Structure, conductivity and mechanical properties of non-equilibrium copper-based crystalline alloy nano-composites

Beryllium copper (Cu–Be) alloys exhibit well-balanced properties of strength, elongation and conductivity, and have been used as the conventional material of electrical contacting parts. However, improved materials with higher performances are strongly required for miniaturization of their parts and environmental issues of Be. Recently, an alloy design on the basis of glass-forming rules has enabled the development of Cu–Zr–Ag alloys with tensile strength of 1200 MPa, plastic elongation of 3.1% and electrical conductivity of 30.7% IACS in a thin strip form through the simple production process of casting, cold rolling and annealing. This paper intends to present microstructure and properties of the newly developed alloys and discuss the possibility for applying to electrical contacting materials.