The compression characteristics of particle-containing Cu alloys under different conditions

The effect of initial microstructure, strain rate and temperature on compression behavior of Cu–0.23 vol% Al2O3 alloys was investigated. A typical flow stress oscillation phenomenon appears in both the transverse and longitudinal high strain rate compressions. The change of microhardness characteristics was observed and explained by competing processes of work hardening and work softening. The constitutive equations of Cu–0.23 vol% Al2O3 alloy compressed under different conditions were established. The microstructure evolution in transverse and longitudinal compressions is significantly different due to the different rates of nucleation and grain growth during the dynamical recrystallization. The number of dynamical recrystallization grains in the longitudinal compression is much higher than in the transverse compression, and the longitudinal microstructure is relatively homogeneous. The flow stress oscillation phenomenon affected by the strain rate, temperature and initial microstructure was observed in this study, its difference between the transverse and longitudinal compressions was also demonstrated.