Effect of electrification and chlorination on the microstructure and electrical properties of fine Al wires

Abstract

In this study, Al-50 ppm Ni (AN0005) was fabricated into 15, 12, and 4 mil (375, 300, and 100 μm, respectively) wires through the wire drawing process. The thick 12 and 15 mil wires exhibited an isometric crystal structure. A large plastic deformation of the thin 4 mil wire resulted in obvious grain refinement. Thin 4 mil AN0005 wires exhibited the best mechanical performance. In the fusing test, the platform area in I–V curve, called the over resistance zone (OR Zone). The change of wire diameter obtained by the fusing test does not affect the occurrence of the OR Zone and all wire diameters appear incandescent. The change of the fusing current conforms to the empirical formula, which increases as the wire diameter increases. The OR zone decreased with the increase in the diameter of AN0005 wires. During the incandescent stage, the Ni-rich granular eutectic cladding structure caused holes and reduced the electrical effective cross-sectional area, which then affected the electrical properties of the AN0005 wires. In the chlorination test, AN0005 wires of three diameters were soaked in a saturated saline solution for various durations. The mechanical strength of the wires did not change considerably, but the cracks on the surface of the wire because of chlorination caused reduced ductility. The results of the study indicated that aluminum wires were resistant to chloride ion attacks.