Yan Xin1,Jun Lu1,Ke Han1
Florida State Univ1
Glidcop® is an oxide-particle-dispersion strengthened copper composite that has a combination of high mechanical strength and high electrical conductivity. It has been used as a conductor for 60 T and 100 T ultrahigh field pulsed magnets by the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, USA. In the quest for even higher magnetic field, material development is crucial. Since the mechanical properties of a material are often determined by its microstructure, comprehensive characterization of the microstructure of the material is necessary. In this work, we studied the microstructure of Glidcop® AL-60, AL-25 and AL-15, using both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).<br/>We identified crystal phases of the alumina in these composites and investigated their size and density distribution. We confirmed that Orowan strengthening where dislocations bowing around alumina particles is the main strengthening mechanism. In addition, we carried out studies of samples after plastic deformation to investigate the origin of wire breakage during wire drawing.