Materion Corporation
COPPER-BERYLLIUM ALLOY WITH HIGH STRENGTH

Abstract:

A process for producing a copper-beryllium alloy product. The process comprises preparing a base alloy having 0.15 wt %-4.0 wt % beryllium and having grains and an initial cross section area. The process further comprises cold working the base alloy to a percentage of cold reduction of area (CRA) greater than 40%, based on the initial cross section area, and heat treating the cold worked alloy to produce the copper-beryllium alloy product. The grain structure of the copper-beryllium alloy product has an orientation angle of less than 45.degree. when viewed along the direction of the cold working. The copper-beryllium alloy product demonstrates a fatigue strength of at least 385 MPa after 10.sup.6 cycles of testing.