Achieving a good match between strength and conductivity is a challenge of the development of the high-performance Cu-Cr-Nb alloy for aerospace and fusion energy. The effect of heat treatment on Cr2Nb phase, strength and conductivity of spark plasma sintered (SPSed) Cu-2Cr-1Nb (at%) alloy was investigated. The results illustrated that Cr2Nb phase of Cu-2Cr-1Nb alloy can be regulated by heat treatment, multi-scale Cr2Nb phase with sizes of 0.10-0.50 μm, 30-100 nm and less than 30 nm was obtained, and the strength and conductivity were significantly increased after heat treatment at 500 °C for 2 h, the room temperature tensile strength and conductivity were 332 MPa and 86.7% IACS, 2.5% and 34.8% higher than those of as-SPSed alloy; the tensile strength at 700 °C was 76 MPa. Increasing heat treatment temperature and time, the tensile strength of the alloy was reduced by 1.5%, 4.3% and 12.3% after heat treatment at 500 °C, 700 °C and 950 °C for 72 h. The good match between strength and conductivity of Cu-Cr-Nb alloy was obtained by reducing the content of alloying elements (Cr and Nb) and microstructure regulation. This approach can be used to prepare structural/functional materials with excellent strength and conductivity.
Keywords: Cu-2Cr-1Nb alloy; conductivity; heat treatment; heat treatment hardening; multi-scale Cr2Nb phase; tensile strength.