Copper-Chromium Precipitation Hardening
A thermal aging treatment of CuCr alloys where chromium particles precipitate from the supersaturated matrix while maintaining electrical conductivity.
Copper-chromium precipitation hardening is a heat treatment process: you dissolve the chromium in the copper matrix, quench it, and then let it finely precipitate again at a specific temperature. This gives the material strength without ruining the electrical conductivity. When welding, you have to be careful: the heat from welding can alter the alloy's condition again. If you don't control the base material temperature, the zone next to the weld will soften or lose conductivity. The exact times and temperatures depend on the alloy, so check the data sheet. For practice, this means: work clean, keep heat input low, and if in doubt, repeat the heat treatment after welding if the requirements demand it.