Effect of ECAP process on deformability, microstructure and conductivity of CuCoNi alloy

Abstract

The study deals with the influence of various variants of severe plastic deformation in the Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) process on the microstructure, microhardness, and conductivity of CuCoNi alloy. The microstructure evolution was studied by microscopic observations and electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The Vickers method was used to test the microhardness of the samples after various variants of the ECAP process. The conductivity was measured with an eddy current electrical conductivity meter based on the complex impedance of the probe. The results indicated the possibility of deformation of CuCoNi alloys in the process of pressing through the ECAP angular channel and developing their microstructure and properties. The method is an effective tool for strengthening the tested copper alloy by refining its microstructure. After the first pass, the grain size was reduced by 80%. Increasing the plastic deformation temperature did not significantly affect the obtained level of microstructure fragmentation - the average grain size is approx. 1.4-1.5 μm. The fragmentation of the microstructure had a negligible effect on the conductivity of the CuCoNi alloy, which oscillated at the value of 13 MS/m after the ECAP process.