Cu-Ti alloys were strengthened by β’-Cu₄Ti metastable precipitation during aging. With the extension of the aging time, the β’-Cu₄Ti metastable phase transformed into the equilibrium β-Cu₄Ti phase. The Cu-3.5 wt% Ti(Cu-4.6 at% Ti) alloys with different processing were aged at different temperatures for various times after solution treatment at 880 °C for 1 h. The electrical conductivity of samples under different heat treatments had shown an upward trend as time increased during aging, but the hardness reached the peak value and then decreased. The hardness and electrical conductivity of the samples with 70% deformation after aging are higher tha n the samples without deformation. Deformation after aging would cause the metastable phase to dissolve into a matrix. The best combination value of conductivity and hardness is 13.88% IACS and 340.78 Hv, and the optimal heat treatment is 500 °C for 2 h + 70% deformation + 450 °C for 2 h.

The field of artificial intelligence and integrated circuits is experiencing rapid development, particularly in the area of highly integrated and miniaturized components, in which Cu-Ag alloys, as a typical lead frame material, play a crucial role. However, current research is primarily focused on low Ag content alloys, and there are few studies on the regulation of the microstructure and mechanical properties of high Ag content Cu-Ag alloys. This limitation hindered the development and utilization of the high Ag content Cu-Ag alloys. In this study, the microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu-28Ag (wt. %) alloy after room temperature and cryogenic rolling were investigated. It was demonstrated that the cryogenic rolling yielded better surface quality, an enhanced dendrite refinement effect, and a more distinct layer structure compared to room temperature rolling. The conductivity of the alloy decreased after cryogenic rolling due to increased electron scattering within the Cu matrix. The tensile strength improved, but the elongation decreased. Specifically, at a deformation amount of 95%, the alloy exhibited an ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation of 640 MPa, 631 MPa, and 1.9%, respectively. This strengthening was mainly attributed to the refinement of grains, the presence of dislocations, and precipitation. Furthermore, the samples subjected to liquid nitrogen rolling at a deformation amount of 95% exhibited improved homogeneous deformation capacity, which was attributed to grain size refinement, uniform distribution of high-density dislocations, deformation structure, and heterogeneity-induced deformation enhancement.

This study systematically investigated the effects of tailored heat treatments on the microstructural evolution, mechanical properties, and erosion–corrosion resistance of Cu-10Ni-3Al-1.8Fe-0.8Mn alloy. Four heat treatment conditions—as-cast (AC-1); homogenized (H-2); and deformation–aged at 500 °C (D-3) and 750 °C (D-4)—were applied to elucidate the interplay between microstructure and performance. The D-3 specimen, subjected to deformation followed by aging at 500 °C for 0.5 h, demonstrated superior properties: a Vickers hardness of 118 HV5 (83.3% higher than H-2) and an erosion–corrosion rate of 0.0075 mm/a (84.1% reduction compared to H-2). These enhancements were attributed to the uniform dispersion of nanoscale Ni₃Al precipitates within the matrix, which optimized precipitation strengthening and reduced micro-galvanic corrosion. The D-3 specimen also formed a dense, crack-free Cu₂O corrosion product film with a flat matrix interface, confirmed by SEM cross-sectional analysis and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), exhibiting the highest charge transfer resistance and film impedance.