Kobe Steel, Ltd.

Toshihisa Hara

Ryoichi Ozaki

Masahiro Kawaguchi

Masayasu Nishimura

Yasuhiro Shintani

A plated copper alloy material for connecting terminals is provided which comprises a parent material of copper or copper alloy, a nickel layer and a copper-tin alloy layer. The nickel layer has a thickness of 0.1-1.0 &#x3bc;m. The copper-tin alloy layer has a thickness of 0.1-1.0 &#x3bc;m and contains 35-75 at % of copper. The material may additionally have a tin layer no thicker than 0.5 &#x3bc;m for an engaging type terminal containing 0.001-0.1 mass % of carbon, or thicker than 0.5 &#x3bc;m for a non-engaging type connector. The material meets requirements for capability of insertion with a small force, good electric reliability (due to low contact resistance) in a high-temperature atmosphere, workability for sharp bending without cracking, good solder wettability and good corrosion resistance to sulfur dioxide gas.

Plated copper alloy material and process for production thereof

A plated copper alloy material for connecting terminals is provided which comprises a parent material of copper or copper alloy, a nickel layer and a copper-tin alloy layer. The nickel layer has a thickness of 0.1-1.0 &mgr;m. The copper-tin alloy layer has a thickness of 0.1-1.0 &mgr;m and contains 35-75 at % of copper. The material may additionally have a tin layer no thicker than 0.5 &mgr;m for an engaging type terminal containing 0.001-0.1 mass % of carbon, or thicker than 0.5 &mgr;m for a non-engaging type connector. The material meets requirements for capability of insertion with a small force, good electric reliability (due to low contact resistance) in a high-temperature atmosphere, workability for sharp bending without cracking, good solder wettability and good corrosion resistance to sulfur dioxide gas.

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Shimonoseki, Japan

Toshihisa Hara