High Strength Conductor by Directional Solidification

The directional solidification of Cu-0.8 wt pct Cr alloy was investigated for high-strength conductors. An in-situ composite material in which the matrix is in cellular morphology and the well-distributed eutectics around the cells is formed in the directional solidification process. In such microstructure, the cellular matrix is as conductor and the coated-around eutectics as reinforcement. The formation mechanism of this microstructure is discussed from the interfacial instability. As a result, the tensile strength of the material along the solidification direction is two times more than that of the conventionally cast one, while the electrical conductivity is reduced a little by comparison with the pure Cu.