Secondary creep stage behavior of copper-clad aluminum thin wires submitted to a moderate temperature level

This work focuses on the role of the microstructure on the creep behavior of thin copper-clad aluminum (CCA) wires. Creep tests were performed at 150 degrees C on hard drawn and annealed CCA and on pure metals. It is shown that the Cu-Al interface of CCA ensures a mechanical resistance leading to lower creep velocities than for metals. Creep mechanisms are driven by aluminum at lower stresses and copper for higher stresses, independently of the physical nature of the interface.