Physical and Mechanical Properties of Copper and Copper Alloys
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This article was originally published in the Comprehensive Nuclear Materials published by Elsevier, and the attached copy is provided by Elsevier for the author's benefit and for the benefit of the author's institution, for non-commercial research and educational use including without limitation use in instruction at your institution, sending it to specific colleagues who you know, and providing a copy to your institution’s administrator. All other uses, reproduction and distribution, including without limitation commercial reprints, selling or licensing copies or access, or posting on open internet sites, your personal or institution’s website or repository, are prohibited. For exceptions, permission may be sought for such use through Elsevier's permissions site at: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/permissionusematerial Li M. and Zinkle S.J. (2012) Physical and Mechanical Properties of Copper and Copper Alloys. In: Konings R.J.M., (ed.) Comprehensive Nuclear Materials, volume 4, pp. 667- 690 Amsterdam: Elsevier. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Author's personal copy 4.20 Physical and Mechanical Properties of Copper and Copper Alloys M. Li Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, USA S. J. Zinkle Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA Published by Elsevier Ltd. 4.20.1 Introduction 667 4.20.2 Copper and High-Strength, High-Conductivity Copper Alloys 668 4.20.2.1 Pure Copper 668 4.20.2.2 PH Copper Alloys 668 4.20.2.2.1 CuCrZr alloy 669 4.20.2.2.2 CuNiBe alloy 670 4.20.2.2.3 CuNiSi 670 4.20.2.3 DS Copper Alloys 670 4.20.3 Physical Properties of Copper and Copper Alloys 671 4.20.4 Mechanical Properties of Copper and Copper Alloys 671 4.20.4.1 Tensile Properties 671 4.20.4.2 Fracture Toughness 673 4.20.4.3 Creep 674 4.20.4.4 Fatigue and Creep–Fatigue 674 4.20.5 Irradiation Effects in Copper and Copper Alloys 675 4.20.5.1 Effect of Irradiation on Physical Properties of Copper and Copper Alloys 676 4.20.5.2 Effect of Irradiation on Mechanical Properties of Copper and Copper Alloys 676 4.20.5.2.1 Tensile properties 676 4.20.5.2.2 Fracture toughness 678 4.20.5.2.3 Fatigue and creep–fatigue 678 4.20.5.2.4 Irradiation creep and void swelling 678 4.20.5.3 Effect of Irradiation on Microstructure of Copper and Copper Alloys 681 4.20.5.3.1 Defect structure in irradiated copper and copper alloys 681 4.20.5.3.2 Dislocation channeling 684 4.20.6 Joining 685 4.20.7 Summary 687 References 688 SFT Abbreviations Stacking fault tetrahedral TCH Tension and compression hold CW Cold worked DS Dispersion strengthened FFTF Fast Flux Test Facility G-P Guinier–Preston 4.20.1 Introduction HIP Hot isostatic pressing IACS International Annealed Copper Standard Copper alloys are prime candidates for high heat flux JET Joint European Torus applications in fusion energy systems. High heat MOTA Materials Open Test Assembly flux is a major challenge for various fusion devices OFHC Oxygen-free, high conductivity because of the extremely high energy density required PH Precipitation hardened in controlled thermonuclear fusion. The removal of a SAA Solution annealed, and aged condition large amount of heat generated in the plasma through 667 Comprehensive Nuclear Materials (2012), vol. 4, pp. 667-690 Author's personal copy 668 Physical and Mechanical Properties of Copper and Copper Alloys the first wall structure imposes a major constraint on copper has room temperature electrical conductivities the component design life. Materials with high con- equal to or greater than 100% International Annealed ductivity are needed to assist heat transfer to the Copper Standard (IACS), where 100% IACS ¼ 17.241 coolant and to reduce the thermal stress for pulsed nO mat20C.3 Copper grades with the ASTM/SAE mode of operation. unified number system (UNS) designation C10100, A number of issues must be considered in the C10200, C10400, C10500, and C10700 are classified as selection of materials for high heat flux applications OFHC copper. Grades C10400, C10500, and C10700 in fusion reactors. While high conductivity is the key have significant silver content, which creates activa- property for such applications, high strength and tion hazards. Only C10100 and C10200 are considered radiation resistance are also essential for the effective for fusion systems. performance of materials in a high heat flux, high The use of unalloyed copper is often limited by its irradiation environment. In addition, fatigue behavior low strength. Copper can be strengthened by various is a major concern for many high heat flux applica- processes, for example, cold working, grain refine- tions because of planned or inadvertent changes in the ment, solid solution hardening, precipitation hard- thermal loading. Pure copper has high thermal con- ening, dispersion strengthening, etc. While these ductivity but rather low strength, and therefore its approaches can significantly increase the strength, application as heat sinks is limited. The strength of they can also lead to a pronounced reduction in con- copper can be improved by various strengthening ductivity. The challenge is to design a material with mechanisms. Among them, precipitation hardening the best combination of strength and conductivity. and dispersion strengthening are the two most viable Cold work can significantly increase the strength mechanisms for improving the strength of copper of pure copper and has a relatively moderate effect on while retaining its high electrical and thermal con- conductivity.4 However, cold-worked copper can be ductivities. A number of precipitation-hardened (PH) softened at relatively low temperatures (200 C) and dispersion-strengthened (DS) copper alloys are because of its low recrystallization temperature.5 commercially available, and have been evaluated for A recent study has shown that ultrahigh-strength fusion applications, for example, PH CuCrZr, and high-conductivity copper can be produced by ® CuNiBe, CuNiSi, and DS GlidCop Al15, Al25, introducing a high density of nanoscale twin bound- Al60, MAGT-0.2, etc. Two copper alloys that are aries.6 The tensile strength of the nano-grained cop- most appealing are PH CuCrZr and DS CuAl25. per can be increased by a factor of 10 compared to Surveys of copper alloys for fusion applications were conventional coarse-grained copper, while retaining conducted by Butterworth and Forty1 and Zinkle and a comparable conductivity. The potential of high- Fabritsiev. 2 strength, high-conductivity bulk nano-grained cop- In this chapter, a brief description of pure copper per in nuclear energy systems, however, has not been and several copper alloys of interest to fusion appli- widely explored. cations is presented, followed by a summary of their Alloying in copper can significantly improve physical and mechanical properties. The radiation mechanical strengths and raise the softening tempera- effects on the physical and mechanical properties of tures. However, additions of alloying elements also copper and copper alloys as well as their irradiated reduce electrical and thermal conductivity. Among microstructure are then discussed. Joining techniques the three alloying strengthening mechanisms, namely, for plasma facing components in fusion reactors are solid solution hardening, precipitation hardening, and also discussed. dispersion strengthening, solid solution hardening has 4 the most detrimental effects on the conductivity and is the least favored mechanism to obtain high- 4.20.2 Copper and High-Strength, conductivity, high-strength copper alloys. High-Conductivity Copper Alloys 4.20.2.1 Pure Copper 4.20.2.2 PH Copper Alloys Copper is widely used where high electrical or ther- PH copper alloys are heat-treatable alloys. The high mal conductivity is required. Pure copper is defined as strength of PH copper alloys is attributed to the having a minimum copper content of 99.3%. Copper uniform distribution of fine precipitates of second- with oxygen content below 10 ppm is called ‘oxygen- phase particles in the copper matrix. PH copper alloys free.’ ‘Oxygen-free, high conductivity’ (OFHC) grade are produced by conventional solution treatment Comprehensive Nuclear Materials (2012), vol. 4, pp. 667-690 Author's personal copy Physical and Mechanical Properties of Copper and Copper Alloys 669 and aging treatment. Solution treatment produces improves the hardening by the enhancement of a homogeneous solid solution by the heating of an fine homogeneous precipitation and improves the alloy to a sufficiently high temperature to dissolve ductility of the alloy by inhibiting intergranular all solutes. The alloy is then quenched to a lower fracture.8–10 CuCrZr-IG is the ITER grade with temperature to create a supersaturated condition. tighter specification for composition and heat treat- A subsequent aging treatment heats the alloy to ment. CuCrZr alloys are available in different forms, an intermediate temperature below the solvus tem- for example, bars, tubes, wires, foils, sheets, and perature, to precipitate fine second-phase particles. plates. Hot forming, brazing, and inert gas welding Precipitates not only give rise to high strength, but are applicable for component manufacturing. also reduce the solute content in the matrix, main- CuCrZr alloys are used in the conventional aged taining good conductivity. The strength of a PH alloy condition. The reference ITER heat treatment in- depends on particle size, particle shape, volume frac- cludes solution annealing at 980–1000 C for 1 h, 11 tion, particle distribution, and the nature of the inter- water quench, and aging at 450–480 C for 2–4 h. phase boundary.7 Despite their ability to develop Typical microstructure of the prime-aged CuCrZr significant strength, PH copper alloys may be soft- is shown in Figure 1(a). The alloy contains an ened substantially as a result of precipitation coars- equiaxed grain structure and uniformly distributed ening (overaging) at intermediate to high service fine Guinier–Preston (GP) zones exhibiting primarily temperatures or because of recrystallization during black dot contrasts and a small number of precipitates brazing or diffusion bonding.