Mechanically workable high-strength Cu-Zr composite

Ultrafine-grained or nanostructured alloys usually lack the strain hardening capability needed to sustain uniform tensile deformation under high stresses. To circumvent this problem, we fabricated the Cu-based composite reinforced with the 3-dimensionally interconnected Cu ₅Zr phase using the combined technique of rapid quenching and subsequent hot-rolling. The alloy exhibited a tensile ductility of ~2.5% together with a strength of 1.57 GPa, which exceeds the values of most commercially available Cu-Be alloys. In this study, we elucidated the structural origin of the high strength and tensile ductility of the developed alloy by examining the thermal stability of the Cu ₅Zr reinforcing phase and the energy (work) absorption capability of the Cu matrix.