A single-roller melt spinning method was used to produce Cu-Cr microcrystal
alloy ribbons. Upon proper aging treatment, the strength and hardness of t
he alloy were remarkably enhanced while the conductivity only had a minimal
decrease. Grain refinement and coherent dispersion strengthening were prov
ed to be the major factors contributing to the improvement of strength and
hardness of the alloy after aging. The degree of coherent strengthening was
almost identical with that calculated by the Gerold equation. Compared wit
h the solid solution quenched Cu-Cr alloy, the peak hardness was increased
2.6 times, in which about 27% was attributed to the grain refinement and 73
%, in turn, provided by coherent strengthening due to aging precipitation.
Neither the solid solution strengthening nor vacancy strengthening had dete
ctable effect on the strength and hardness of the rapidly solidified Cu-Cr
alloy. (C) 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers.