Tailoring the composition of the functional Cu–Cr–Zr–La/Ce alloys for electromechanical applications

Abstract

Tailoring the compositions of the functional Cu–Cr–Zr–La/Ce alloys involve producing alloys with dilute (0.05%), low (0.16–0.2%), medium (0.41–0.44%), and high (0.66–0.91%) Cr content at dilute (0.06%), medium (0.5%), and high (0.98%) Zr content with (0.23–0.4%) La or (0.03–0.12%) Ce. The effect of these compositional differences on the microstructure, hardness, and electrical properties was studied for different aging times (0, 1, and 1.5 h). The best combination of hardness and electrical properties was achieved after 1.5 h of aging for all studied alloys. The effect of the chemical composition on tensile properties and wear resistance was studied after 1.5 h of aging. Unlike Zr, high Cr content has a negative influence on the tensile strength and wear resistance.