Cu-Nb, Cu/Cu-Nb and CuFe conductors

Nanostructured Cu-Nb wires is a new class of electro technical conductors. These conductors are characterized by a unique combination of high mechanical strength and high conductivity. Ultimate tensile strength (UTS) higher than 1100 MPa and conductivity higher than 70% IACS (International annealed Copper Standard, where 100% IACS is 1.7241 μΩ • cm.

Anomalous increase of strength in microcomposite Cu-Nb wires is associated with the nanoscaled dimensions of the ribbon like niobium filaments embedded in copper matrix. Extremely high values of strength (UTS) in nanostructured composite materials is not associated with the high density of dislocations in both components (BCC – Nb – filaments and FCC – Cu – matrix). The performance parameters – Strength and Conductivity are defined by the specially organized highly extended boundaries regions in two components composite materials. The boundary area should be well coherent - orientations of BCC (011) planes and FCC (111) should be strictly aligned due to texturing through large drawing deformation with precise intermediate heat treatments.

The principal difference between traditional materials and nanostructured composite materials is the absence of the saturation of the mechanical strength with deformation.