20 times more plastic: an aluminum alloy has been created for high-tech industries

Researchers from NUST MISIS have developed a nanostructured deformable aluminum-based alloy with increased heat resistance, electrical conductivity and plasticity, which meets the requirements of modern energy and is intended for electrical systems – conductors, cables, transformers. The plasticity of the material is 20 times higher than the minimum requirements established by the interstate standard – the ability of the alloy to deform without destruction under the influence of mechanical loads and thermal expansion depends on it. The introduction of the development into production will reduce the cost of finished products.
Aluminum is a promising alternative to copper in the energy industry due to its lightness and electrical conductivity. However, for effective use, the material must retain its properties at high temperatures. As part of the research work, young scientists from MISIS worked on the creation of nanostructured alloys that allow an extended range of impurities, which, due to modern approaches to optimizing the phase composition, make it possible to achieve a high range of physical and mechanical properties and increase resistance to temperature effects. The developed alloy contains useful additives of calcium and zirconium, and allows for admixtures of manganese and iron.
To obtain the wire, the researchers used a number of methods in laboratory conditions of industrial process modeling: continuous casting and rolling, as well as casting in an electromagnetic crystallizer, which provides a uniform and dispersed structure, followed by continuous pressing using Conform technology. As a result, it was possible to obtain materials with a minimum number of internal defects and improved strength characteristics. Detailed results of the study are described in the journal “Non-ferrous Metals” and Physics of Metals and Metallography.
In the future, the scientists plan to conduct research in conditions as close as possible to operational ones. The work was carried out with the support of the Russian Science Foundation (project No. 22-79-00106).