Funct. Mater., 2011, V42, 799

[18] Huang FX, Li M, Ying P, Xu YH, Zhang Y. Effect of trace cerium on the as-cast microstructure of Ag−Cu−Ni alloy. Mater. Sci. Forum, 2011, 687, 44.

[19] Zhang HT, Fu HD, Shen YH, Xie JX. Rapid design of secondary deformation-aging parameters for ultralow Co content Cu−Ni−Co−Si−X alloy via Bayesian optimization machine learning. Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 2022, 29(6): 1197.

[20] He XQ, Fu HD, Zhang HT, Fang JH, Xie M, Xie JX. Machine learning aided rapid discovery of high performance silver alloy electrical contact materials. Acta Metall. Sin., 2022, 58(6): 816

[21] Li R, Zuo XW, Wang EG. Influence of thermomechanical process and Fe addition on microstructural evolution and properties of Cu−26wt%Ag composite. J. Alloys Compd., 2019, 773, 121.

[22] Gu T, Medy JR, Volpi F, Castelnau O, Forest S, Hervé-Luanco E, Lecouturier F, Proudhon H, Renault PO, Thilly L. Multiscale modeling of the anisotropic electrical conductivity of architectured and nanostructured Cu−Nb composite wires and experimental comparison. Acta Mater., 2017, 141, 131.

[23] C.C. Zhao, R.M. Niu, Y. Xin, D. Brown, D. McGuire, E.G. Wang, and K. Han, Improvement of properties in Cu−Ag composites by doping induced microstructural refinement, Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 799(2021), art. No. 140091.

[24] Stepanov ND, Kuznetsov AV, Salishchev GA, Khlebova NE, Pantsyrny VI. Evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties in Cu−14%Fe alloy during severe cold rolling. Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2013, 564, 264.

[25] Deng LP, Liu ZF, Wang BS, Han K, Xiang HL. Effects of interface area density and solid solution on the microhardness of Cu−Nb microcomposite wires. Mater. Charact., 2019, 150, 62.

[26] Zhang L, Meng L. Evolution of microstructure and electrical resistivity of Cu−12wt.%Ag filamentary microcomposite with drawing deformation. Scripta Mater., 2005, 52(12): 1187.

[27] Benghalem A, Morris DG. Microstructure and strength of wire-drawn Cu−Ag filamentary composites. Acta Mater., 1997, 45(1): 397.

[28] Sakai Y, Schneider-Muntau HJ. Ultra-high strength, high conductivity Cu−Ag alloy wires. Acta Mater., 1997, 45(3): 1017.

[29] Hou JT, Hao QL, Zhang L, Zhong SJ, Zhu K, Xie M, Qu WQ. Study on the evolution of microstructure and properties during recrystallization of Ag−Cu alloy. Precious Met., 2019, 40(Suppl.1): 40

[30] Sahu S, Yadav PC, Shekhar S. Use of hot rolling for generating low deviation twins and a disconnected random boundary network in inconel 600 alloy. Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 2018, 49(2): 628.

[31] Zhang HF, Zhou L, Li WL, Li GH, Tang YT, Guo N, Feng JC. Effect of tool plunge depth on the microstructure and fracture behavior of refill friction stir spot welded AZ91 magnesium alloy joints. Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 2021, 28(4): 699.

[32] Frommeyer G, Wassermann G. Microstructure and anomalous mechanical properties of in situ-produced silver-copper composite wires. Acta Metall., 1975, 23(11): 1353.

[33] Embury JD, Fisher RM. The structure and properties of drawn pearlite. Acta Metall., 1966, 14(2): 147.

[34] Zhang L, Meng L. Effects of drawing strain on formation of filamentary structure and conductivity for Cu−12%Ag alloy. Acta Metall. Sin., 2005, 41(3): 255

[35] Phillips VA. Electron microscope observations on moiré fringes and interfacial dislocations at cobalt precipitates in copper. Acta Metall., 1966, 14(3): 271.

[36] Kazempour-Liasi H, Tajally M, Abdollah-Pour H. Liquation cracking in the heat-affected zone of IN939 superalloy tungsten inert gas weldments. Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater, 2020, 27(6): 764.

[37] Hong SI, Hill MA. Mechanical stability and electrical conductivity of Cu-Ag filamentary microcomposites. Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 1999, 264(1–2): 151.

[38] Hong SI, Hill MA. Microstructural stability and mechanical response of Cu−Ag microcomposite wires. Acta Mater., 1998, 46(12): 4111.

[39] Kumar KS, Swygenhoven HV, Suresh S. Mechanical behavior of nanocrystalline metals and alloys. Acta Mater., 2003, 51(19): 5743.

[40] Misra A, Hirth JP, Hoagland RG. Length-scale-dependent deformation mechanisms in incoherent metallic multilayered composites. Acta Mater., 2005, 53(18): 4817.

[41] Liu JB, Zhang L, Meng L. Effects of rare-earth additions on the microstructure and strength of Cu−Ag composites. Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2008, 498(1–2): 392.

[42] Yao DW, Meng L. Effects of solute, temperature and strain on the electrical resistivity of Cu−Ag filamentary composites. Phys. B: Condens. Matter, 2008, 403(19–20): 3384.

[43] Liu JB, Zhang L, Dong AP, Wang LT, Zeng YW, Meng L. Effects of Cr and Zr additions on the microstructure and properties of Cu−6 wt.% Ag alloys. Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2012, 532, 331.

[44] Spitzig WA, Downing HL, Laabs FC, Gibson ED, Verhoeven JD. Strength and electrical conductivity of a deformation-processed Cu−5 pct Nb composite. Metall. Trans. A, 1993, 24(1): 7.