Ngk Insulators, Inc.

Tohoku University

Takashi Goto

Naokuni Muramatsu

Takanari Nakajima

Hirokazu Katsui

Akihisa Inoue

Hisamichi Kimura

Masaaki Akaiwa

A conductive supporting member includes an outer portion that includes a Cu matrix phase and a second phase dispersed in the Cu matrix phase and containing a Cu&#x2014;Zr compound and that has an alloy composition represented by Cu-xZr (x is atomic % of Zr and 0.5&#x2264;x&#x2264;16.7 is satisfied) and an inner portion that is present on an inner side of the outer portion, is formed of a metal containing Cu, and has higher conductivity than the outer portion.

Conductive supporting member and method for producing the same

An electrically conductive tip member includes: an inner periphery portion including a Cu matrix phase and a second phase that is dispersed in the Cu matrix phase and contains a Cu&#x2014;Zr-based compound, the inner periphery portion having an alloy composition of Cu-xZr (where x is the atomic percentage of Zr and satisfies 0.5&#x2264;x&#x2264;16.7); and an outer periphery portion that is present on an outer circumferential side of the inner periphery portion, made of a metal containing Cu, and has higher electrical conductivity than the inner periphery portion.

Electrically conductive tip member and method for producing the same

A method for manufacturing a copper alloy according to the present invention comprises (a) weighing a copper powder and one of a Cu&#x2014;Zr master alloy and a ZrHpowder such that an alloy composition of Cu-xZr (x is the atomic % of Zr, and 0.5&#x2264;x&#x2264;8.6 is satisfied) is obtained and pulverizing and mixing the copper powder and the one of the Cu&#x2014;Zr master alloy and the ZrHpowder in an inert atmosphere until an average particle diameter D50 falls within the range of from 1 &#x3bc;m to 500 &#x3bc;m to thereby obtain a powder mixture; and (b) subjecting the powder mixture to spark plasma sintering by holding the powder mixture at a prescribed temperature lower than eutectic temperature while the powder mixture is pressurized at a pressure within a prescribed range.

Method for manufacturing copper alloy and copper alloy

A copper alloy of the present invention contains 5.00 to 8.00 atomic percent of Zr and includes Cu and a Cu&#x2014;Zr compound, and two phases of the Cu and the Cu&#x2014;Zr compound form a mosaic-like structure which includes no eutectic phase and in which when viewed in cross section, crystals having a size of 10 &#x3bc;m or less are dispersed. This copper alloy is formed by a manufacturing method including a sintering step of performing spark plasma sintering on a Cu&#x2014;Zr binary system alloy powder at a temperature of 0.9 Tm &#xb0; C. or less (Tm(&#xb0; C.): melting point of the alloy powder) by supply of direct-currant pulse electricity, the Cu&#x2014;Zr binary system alloy powder having an average grain diameter of 30 &#x3bc;m or less and a hypoeutectic composition which contains 5.00 to 8.00 atomic percent of Zr. The Cu&#x2014;Zr compound may include at least one of CuZr, CuZr, and CuZr.

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Sendai, Japan

Takashi Goto