An electrically-conductive material containing Ag in an amount of 10 mass % or more and 70 mass % or less, Pd in an amount of 30 mass % or more and 90 mass % or less, Ni in an amount of more than 5 mass % and 45 mass % or less, and inevitable impurities. A ratio of a Ni content (mass %) to a Ag content (mass %) (Ni (mass %)/Ag (mass %)) is 0.1 or more and 5.0 or less, metal structures include a AgPd alloy phase and a PdNi alloy phase, and a volume ratio of the PdNi alloy phase is 18 vol % or more and 80 vol % or less. Ni is added in a high concentration to a AgPd alloy, and the amount of PdNi alloy phases generated as separate phases is controlled to strengthen the entire alloy.

An alloy composed of three or more types of elements, wherein all the standard deviation of distribution in the alloy of each element constituting the alloy are 15 atomic % or less provides a novel alloy composed of three or more types of elements and having a high solid solution uniformity.

An alloy composed of three or more types of elements, wherein all the standard deviation of distribution in the alloy of each element constituting the alloy are 15 atomic % or less provides a novel alloy composed of three or more types of elements and having a high solid solution uniformity.

A silver brazing material containing silver, copper, zinc, manganese, nickel, and tin as indispensable constituent elements. The silver brazing material includes 35 mass % or more and 45 mass % or less silver, 18 mass % or more and 28 mass % or less zinc, 2 mass % or more and 6 mass % or less manganese, 1.5 mass % or more and 6 mass % or less nickel, and 0.5 mass % or more and 5 mass % or less tin, with the balance being copper impurities. Within these compositional ranges, a predetermined relation is set between the manganese content and the nickel content, whereby the silver brazing material can be provided with excellent characteristics also in terms of processability or wettability. In the silver brazing material of the present invention, the silver content is reduced, and also melting point reduction and the narrowing of the temperature difference between solidus temperature and liquidus temperature are attempted.

Provided is a plating film containing Au and Tl, including Tl oxides including Tl.sub.2O on a surface of the plating film, a ratio of Tl atoms constituting Tl.sub.2O to a total of Tl atoms constituting the Tl oxides and Tl atoms constituting Tl simple substances on the surface being 40% or more.

Provided is a plating film containing Au and Tl, including Tl oxides including Tl.sub.2O on a surface of the plating film, a ratio of Tl atoms constituting Tl.sub.2O to a total of Tl atoms constituting the Tl oxides and Tl atoms constituting Tl simple substances on the surface being 40% or more.

Systems and methods disclosed herein relate to the manufacture of metallic material with a thermal expansion coefficient in a predetermined range, comprising: deforming, a metallic material comprising a first phase and a first thermal expansion coefficient. In response to the deformation, at least some of the first phase is transformed into a second phase, wherein the second phase comprises martensite, and orienting the metallic material in at least one predetermined orientation, wherein the metallic material, subsequent to deformation, comprises a second thermal expansion coefficient, wherein the second thermal expansion coefficient is within a predetermined range, and wherein the thermal expansion is in at least one predetermined direction. In some embodiments, the metallic material comprises the second phase and is thermo-mechanically deformed to orient the grains in at least one direction.

Systems and methods disclosed herein relate to the manufacture of metallic material with a thermal expansion coefficient in a predetermined range, comprising: deforming, a metallic material comprising a first phase and a first thermal expansion coefficient. In response to the deformation, at least some of the first phase is transformed into a second phase, wherein the second phase comprises martensite, and orienting the metallic material in at least one predetermined orientation, wherein the metallic material, subsequent to deformation, comprises a second thermal expansion coefficient, wherein the second thermal expansion coefficient is within a predetermined range, and wherein the thermal expansion is in at least one predetermined direction. In some embodiments, the metallic material comprises the second phase and is thermo-mechanically deformed to orient the grains in at least one direction.

A metal sintering preparation containing (A) 50 to 90% by weight of at least one metal that is present in the form of particles having a coating that contains at least one organic compound, and (B) 6 to 50% by weight organic solvent. The mathematical product of tamped density and specific surface of the metal particles of component (A) is in the range of 40,000 to 80,000 cm.sup.−1.

A method for manufacturing an alloy formed from a boride of a precious metal, may involve reacting a source of the precious metal with a source of boron in a salt or a mixture of salts in the molten state. An alloy formed from a boride of a precious metal may include crystalline nanoparticles of M.sub.xB.sub.y with M being a precious metal, distributed in an amorphous matrix of B or in an amorphous matrix of B and of M.sub.zB.sub.a.