Cross-sectional structure, microstructure and mechanical property evolutions of brass cladding pure copper stranded wire composite during drawing

Abstract

Abstract A solid/liquid continuous casting and composite technology was used to produce d8.5 mm brass cladding pure copper stranded wire composite billet and the composite billet was then drawn. The results showed that the composite billet had good surface quality, metallurgical bonding interface between brass and pure copper as well as elongation of 53.1%. Synergistic deformation degree between pure copper wire and brass cladding layer was high during drawing. With an increase of the total deformation amount, the plastic deformation of the pure copper wire reduced triangular arc gaps between the pure copper wires and the triangular arc gaps were fully filled at 50%. When the total deformation amount was increased to 63%, dislocation cells and microbands successively formed in the pure copper wire. In the brass cladding layer, planar dislocation networks, twins and shear bands formed successively, and the main deformation mechanisms were dislocation sliding, twinning and shear deformation. The tensile strength increased from 240 MPa of the composite billet to 519 MPa of the one with the deformation amount of 63%, but the elongation decreased from 53.1% to 3.2%. A process of solid/liquid continuous casting and composite forming→drawing can work as a new compact method to produce brass cladding pure copper stranded wire composite as railway through grounding wire.