NEW ALUMINIUM ALLOYS FOR ELECTRICAL WIRES OF FINE DIAMETER FOR AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

作者：Jablonski M^*; Knych T; Smyrak B

来源：Archives of Metallurgy and Materials, 2009, 54(3): 671-676.

• fine Al wires
• aluminium rod
• iron in aluminium
• CCR

In the recent years economic reasons have forced us to search for new applications of aluminium and its alloys in electrical engineering as an alternative material for the traditionally used copper. Presently aluminium wires with the diameter not exceeding 1 mm are used for the production of automotive conductors, accumulator cables and winding wires. In this case the possibilities for mass processing of aluminium into fine wires are significantly limited by the technological problems. The main reasons for the limited aluminium deformation properties, so important in the wire drawing process, are the high coefficient of friction, adherence of the material to the tool surface and too low plasticity resulting from the natural occurrence of silicone in the bauxite. Silicone causes cracking of the material as a result of which a net of micro-cracks forms on its surface limiting the wire deformation properties. Elimination or significant reduction of this negative phenomenon may be obtained by introducing iron to aluminium which by forming hard and high-melting chemical compounds such as Al(3)Fe will help in self-cleaning of the wire drawing die surface by removing the adhered patches of aluminium and will lower the aluminium ductility threshold. Additionally, by binding silicone, iron improves the electrical conductivity of the material and also its plasticity liquidating the stress concentration points, particularly dangerous in case of the hardened fine wires.
The article presents the analysis of the influence of iron addition on the properties and deformability of aluminium rod and aluminium wires as well as the results of the author's own research on unalloyed aluminium rod with varied iron content used for the processing of fine wires designated for the production of automotive bundles. It has also been proved that the increase of the content of iron does Hot significantly decrease the electrical conductivity of the material and enables drawing of the fine 0.1 mm wires on the industrial scale.

• 出版日期2009