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GB2070057A - Copper-tin alloy, and its manufacture - Google Patents

Copper-tin alloy, and its manufacture Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2070057A
GB2070057A GB8037854A GB8037854A GB2070057A GB 2070057 A GB2070057 A GB 2070057A GB 8037854 A GB8037854 A GB 8037854A GB 8037854 A GB8037854 A GB 8037854A GB 2070057 A GB2070057 A GB 2070057A
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United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
copper
alloy
tin alloy
tin
temperatures
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Granted
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GB8037854A
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GB2070057B (en
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Wieland Werke AG
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Wieland Werke AG
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    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22CALLOYS
    • C22C9/00Alloys based on copper
    • C22C9/02Alloys based on copper with tin as the next major constituent

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Conductive Materials (AREA)

Abstract

The alloy contains by wt. Sn 0.2-3% Ti 0.1-1.5% Cr 0.5-1.0% Ni 0.2-3% Cu balance. It may be homogenised for 1-24 hours at 850-950 DEG C, hot rolled at 600-800 DEG C, and cooled to room temperature at 10 DEG C/min to 2000 DEG C/min, possibly followed by cold deformation up to 95%. The alloy is particularly used for current-carrying springs.

Description

SPECIFICATION Copper-tin alloy, a process for its manufacture and its use This invention relates to a copper-tin alloy, a process for its manufacture and its use.
There is a major requirement for copper alloys for electrical applications, in which, in addition to a high electrical conductivity, the highest possible strength is necessary. These alloys are needed for components through which current flows, such as electrical contacts, springs or plug-connectors. The strong tendency towards miniaturisation necessitates, to an increasing extent, the specification of ever higher requirements with regard to the strength and, in particular, also with regard to the electrical conductivity of the materials employed.In addition, there is also the important requirement that the alloys used, or the semi-finished products manufactured from these alloys, must exhibit as high a ductility as possible, so that the components, which are as a rule very complicated, can be manufactured without difficulty by bending operations or by other non-cutting shaping operations.
Hard copper-tin alloys (tin bronzes), with 4 to 8% of tin, are extensively employed in the application cases mentioned above. These materials exhibit a good combination of strength and ductility. On the other hand, the electrical conductivity amounts, with about 1 5 to 20% IACS, to only a fraction of that of pure copper (100% IACS). In this context, 100% íACS correspond to 58.00 m/Ohm.mm2. Furthermore, commercial alloys containing beryllium (Be) are employed for the purpose which has been mentioned, for example a copper alloy containing 0.4 to 0.7% of Be and 2.3 to 2.7% of Co, the remainder being Cu. This alloy attains strengths of up to 700 N/mm2 at an electrical conductivity of 48% IACS.Alloys of this type, however, have the major disadvantage that they are difficult to manufacture and are accordingly comparatively expensive. In addition, greater effort must generally be applied in processing these alloys. Besides the high costs, the toxic activity of beryllium often proves disadvantageous, since special protective measures must be taken for certain processing steps, for example annealing, grinding, or the like. The same restrictions apply to a still greater extent in the case of a binary CuBe alloy containing approximately 2% of Be. Although strengths of up to 1,500 n/mm2 can certainly be achieved with these alloys, the effort of production and processing is, however, very considerable, so that these alloys are employed only in special cases.In the case mx these materials, the conductivity also remains in the order of magnitude of 20% IACS.
A quaternary Cu alloy with 0.5 to 5.0% of Sn, 0.3 to 0.4% of Ti and 0.05 to 2.0% of Cur is also known (compare U.S. Patent Specification 3,01 7,268). Although this alloy certainly exhibits a comparatively advantageous combination of strength and electrical conductivity (600 to 700 N/mm2, 40 to 50% IACS), it nevertheless presents particular difficulties in the manufacture of semi-finished products, since melting and casting has to be carried out in an inert protective gas atmosphere, in order to exclude the undesired reaction of the titanium with atmospheric oxygen or with hydrogen.
The last-mentioned alloys (CuCoBe, CuBe and CuSnTiCr) fall into the category of so-called hardenable materials, which obtain their advantageous properties through a precipitation-hardening process. Among other requirements, this process calls for an annealing treatment at high temperature (homogenisation), followed immediately by rapid quenching. In the manufacture of semi-finished products on an industrial scale, achieving high quenching rates, in particular, requires relatively major effort, which becomes manifest in the production costs.
The object underlying this invention is to provide a copper alloy, which in addition to a sufficiently high strength, exhibits as high an electrical conductivity as possible and an advantageous ratio of strength to ductility. A further object of the invention is to provide a composition which allows the simplest possible production of semi-finished products, namely a composition which, in particular, does not necessitate high quenching rates in order to achieve the required properties.
According to this invention there is provided a copper-tin alloy, consisting of 0.2 to 3.0% of tin 0.1 to 1.5% of titanium, 0.5 to 1.0% of chromium, 0.2 to 3.0% of nickel, the remainder consisting of copper and customary impurities.
The indicated percentages are in terms of weight. In this alloy, the sum of the typical impurities should not exceed 0. 1%.
The addition, according to the invention, of nickel to a CuSnTiCr alloy produces, in a surprising manner, a marked increase of both the strength and the electrical conductivity in comparison with nickel-free CuSnTiCr alloys, since an addition of nickel usually leads to a reduction in the electrical conductivity. For example, in the case of an alloy based on CuNiSn (9% of Ni, 2% of Sn, remainder Cu), a good ductility is certainly given at an average strength, but the electrical conductivity is very low (about 10% IACS) in this alloy.
Surprisingly, the existence of a phase containing NiSnTi could be confirmed in the alloy according to the invention, this phase having a lower solubility in the matrix and thus contributing to a higher electrical conductivity and hardness.
The phase containing NiSnTi precipitates in a manner such that a quenching operation, necessary in the case of conventional precipitation-hardenable alloys, can be dispensed with, that is to say it is possible, even without quenching, to achieve the finely distributed "dispersion" of the precipitationphase necessary for high strengths. The properties of the alloys according to the invention can thus be obtained without employing high quenching rates.
The combination of strength and electrical conductivity is also better than in the case of the conventional Sn-bronzes. The alloy according to the invention processes an electrical conductivity which lies, by a factor of 2 to 3, over those of the known tin-bronzes of comparable strength. In the case of comparable conductivity, increased strengths can, however, be achieved.
The alloy according to the invention possesses a strength/elongation relationship comparable to that of the tin-bronzes, whilst the electrical conductivity is 2 to 3 times higher.
The copper-tin alloys according to the invention can be cast in a normal manner. To achieve advantageous combinations of properties, the alloy, after casting, is preferabiy (a) homogenised for between 1 and 24 hours at temperatures of 850 to 9500C, (b) hot-rolled, in one pass or in several passes, at temperatures of 600 to 8000C, and (c) cooled to room temperature at a cooling rate of between 1 0 C/minute and 2,0000 C/minute.
It is advisable to carry out process step (b) especially at 650 to 7500C, and to carry out process step (c) especially at a cooling rate of between SOoC/minute and 1 ,0000C/minute. According to a preferred embodiment of the process, following the process step (c), a cold-deformation (d), of up to 95%, is carried out in one pass, or in several passes. In order to achieve a uniform dispersion, according to the invention, the copper-tin alloy can be annealed between the cold-rolling passes, preferably for up to a maximum of 10 hours.
In carrying out this treatment, it is advisable, for maximum electrical conductivity, to anneal the alloy, as a strip, in the hood-type furnace at temperatures of 300 to 4500 C, and, for maximum strength, to anneal the alloy strip in the through-type furnace at temperatures of 400 to 5500C.
The copper-tin alloy can, according to the invention, be formed into spring materials, in particular into current-carrying components, plug-connectors, connecting elements, terminals and contact springs.
The invention is explained in greater detail with the aid of the following examples.
EXAMPLE 1 Table 1 shows the composition of an alloy according to the invention and of two comparison alloys, without the addition of Ni (alloy B) and without the addition of Cr (alloy C) (data in weight %).
Cu (and unavoidable Alloy Sn Ti Cr Ni impurities) A 1.09 0.42 0.73 0.93 remainder B 1.08 0.41 0.73 n.d.+) remainder C 1.08 0.57 n.d.+) 0.98 remainder n n.d. = not detectable.
TABLE 1: Composition of the samples.
The alloys were manufactured in the following manner: The electrolytic copper was melted, with cathode nickel and refined tin, in an induction furnace at approximately 1 ,20000, under a charcoal layer. After these constituents had completely melted, Cr and Ti were added, in the form of suitable master alloys of CuCr and CuTi. The master alloys contained, in each case, approximately 5 to 10% of Cr or Ti, in a pure form. After these had dissolved, the melt was cast into an iron ingot mould having the dimensions 25 x 50 x 100 mm. The blocks were homogenised for 1 hour at 9000C and then hot-rolled to 1.87 mm, at 7500C. The strips cooled continuously, in the air. From these strips, strips 0.3 mm thick were manufactured by cold-rolling and intermediate annealing treatments of 1 hour at 47000. For all samples, the final rolling reduction was standardised at 60%. After the annealing treatment, the mechanical and physical properties of the samples were investigated.The results are summarised in Table 2.
Limiting spring Yield Tensile bending strength strength Elongation Vickers stress Electrical conductivity Rp0.2 Rm A10 hardness # bE Alloy (N/mm) (N/mm) (%) HV 1 (N/mm) (m/Ohm.mm) % IACS A 600 629 10 205 551 29.9 51.4 B 502 546 12 194 515 28.7 49.4 C 507 538 8.2 179 490 30.4 52.3
TABLE 2: Strength, limiting spring bending stress and electrical conductivity of 0.3 mm strip samples in the annealed condition.
The tabulated values show the surprisingly improved properties of the copper alloy according to the invention. For example, the alloy A possesses, relative to the comparison alloys B and C, an approximately 20% higher strength at a similar ductility and an increased or at least equivalent electrical conductivity.
The same behaviour applies with regard to the so-called limiting spring bending stress abE according to DIN 50151, in the annealed condition, this parameter frequently being used for characterising materials for spring components. To determine this characteristic, sample strips 10 mm wide are deflected, between two fixed supports, by loads increasing in a stepwise manner and the characteristic value abE is calculated from the relationship between load and elastic and plastic deformation.
The alloy A, according to the invention, exhibits an increase of 8 to 10% relative to the alloys B or C.
EXAMPLE 2 This example explains the comparative insensitivity of the alloy according to the invention with regard to the cooling rates to be employed during its processing, and it shows that the effort of quenching the alloy does not lead to any better result.
Alloy A of Example 1 was homogenised for 1 hour at 9000C and cooled under various conditions which were simulated in the laboratory. Cooling mode 3 approximately corresponds to the cooling rate which occurs on cooling hot-rolled plates, 127 mm thick, in the factory.
Following the controlled cooling, the samples were deformed by 60% and annealed for 1 hour at 4250C. Samples from strip produced in this way showed the hardness and conductivity values listed in Table 3.
Brinell Electrical conductivity hardness (HB) (m/Ohm.mm2) % IACS Mode 1 x) 191 19.2 33.0 Mode 2 xx) 212 22 6 38.9 Mode 3 xxx) 191 26.8 46.1 x) Quenching in water xx) Slow cooling < 500 C/minute xxx) Slow cooling 1003C/minute TABLE 3: Hardness and electrical conductivity following various cooling conditions.
From the above it follows that the alloy according to the invention does not depend on a quenching operation in order to achieve a high hardness and a high electrical conductivity. On the contrary, a higher ratio of electrical conductivity to hardness is surprisingly obtained, overall, at a slow rate of cooling, which can readily be achieved under factory conditions, than at high rates of quenching.

Claims (14)

1. Copper-tin alloy, consisting of 0.2 to 3.0% of tin, 0.1 to 1.5% of titanium, 0.5 to 1.0% of chromium, 0.2 to 3.0% of nickel, the remainder consisting of copper and customary impurities.
2. Copper-tin alloy according to Claim 1, wherein said alloy contains 0.6 to 1.2% of nickel.
3. Copper-tin alloy according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein said alloy contains 0.5 to 1.0% of tin.
4. Copper-tin alloy according to any preceding Claim, wherein said alloy contains 0.3 to 0.6% of titanium.
5. Copper-tin alloy according to any preceding Claim wherein said alloy contains 0.6 to 0.8% of chromium.
6. Process for the manufacture of a copper-tin alloy according to any of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the copper-tin alloy is (a) homogenised for between 1 and 24 hours at temperatures of 850 to 9500C, (b) hotrolled, in one pass or in several passes, at temperatures of 600 to 8000C, and (c) cooled to room temperature at a cooling rate of between 100 C/minute and 2,0000 C/minute.
7. Process according to Claim 6, wherein the process step (b) is carried out at temperatures of 650 to 7500C.
8. Process according to Claim 6 or 7, wherein the process step (c) is carried out at a cooling rate of between 50 C/minute and 1,0000C/minute.
9. Process according to Claims 6 to 8, wherein following the process step (c), a cold-deformation (d) of up to 95%, is carried out in one pass, or in several passes.
10. Process according to Claim 9, wherein between the cold-rolling passes according to process step (d), an annealing treatment (e) is, in each case, carried out for less than 10 hours.
11. Process according to Claim 10, wherein the copper-tin alloy is annealed, as a coil, in a hoodtype furnace at temperatures of 300 to 4500C.
12. Process according to Claim 10, wherein the copper-tin alloy is annealed, in a continuous operation, in a through-type furnace at temperatures of 400 to 5500C.
13. Use of the copper-tin alloy according to Claims 1 to 5 as a spring material, in particular for current-carrying components, plug-connectors, connecting elements, terminals, or contact springs.
14. Copper-tin alloy substantially as herein described with reference to each of the examples.
1 5. Process for making a copper-tin alloy substantially as herein described with reference to each of the examples.
GB8037854A 1979-12-05 1980-11-26 Copper-tin alloy and its manufacture Expired GB2070057B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

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DE2948916A DE2948916C2 (en) 1979-12-05 1979-12-05 Copper-tin alloy, process for their manufacture and use

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GB2070057A true GB2070057A (en) 1981-09-03
GB2070057B GB2070057B (en) 1984-02-29

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DE (1) DE2948916C2 (en)
FI (1) FI69117C (en)
FR (1) FR2470805A1 (en)
GB (1) GB2070057B (en)
IT (1) IT1129883B (en)
SE (1) SE443157B (en)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2181742A (en) * 1985-09-13 1987-04-29 Mitsubishi Metal Corp Copper alloy lead material for use in semiconductor device
US5264532A (en) * 1989-08-14 1993-11-23 Avery Dennison Corporation Emulsion pressure-sensitive adhesives
US5306465A (en) * 1992-11-04 1994-04-26 Olin Corporation Copper alloy having high strength and high electrical conductivity
US5370840A (en) * 1992-11-04 1994-12-06 Olin Corporation Copper alloy having high strength and high electrical conductivity
US5486244A (en) * 1992-11-04 1996-01-23 Olin Corporation Process for improving the bend formability of copper alloys
CN115874080A (en) * 2022-12-14 2023-03-31 河南科技大学 Copper-based alloy material and preparation method and application thereof
CN115896534A (en) * 2022-11-29 2023-04-04 宁波博威合金板带有限公司 Chromium-containing copper alloy strip and preparation method and application thereof
CN116555625A (en) * 2023-05-08 2023-08-08 大连理工大学 A multi-scale multi-phase coherent precipitation strengthened Cu-Ni-Al-Co-Cr-Ti high temperature resistant copper alloy and its preparation method

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3347535C1 (en) * 1983-12-30 1988-10-20 Wieland-Werke Ag, 7900 Ulm Low-alloy copper alloy, process for its production and its use
DE3432226C1 (en) * 1984-06-07 1985-08-22 Wieland-Werke Ag, 7900 Ulm Copper-nickel-tin-titanium alloy, process for their production and their use

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1314381A (en) * 1961-04-27 1963-01-11 American Metal Climax Inc Copper-based alloy and process for its manufacture
JPS5614732B2 (en) * 1973-03-12 1981-04-06
AU8343175A (en) * 1974-10-04 1977-02-03 Olin Corp High strength, corrosion resistant cubase-si-sn alloys with good strength to bend ductility
CA1085654A (en) * 1976-01-19 1980-09-16 Ronald N. Caron Electrical contact

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2181742A (en) * 1985-09-13 1987-04-29 Mitsubishi Metal Corp Copper alloy lead material for use in semiconductor device
US4749548A (en) * 1985-09-13 1988-06-07 Mitsubishi Kinzoku Kabushiki Kaisha Copper alloy lead material for use in semiconductor device
GB2181742B (en) * 1985-09-13 1990-05-23 Mitsubishi Metal Corp Copper alloy lead material for use in semiconductor device
US5264532A (en) * 1989-08-14 1993-11-23 Avery Dennison Corporation Emulsion pressure-sensitive adhesives
US5306465A (en) * 1992-11-04 1994-04-26 Olin Corporation Copper alloy having high strength and high electrical conductivity
US5370840A (en) * 1992-11-04 1994-12-06 Olin Corporation Copper alloy having high strength and high electrical conductivity
US5486244A (en) * 1992-11-04 1996-01-23 Olin Corporation Process for improving the bend formability of copper alloys
US5601665A (en) * 1992-11-04 1997-02-11 Olin Corporation Process for improving the bend formability of copper alloys
CN115896534A (en) * 2022-11-29 2023-04-04 宁波博威合金板带有限公司 Chromium-containing copper alloy strip and preparation method and application thereof
CN115874080A (en) * 2022-12-14 2023-03-31 河南科技大学 Copper-based alloy material and preparation method and application thereof
CN115874080B (en) * 2022-12-14 2024-02-20 河南科技大学 A copper-based alloy material and its preparation method and application
CN116555625A (en) * 2023-05-08 2023-08-08 大连理工大学 A multi-scale multi-phase coherent precipitation strengthened Cu-Ni-Al-Co-Cr-Ti high temperature resistant copper alloy and its preparation method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2470805A1 (en) 1981-06-12
FR2470805B1 (en) 1984-02-24
DE2948916C2 (en) 1981-12-10
GB2070057B (en) 1984-02-29
FI69117C (en) 1985-12-10
SE8008251L (en) 1981-06-06
FI803686L (en) 1981-06-06
FI69117B (en) 1985-08-30
SE443157B (en) 1986-02-17
IT1129883B (en) 1986-06-11
IT8068780A0 (en) 1980-11-20
DE2948916B1 (en) 1981-03-12

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PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 19951126