The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 04, 2012
Filed:
Oct. 07, 2005
Frank N. Mandigo, North Branford, CT (US);
Peter W. Robinson, Glen Carbon, IL (US);
Derek E. Tyler, Cheshire, CT (US);
Andreas Boegel, Weissenhorn, DE;
Hans-achim Kuhn, Illertissen, DE;
Frank M. Keppeler, Stuttgart, DE;
Joerg Seeger, Ulm, DE;
Frank N. Mandigo, North Branford, CT (US);
Peter W. Robinson, Glen Carbon, IL (US);
Derek E. Tyler, Cheshire, CT (US);
Andreas Boegel, Weissenhorn, DE;
Hans-Achim Kuhn, Illertissen, DE;
Frank M. Keppeler, Stuttgart, DE;
Joerg Seeger, Ulm, DE;
GBC Metals, LLC, East Alton, IL (US);
Wieland-Werke, AG, Ulm, DE;
Abstract
A copper alloy having an improved combination of yield strength and electrical conductivity consists essentially of, by weight, from 1% to 2.5% of nickel, from 0.5% to 2.0% of cobalt, with a total nickel plus cobalt content of from 1.7% to 4.3%, from 0.5% to 1.5% of silicon with a ratio of (Ni+Co)/Si of between 3.5 and 6, and the balance copper and inevitable impurities wherein the wrought copper alloy has an electrical conductivity in excess of 40% IACS. A further increase in the combination of yield strength and electrical conductivity as well as enhanced resistance to stress relaxation is obtained by a further inclusion of up 1% of silver. A process to manufacture the alloys of the invention as well as other copper-nickel-silicon alloys includes the sequential steps of (a). casting the copper alloy; (b). hot working the cast copper-base alloy to effect a first reduction in cross-sectional area; (c). solutionizing the cast copper-base alloy at a temperature and for a time effective to substantially form a single phase alloy; (d). first age annealing the alloy at a temperature and for a time effective to precipitate an amount of a second phase effective to form a multi-phase alloy having silicides; (e). cold working the multi-phase alloy to effect a second reduction in cross-sectional area; and (f). second age annealing the multiphase alloy at a temperature and for a time effective to precipitate additional silicides thereby raising conductivity, wherein the second age annealing temperature is less than the first age annealing temperature.