INFLUENCE OF AXISYMMETRIC DEFORMATION PROCESSING METHODS ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF Cu-Nb COMPOSITES

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Abstract
It has been shown that deformation processed Cu-19% Nb alloys with good strength and electrical conductivity can be developed in sizes that are useful for engineering applications. Mot extrusion of bundled sub-elemental Cu-19% Nb wires followed by cold drawing to make a composite wire of diameter equal to that of the initial sub-elemental wires resulted in a 67% increase in the ultimate tensile stress. However, on subsequent cold drawing of this composite wire the strength increased at a slower rate than that obtained on continuing cold drawing of the sub-elemental wire and the strength differential decreased. In addition, after cold drawing to equivalent diameters the electrical conductivity of the composite wire was less than that of the sub-elemental wire. These results indicate that while high strengths and good electrical conductivities can be produced in larger size deformation processed Cu-Nb composites by a process of bundling, extrusion and cold drawing of sub-elemental wires, there appears to be a limit to the amount of subsequent cold drawing feasible before the benefit in properties ceases.