Effect of cryo-rolling on aging hardening of CuNi ₃ SiCr alloy

This study investigates the influence of cryo-rolling combined with different quenching methods on the aging hardening behavior of the CuNi 3 SiCr copper alloy. The alloy was subjected to solution annealing followed by either conventional water quenching and cryogenic quenching using dry ice, and subsequent cold deformation. Metallurgical characterization studies were conducted, and structural components specific to the conditions were determined. Electrical conductivity and hardness measurements were conducted to assess aging kinetics and mechanical strengthening. The results reveal that cryogenic quenching induces higher lattice strain and dislocation density, promoting accelerated precipitation kinetics during aging. Cryo-rolling further enhances nucleation by increasing dislocation density, resulting in finer and more uniformly distributed Ni 2 Si precipitates. This combined processing route significantly improves hardness and electrical conductivity compared to conventional treatment. Avrami kinetics modeling of precipitation behavior, supported by electrical conductivity data, confirms the enhanced transformation rates induced by cryogenic treatment and deformation. The findings demonstrate that cryo-rolling coupled with cryogenic quenching is an effective strategy to optimize the microstructure and property balance of CuNi 3 SiCr alloys for advanced electrical and structural applications.