Research of mechanical and electrical properties of Cu–Sc and Cu–Zr alloys

The research paper presents the impact of the scandium additive and various conditions of the heat treatment on copper mechanical, electrical and heat resistance properties. The performed research works included manufacturing of CuSc0.15 and CuSc0.3 alloys through metallurgical synthesis with the use of induction furnace and following crystallization in graphite crucibles at ambient temperature. Additionally, a CuZr0.15 alloy was produced as a reference material for previously synthesized Cu–Sc alloys. During research, the selection of heat treatment for the produced materials was conducted in order to obtain the highest mechanical–electrical properties ratio. Materials obtained in such a way were next subjected to thermal resistance tests. Parameters of thermal resistance test included temperatures from the range of 200–700 °C and 1 h of annealing time. The research has shown that CuSc0.15 and CuSc0.3 alloys have higher heat resistance after their precipitation hardening compared to the Cu–Zr alloy. The paper also presents microstructural research of the produced materials, which showed that alloying elements precipitates are mainly localized at the grain boundaries of the material structure.