Abstract
Contact tip is located so near to welding arc that it is heated to high temperature during long time welding. In such a situation, tip changes in its microstructure and in turn its mechanical properties. This study was intended to investigate those changes by using simulated heat treatment. As a result of this study, it was confirmed that tip of Cu-P alloy hardened with severe cold deformation lose its initial hardness to a large extent within 60 min due to the occurrence of rapid recrystallization while that of Cu-Cr composition hardened by proper aging treatment can preserve its intial hardness for about 1,000 min or longer. Based on these results, suggested was a guideline that can classify contact tips into two different grades: deformation-hardened type and precipitation-hardened type. Following a guideline, a tip with Cu-Cr composition can be classified into the deformation-hardened type if it is in the over-aged condition. Such a guideline is well described.
