Effects of Ce Addition on High Temperature Deformation Behavior of Cu-Cr-Zr Alloys

Hot deformation behavior of the Cu-Cr-Zr and Cu-Cr-Zr-Ce alloys was investigated by compressive tests using the Glee-ble-1500D thermomechanical simulator at 650-850 °C and 0.001-10 s−1 strain rate. The flow stress decreased with the deformation temperature at a given stain rate. However, the flow stress increased with the strain rate at the same deformation temperature. The constitutive equations for two kinds of alloys were obtained by correlating the flow stress, the strain rate and temperature using stepwise regression analysis. The addition of Ce can refine the grain and effectively accelerate dynamic recrystallization. The processing maps were established, based on the dynamic material model. Instability zones in the flow behavior can be easily recognized. Hot deformation optimal processing parameters were obtained in the range of this experiment. The hot deformation characteristics and microstructure were also analyzed by the processing maps. The addition of Ce can optimize hot workability of the Cu-Cr-Zr alloy.