Copper–Iron Filamentary Microcomposites

The Cu–Fe system is of particular interest because of the relatively low cost of Fe compared to other insoluble BCC phases such as Nb, Mo, Cr, and Ta. The relatively high solubility of Fe in Cu at high temperatures, coupled with the slow kinetics of Fe precipitation at low temperatures is, however, known to reduce electrical conductivity. The key to improving strength/conductivity properties is to reduce the initial dendrite size and to precipitate Fe effectively in the Cu matrix. Thermomechanical treatments have been employed by some investigators to optimize the strength and conductivity of Cu–Fe microcomposites. The study also shows that refinement of dendrites and easier nucleation of precipitates by the addition of third alloying elements can lead to improved strength/conductivity properties of Cu–Fe microcomposites.