Deformation of cold-rolled wire-reinforced copper composites

Abstract

Copper composites made by hot-pressing, and reinforced with nickel, molybdenum, tungsten and stainless steel wires, were cold-rolled and tested for their mechanical properties, microstructures, and orientation textures. The amount of reduction in rolling to wire instability was related to the work-hardening behaviour of both wire and matrix. The fibre lengths after multiple necking and fracture were related to the critical transfer length at fibre instability. Fibre fracture modes varied with matrix deformation mechanisms operative at various reductions. Strengthening in the direction of the wires followed ‘rule of mixtures’ predictions, but transverse strengthening was lower than predicted by theory. Matrix orientation textures were only slightly different from the pure metal type textures.