Cu-cr Alloy Heated Mold Continuous Casting

The specimen were made with heated mould continuous casting process, in which Cr phase is solidified separately as fiber from Cu matrix. Cr fiber acts as strength and Cu matrix acts as electrical conductivity. In this way, difficulties of soakage dissolve in artificial composite, and chemistry reaction can be avoid. Two phase interphases get along well under low energy state. The specimen have excellent hot stability and high temperature performance. Both strength and electrical conductivity are high.Induction heat is adopted instead of traditional carborundum heating to improve heated mould continuous casting equipment. Thereby, it greatly increases heating power, increases casting mould temperature gradient, minishes S+L two phase range of Cu-Cr alloy , ensure excellent surface quality of Cu-Cr alloy. Cu-1.29wt%Cr alloy wires were casted successful by this equipment and directional solidification microstructure in as-cast specimen is found. The result showed a tensile strength of 390Mpa, elongation 29%, and electrical conductivity 53% IACS. Their synthetic property is higher than those made by common process.It is very difficult to cast Cu-Cr alloy which contain high Cr content, because Cr has high melting point, Cu-Cr alloy have large range of solidification temperature, the solution distribution coefficient is low and in high temperature Cr is easy to oxida. So it is more important to improve temperature gradient to shorten S+L two phase range of Cu-Cr alloy to make Cr flow easier, lighten Cr constitutuinal super-cooling, under high heating power condition to control S+L interface well and to avoid Cr to oxide.The performance of mechanics and electrical conductivity relates to casting surface quality, surface quality is determined by casting parameters. Hot tearing, scab can be eliminated. Breakdown and leakage can be avoided, when casting velocity, cooling water capacity, cooling distance, casting mould temperature and S+L two phase range are available, experiments showed that when meltingtemperature is 1300℃, casting mould temperature is 1198℃, casting velocity is 35mm/min and cooling distance is 8mm , Good 5mm wire of Cu-1.29 wt %Cr can be casted.Even if Cr content is above 1.28wt%, hypo-eutectic can still be achieved when casting parameter are control well. The result show that their tensile strength increases with increase of the Cr content, their electric conductivity become higher with increase of the casting speed for as-cast specimen.