Microstructure Regulation and Anti-bonding Performance of Copper Alloy Carburized Layers

SU Liji; ZHOU Xiwen; ZHONG Rong; DAI Wenguang; TONG Yuan; ZHANG Jinyong; ZHOU Guangtao; CHEN Zheng

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.09.017

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Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 18 ›› Issue (9) : 168-175. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.09.017

Copper Alloy Forming

Microstructure Regulation and Anti-bonding Performance of Copper Alloy Carburized Layers

SU Liji^1,2, ZHOU Xiwen¹, ZHONG Rong¹, DAI Wenguang^1,2, TONG Yuan¹, ZHANG Jinyong^1,3,*, ZHOU Guangtao⁴, CHEN Zheng^1,*

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Abstract

To address the bonding failure of new energy vehicle relays under capacitive loads, the work aims to investigate the effect of the carburizing process on the microstructure regulation and anti-bonding performance of CuCr25 and CuCr40 alloys. CuCr alloys were fabricated by ball milling combined with spark plasma sintering, and the as-prepared samples were then subjected to surface modification via vacuum carburizing. XRD, SEM and TEM were employed to characterize the phase composition, the microstructure of the carburized layer, and the surface morphology after arc erosion. A microhardness tester, an electrical conductivity meter and an electrical contact test platform were employed to systematically evaluate the hardness, electrical conductivity, and anti-bonding performance of the materials before and after modification. Nanoscale Cr₂₃C₆ carburized layers measuring 7.516 μm and 8.591 μm in thickness were successfully deposited on CuCr25 and CuCr40 alloy substrates, respectively. Carburizing treatment effectively improved the surface hardness, with a slight decrease in electrical conductivity observed. When subjected to a 750 V/1 500 A capacitive load, the carburized layer markedly enhanced the anti-bonding performance of the CuCr alloys. Specifically, carburized CuCr25 exhibited superior electrical contact life, with the number of anti-bonding cycles increasing from 55 to 78 after treatment. In contrast, CuCr40 showed relatively inferior anti-bonding performance. Mechanistically, the carburized layer exerted a pronounced arc-energy-regulation effect during the contact-closure arcing stage: the instantaneous peak power was reduced by approximately 15%, and the arcing duration was shortened, thereby substantially decreasing the total heat transferred to the contact interface during closure. This work reveals that the carburizing process achieves microstructure regulation of CuCr alloys, with the carburized layer significantly improving anti-bonding performance.

Key words

CuCr alloys / surface carburization / capacitive load / anti-bonding performance

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SU Liji, ZHOU Xiwen, ZHONG Rong, DAI Wenguang, TONG Yuan, ZHANG Jinyong, ZHOU Guangtao, CHEN Zheng. Microstructure Regulation and Anti-bonding Performance of Copper Alloy Carburized Layers[J]. Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering. 2026, 18(9): 168-175 https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.09.017

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Funding

Xuzhou Research Project for Sustainable Development Industry (KC2025133); National Natural Science Foundation of China (52274401); Chongqing Natural Science Foundation (CSTB2023NSCQ-MSX0837)