Concerning "cold welding" in crimped connections

The integrity of crimped connections has been described as dependent on the formation of "cold welded" microjunctions under a proper residual force distribution. This paper documents the presence of "cold welded" regions in a crimped connection consisting of a brass crimp barrel and a composite wire construction of mixed copper and silver conductors. Transfer of the conductor materials between themselves and to the crimp barrel, as well as between the crimp barrel and the conductors, was verified by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and is taken as indicative of "cold welding".