Revealing the Relationship Between Morphology of Pb-Rich Secondary Phases and Mechanical Properties of Laminated Cu–Pb–Sn/Steel Composite Through CALPHAD and FEA

Laminated Cu–Pb–Sn/Steel composites (C/SC) with Pb-rich secondary phases (SPs) in different morphology were prepared by solid–liquid continuous casting compositing (S-LC). SPs transform from network to rod-like to abnormally coarsening morphology with casting temperatures increasing from 1473 K to 1513 K to 1533 K. The prepared C/SC possesses a high-quality interface and high bonding strength due to the existence of the Cu/Fe interdiffusion layer with a thickness of about 0.75 μ m. The thickness calculated by CALPHAD is in the range of 0.38 to 1.35 μ m which is consistent with experimental results. The mechanical properties of C/SC present a high correlation with the morphology of SPs. C/SC with network and rod-like SPs, respectively, shows the lowest and highest plasticity and carrying capacity. Finite element analysis (FEA) was conducted to simulate the plastic deformation of C/SC. By comparing the experiments with FEA results, the network SPs with high continuity were proven to significantly decrease the tensile strength and elongation of Cu–Pb–Sn alloy layer of C/SC by splitting the matrix. C/SC with rod-like SPs presents the highest mechanical performance due to the minimal damage to matrix. Graphical Abstract