High Strain-Rate Mechanical Behaviour of a Copper Matrix Composite for Nuclear Applications

Aim of this work is the investigation of mechanical behaviour of an alumina dispersion strengthened copper, known by the trade name GLIDCOP®, subjected to dynamic loads: it is a composite material with a copper matrix strengthened with aluminium oxide ceramic particles. Since the particle content is quite small the material keeps the OFE copper physical properties, such as thermal and electrical conductivity, but with a higher yield strength, like a mild-carbon steel. Besides, with the addition of aluminium oxide, the good mechanical properties are retained also at high temperatures and the resistance to thermal softening is increased: the second phase blocks the dislocation movement preventing the grain growth. Thanks to these properties GLIDCOP® finds several applications in particle accelerator technologies, where problems of thermal management, combined with structural requirements, play a key role. Currently, it is used for the construction of structural and functional parts of the particle beam collimation systems of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN.