Effect of Boronizing Treatment on the Conductivity of a High-Conductivity and Heat-Resisting Al-Zr Alloy Conductor Material

Abstract

The effect of boronizing treatment on the conductivity of a high-conductivity and heat-resistant Al-Zr alloy conductor material was studied. The results showed that the conductivity of industrial pure Al containing transition element (Ti, V, Cr, Mn)>0.01 wt % (mass fraction, the same below) was improved to a certain extent by using boronizing treatment to remove transition metal elements through the formation of borides. Using the boronizing treatment, B can react with transition elements to form blocky (Ti, V, Fe)B2 and flocculent (Ti, V, Fe, Zr)B2. The boronizing treatment makes Ti and V out of the solid solution state, form borides and finally deposit to the bottom of the furnace, thus significantly improving the conductivity of the ingot. In addition, Cr and Mn were not found in the borides at the bottom of the furnace. However, for the high-conductivity and heat-resisting Al-Zr alloy conductor material, B will have poison effects on Zr during boronizing treatment, thus reducing the heat-resistance of the alloy. Therefore, in the preparation process of high-conductivity and heat-resistant Al-Zr alloy conductor material, the converter process should be added after boronizing treatment to ensure that the Al-Zr alloy conductor material has good heat-resistance and conductivity at the same time.