Copper-Based High-Temperature Materials from CEP Freiberg
Materials that achieve the seemingly impossible…
High-temperature materials are materials that can withstand high temperatures during processing and use without losing their most important mechanical/technological properties – strength, hardness, and wear resistance. In this context, all temperatures above the recrystallisation temperature of the respective material are considered “high” temperatures.
High-temperature materials usually consist of alloys of different metals (e.g., Ni, Co, Mo ... the so-called “superalloys”), but also of special ceramics. Their resistance to high temperatures, which often exceeds 1,500 °C, comes at the price of disadvantages in other mechanical and technological properties, such as toughness, machinability and conductivity.
In the much sought-after operating range of between 700 °C and 900 °C, which is already too demanding for typical metals and alloys, the use of these special materials is, however, inefficient. What is needed is a material “in between”.
Where are high-temperature materials used?
In particular, such high-temperature materials are required in processes where the components get hot during use – for example, in welding systems, in electron beam technology, or in high-voltage electrotechnical systems.
However, high-temperature materials are also necessary when components have to be exposed to high temperatures during their own production, but without losing their properties – for example, during joining or heat-treatment processes.
Copper-based high-temperature materials
CEP DISCUP® is a unique high-temperature material produced by CEP Freiberg by means of powder metallurgy. It is based on copper that undergoes dispersion hardening, making it a so-called ODS copper.
A ‘high-temperature copper material’ is almost a contradiction in terms, because it combines seemingly incompatible things: While it is an almost ideal electrical and thermal conductor, it is also particularly strong, hard and tough – at temperatures of up to 900 °C. This is what CEP Freiberg refers to as the material’s ‘CT’ (Conductivity/Temperature resistance) property.
CEP DISCUP® is resistant to abrasive wear, exhibits elastic properties and good sliding behaviour, and is radiation-resistant.
The most extraordinary property, however, is the “strength memory” of CEP DISCUP® – the strength of the material restores itself and softening due to overheating is reversed by the strength-memory property when the material cools down after being heated above 900 °C.
CEP Freiberg’s copper-based high-temperature materials are offered in different variants. In addition to CEP DISCUP®, there is also CEP DISCUP® VOLT, a material specifically designed for electrical cables, contacts and for spot-welding electrode caps. The composite tubes produced from CEP DISCUP®+Cu, on the other hand, are used to manufacture particularly durable contact tips or collets for arc welding.
How are copper-based high-temperature materials such as CEP DISCUP® produced?
The powder-metallurgical feedstock for the high-temperature material is produced via the RMMA process – a cold alloying procedure. The resulting material granulate is processed into semi-finished products by indirect extrusion, hydrostatic extrusion or a continuous powder-extrusion process called PERCOFORM®. Further processing into end products is performed by cold extrusion or machining.
Would you like to know more about our high-temperature materials? Then please feel free to call us or to send us a message.