Grain refinement and enhanced precipitation of Cu–Cr–Zr induced by hot rolling with intermediate annealing treatment

Abstract A new process of hot rolling with intermediate annealing is developed to increase the strength and electric conductivity of the Cu-1Cr-0.1 Zr (wt.%) alloy. The process can refine the crystalline structure and accelerate the speed of precipitation simultaneously, and a combination of high ultimate tensile strength of 522 MPa, excellent electrical conductivity of 81.9 IACS% has been achieved. The results show the higher strain rate and temperature, the higher speed of precipitation. In addition, the microstructure and property of the strip processed by HR-6˜723 K is non-uniform through the thickness, and the top layer with ˜0.2 mm thickness shows a higher tensile strength and electrical conductivity than that of the overall rolled sheet.