Microstructure and properties of CuCrZr alloy fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing

•CuCrZr alloy was fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing.•Grain shape and size varied along the build direction.•Hardness showed a fluctuating downward trend along the build direction.•The tensile properties were anisotropic in different directions.•Specimens of CuCrZr alloy had high electrical and thermal conductivities. The fabrication of Cu alloys component by wire arc additive manufacturing is a challenging exploration due to their high thermal conductivity. In this study, CuCrZr alloy was deposited successfully, the microstructure and properties of different zones have been investigated. The results showed that the grain morphology in terms of shape, size, and orientation varied along the build direction. Columnar crystals of different sizes were the major grain morphology. Along the building direction, the hardness tended to decrease with large fluctuations. Specimens in travel direction had slightly higher mechanical strength but lower elongation in comparison with those in build direction. The electrical and thermal conductivities of specimens with no visible defects were significantly higher than those of specimens in other additive manufacturing methods using metal powder as raw material.