Microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu-Ni-Si alloy plate produced by HCCM horizontal continuous casting

C70250 (Cu-2.6 wt%Ni-0.5 wt%Si) alloy plates with straight columnar grains, inclined columnar grains and equiaxed grains were produced by a heating-cooling combined mold (HCCM) horizontal continuous casting, respectively, and the influences of microstructure on the mechanical properties of the alloy were studied. The results showed that, when the casting speed was 30 mm/min, the straight columnar grains along the casting direction formed in the C70250 alloy plate and the precipitate content was relatively high, ～ 10%. When the casting speed was 50 mm/min and 80 mm/min, inclined columnar grains and equiaxed grains formed, respectively, with a low precipitate content of 6%. The high casting speed made the solid-liquid interface at the entrance of the cold mold and the solidified plate was cooled rapidly due to strong cooling effect, which suppressed formation of precipitated phase. The yield strength of the alloy plate with equiaxed grains were 219 MPa and the elongation to failure was 36%. For the plate with inclined columnar grains, its yield strength (76 MPa) were obviously lower than that of the other two plates and the elongation reached 45%. Compared with the equiaxed grain plate, the columnar grain plate had smaller grain orientation difference, better intergranular deformation compatibility and intergranular deformation uniformity, which was mainly responsible for its better plasticity.