Resistance of the Contact Welding Electrodes Made of a Cu–0.7% Cr–0.9% Hf Alloy with an Ultrafine-Grained Structure

The structure, the mechanical properties, and the electrical conductivity of the Cu–0.7% Cr–0.9% Hf alloy subjected to equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) followed by aging are studied. The treatment that consists of ECAP and aging at 450°C for 2.5 h is shown to result in a high strength (σ u = 605 MPa) and a high electrical conductivity (78% IACS) of the alloy. This combination of properties increases the resistance of the contact welding electrodes made of an ultrafine-grained Cu–0.7% Cr–0.9% Hf alloy as compared to its initial coarse-grained state.