Olin Corporation

Other

Wieland-werke Ag

Gbc Metals, LLC

Ronald N Caron

John F Breedis

Frank N Mandigo

David D McDevitt

Jacob Crane

W Gary Watson

Stanley Shapiro

Dennis R Brauer

Joseph Saleh

Carl L Deppisch

Derek E Tyler

Richard P Vierod

Michael J Pryor

Julius C Fister

Harvey P Cheskis

Andrew J Brock

Szuchain F Chen

William L Brenneman

Peter W Robinson

Hans-Achim Kuhn

William G Watson

Andreas Boegel

Joerg Seeger

Jack Crane

J&ouml;rg Seeger

Richard J Slusar

James A Scheuneman

Andreas B&ouml;gel

Mark N Pearman

A copper alloy that consists essentially of, by weight, from 0.15% to 0.7% of chromium, from 0.005% to 0.3% of silver, from 0.01% to 0.15% of titanium, from 0.01% to 0.10% of silicon, up to 0.2% of iron, up to 0.5% of tin, and the balance copper and inevitable impurities has high strength, a yield strength in excess of 80 ksi, and high electrical conductivity, in excess of 80% IACS. The alloy further has substantially isotropic bend characteristics when the processing route includes a solution heat anneal above 850&deg; C. and subsequent cold rolling into sheet, strip or foil interspersed by bell annealing. As a result, the alloy is particularly suited for forming into box-type electrical connectors for both automotive or multimedia applications. The alloy is also suitable for forming into a rod, wire or section.

Silver containing copper alloy

An alpha brass (copper/zinc alloy with less than 39%, by weight, of zinc) stock alloy has controlled additions of nickel, tin and phosphorous. The combination of nickel and tin increase resistance of the alloy to elevated temperature stress relaxation. As a result, spring contacts formed from alloys of the invention maintain a higher percentage of initially imposed stress at elevated temperatures, in the range of 125&deg; C. to 150&deg; C., for significantly longer times than other brass alloys of comparable strength.

Stress relaxation resistant brass

There is provided a tin brass alloy having a grain structure that is refined by the addition of controlled amounts of both zinc and iron. Direct chill cast alloys containing from 1% to 4%, by weight of tin, from 0.8% to 4% of iron, from an amount effective to enhance iron initiated grain refinement to 35% of zinc and the remainder copper and inevitable impurities are readily hot worked. The zinc addition further increases the strength of the alloy and improves the bend formability in the 'good way', perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of a rolled strip. Certain of the grain refined brass alloys are useful as semisolid forming feedstock.

Iron modified tin brass

There is provided a phosphor bronze alloy having a grain structure that is refined by the addition of a controlled amount of iron. Direct chill cast alloys containing from 1.5% to 2.5%, by weight tin, from 1.65% to 2.65% iron, from 0.03% to 0.35% phosphorous and the remainder copper and inevitable impurities have an as-cast average crystalline grain size of less than 100 microns and are readily hot worked. When the iron content is too low, the average crystalline grain size increases and the alloy cracks during hot working. When the iron content is too high, iron stringers form, detrimentally impacting both the appearance and properties of a wrought strip.

Iron modified phosphor-bronze

There is provided a tin brass alloy having a grain structure that is refined by the addition of controlled amounts of both zinc and iron. Direct chill cast alloys containing from 1% to 4%, by weight of tin, from 0.8% to 4% of iron, from an amount effective to enhance iron initiated grain refinement to 20% of zinc and the remainder copper and inevitable impurities are readily hot worked. The zinc addition further increases the strength of the alloy and improves the bend formability in the 'good way', perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of a rolled strip.

A flexible circuit to interconnect two components of an electrical device is formed with a flexible polymeric substrate. A copper alloy is laminated to the flexible substrate. This copper alloy is processed to have relatively high strength, an ultimate tensile strength in excess of about 80 ksi, by either alloying additions, by processing or by a combination of the two. When such an alloy is laminated to the polymeric substrate, the resultant flexible circuit has improved (more cycles to failure) dynamic fatigue performance when compared to both pure copper and dilute copper alloys.

Copper alloy foils for flexible circuits

There is provided a machinable .alpha.+.beta. brass containing bismuth and phosphorous. By maintaining the phosphorous content within a critical range, the alloy exhibits good elevated temperature tensile elongation in the temperature range of 100.degree. C.-350.degree. C. without a decrease in machinability due to phosphide formation. In preferred embodiments, the alloy further contains a tin addition for enhanced corrosion resistance. The combination of tin and phosphorous provides enhanced corrosion resistance to the alloy than could be predicted from either addition alone.

Corrosion-resistant bismuth brass

There are disclosed processing methods to improve the properties of copper base alloys containing chromium and zirconium. One method of processing results in a copper alloy having high strength and high electrical conductivity. A second method of processing results in a copper alloy with even higher strength and a minimal reduction in electrical conductivity. While a third method of processing results in a copper alloy having improved bend formability.

Process for improving the bend formability of copper alloys

Copper base alloys having improved bend formability

Machinable alpha beta brass having a reduced lead concentration is claimed. The alloy contains bismuth to improve machinability. Either a portion of the zinc is replaced with aluminum, silicon or tin, or a portion of the copper is replaced with iron, nickel or manganese.

Machinable copper alloys having reduced lead content

A method of making a composite material in which a porous preform is produced by spray casting. An appropriate metal or alloy is caused to infiltrate the interconnected pores. This may be accomplished by infiltrating the porous preform with a liquid metal of a melting point lower than the melting point of the porous preform and thereafter solidifying the infiltrated material or the material can be infiltrated by the use of a slurry containing the desired particles and the liquid carrier driven off by baking the infiltrated preform. Alternatively, infiltration may be accomplished by plating of a desired metal or alloy from an appropriate infiltrate electroplating or electro-less plating solution.

Method for producing a composite material

There is disclosed a copper base alloy which contains specified additions of chromium, zirconium, cobalt and/or iron, and titanium as well as methods for the processing of the copper alloy. One method of processing results in a copper alloy having high strength and high electrical conductivity. A second method of processing results in a copper alloy with even higher strength and a minimal reduction in electrical conductivity.

Copper alloy having high strength and high electrical conductivity

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Branford, CT, United States of America

Ronald N Caron