Comparative study of the influence of Ag on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu-10Fe in situ composites

Cu-10Fe and Cu-10Fe-3Ag in situ composites were prepared by casting and drawing. The microstructure and properties of the composites were investigated in detail. Results show that the presence of Ag can refine the primary Fe dendrites, which leads to a significantly higher strength of Cu-Fe-Ag composites. For each deformation strain, the tensile strength of the cold-worked Cu-10Fe-3Ag in situ composite was 66 MPa-230 MPa higher than that of the Cu-10Fe in situ composite, and the conductivity of the cold-worked Cu-10Fe-3Ag in situ composite was 1%-4% IACS higher than that of the Cu-10Fe in situ composite. The Cu-10Fe-3Ag in situ composites had a combination of properties with intermediate heat treatment. After 1 h of heat treatment at 450 degrees C, the tensile strength increased to 968 MPa, and the conductivity increased to 62.6% IACS. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.