Highly Conductive and Formable Copper Alloys

Wednesday, September 15, 2021: 3:00 PM
223 (America's Center)
Dr. Carole L. Trybus , Materion Performance Alloys & Composites, Elmore, OH
Rhea Christopherson , Materion Performance Alloys & Composites, Elmore, OH
Mr. John C. Kuli , Materion Performance Alloys & Composites, Elmore, OH
The constant evolution of electronic devices drives the need for the development of new materials. Connectors, central components in modern devices, require materials with the resilience of steel, the conductivity and formability of copper, and the corrosion resistance of gold at a low cost. No material currently exists that meets all these demands, but materials have been designed to optimize specific properties to fit each application.

In response to the challenge for new electronic materials, Materion – Performance Alloys & Composites has developed a new series of copper alloys, QMet™, that feature excellent formability with increased conductivity, while maintaining high strength levels. This paper presents the development of Alloy QMet™ 300, a Cu-Cr-Ag base alloy with high conductivity (80%IACS) and highly desirable bend formability (0/0 MBR/t both ways), while achieving a nominal yield strength of 75 KSI.

QMet™ 300 strip alloy described herein is lean (99+% Cu) and depends on unique thermal-mechanical processing to keep grain and precipitate sizes small; so that conductivity and formability are simultaneously maintained. The microstructural evolution of QMet™300 will be discussed in detail, and key connector properties of QMet™300 will be compared to other available copper alloys.