Abstract
Cu–1·5Cr alloy was successfully produced by a new method, composed of alloying via melting in a non-protected atmosphere followed by rapid cooling in a water cooled mould. The effects of deformation magnitude during T10 treatment on microstructure, electrical conductivity and hardness of alloy were also investigated. The results showed that cold work before age hardening treatment, especially in the range of 20–40% deformation, provides optimum electrical and mechanical properties, i.e. electrical conductivity of 70–85% International Annealed Copper Standard (IACS) and hardness of 160–180 HB. In addition, the cold work promotes a useful anisotropy in electrical and mechanical properties of Cu–1·5Cr alloy after aging treatment. A proposed design for a pilot plant is shown.
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