A method of forming a component can include electrochemically depositing a metallic material onto a carrier component to a thickness of greater than 50 microns. The metallic material can include crystal grains and at least 90% of the crystal grains can include nanotwin boundaries. The metallic material can include a Copper-Silver alloy (Cu—Ag) with between about 0.5-2 at %-Ag.

A method of forming a component can include electrochemically depositing a metallic material onto a carrier component to a thickness of greater than 50 microns. The metallic material can include crystal grains and at least 90% of the crystal grains can include nanotwin boundaries. The metallic material can include a Copper-Silver alloy (Cu—Ag) with between about 0.5-2 at %-Ag.

A method for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion module of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion module including a thermoelectric semiconductor part in which a plurality of p-type semiconductors and a plurality of n-type semiconductors are alternately arranged, and a high temperature side electrode bound to a binding surface of the p-type semiconductor and the n-type semiconductor on a high temperature heat source side and a low temperature side electrode bound to a binding surface of the p-type semiconductor and the n-type semiconductor on a low temperature heat source side, which electrically connect the p-type semiconductor and the n-type semiconductor adjacent to each other in series, and includes a binding step of binding at least one of the high temperature side electrode and the low temperature side electrode, and the p-type semiconductor and the n-type semiconductor together, by sintering a binding layer containing metal particles, which is provided between the electrode and the semiconductor.

A graphite-copper composite material that includes a copper layer having an average thickness of 15 μm or less and scaly graphite particles laminated with the copper layer interposed therebetween. The graphite-copper composite material has a copper volume fraction of 3 to 20%. The graphite-copper composite material further has: (A) copper crystal grains of the copper layer having an average grain size of 2.8 μm or less, a mass fraction of Al of less than 0.02%, and a mass fraction of Si of less than 0.04%, or (B) an interfacial gap of the copper layer and the scaly graphite particles of 150 nm or less.

A superconductivity stabilizing material used for a superconducting wire and which is formed of a copper material containing at least one of additive elements selected from Ca, Sr, Ba, and rare earth elements in a range of 3 ppm by mass or more and 100 ppm by mass or less in total, with a remainder being Cu and unavoidable impurities, in which the total concentration of the unavoidable impurities, excluding O, H, C, N, and S which are gas components, is 5 ppm by mass or more and 100 ppm by mass or less, the half-softening temperature thereof is 200° C. or lower, the Vickers hardness thereof is 55 Hv or more, and the residual resistance ratio (RRR) thereof is 50 or more and 500 or less.

A superconductivity stabilizing material used for a superconducting wire and which is formed of a copper material containing at least one of additive elements selected from Ca, Sr, Ba, and rare earth elements in a range of 3 ppm by mass or more and 100 ppm by mass or less in total, with a remainder being Cu and unavoidable impurities, in which the total concentration of the unavoidable impurities, excluding O, H, C, N, and S which are gas components, is 5 ppm by mass or more and 100 ppm by mass or less, the half-softening temperature thereof is 200° C. or lower, the Vickers hardness thereof is 55 Hv or more, and the residual resistance ratio (RRR) thereof is 50 or more and 500 or less.

A covered electrical wire comprises a conductor and an insulating covering layer provided outside the conductor, the conductor being a stranded wire composed of a plurality of copper alloy wires composed of a copper alloy and twisted together, and having a wire diameter of 0.5 mm or less, the copper alloy containing Fe in an amount of 0.1% by mass or more and 1.6% by mass or less, P in an amount of 0.05% by mass or more and 0.7% by mass or less, and one or more elements selected from Ni, Al, Cr and Co in an amount of 0.01% by mass or more and 0.7% by mass or less in total, with a balance being Cu and impurities.

A covered electrical wire comprises a conductor and an insulating covering layer provided outside the conductor, the conductor being a stranded wire composed of a plurality of copper alloy wires composed of a copper alloy and twisted together, and having a wire diameter of 0.5 mm or less, the copper alloy containing Fe in an amount of 0.1% by mass or more and 1.6% by mass or less, P in an amount of 0.05% by mass or more and 0.7% by mass or less, and one or more elements selected from Ni, Al, Cr and Co in an amount of 0.01% by mass or more and 0.7% by mass or less in total, with a balance being Cu and impurities.

Provided is a Cu-based alloy powder that is suitable for a process involving rapid melting and rapid solidification and that can provide a shaped object superior in characteristics. The powder is composed of a Cu-based alloy, which contains an element M being one or more elements selected from Cr, Fe, Ni, Zr, and Nb: 0.1% by mass or more and 10.0% by mass or less, Si: more than 0% by mass and 0.20% by mass or less, P: more than 0% by mass and 0.10% by mass or less, and S: more than 0% by mass and 0.10% by mass or less, the balance being Cu and inevitable impurities. This powder has a ratio (D50/TD) of the average particle diameter D50 (μm) thereof to the tap density TD (Mg/m.sup.3) is 0.2×10.sup.−5.Math.m.sup.4/Mg or more and 20×10.sup.−5.Math.m.sup.4/Mg or less, and has a sphericity of 0.80 or more and 0.95 or less.

Fuel cell alloy bipolar plates. The alloys may be used as a coating or bulk material. The alloys and metallic glasses may be particularly suitable for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells because of they may exhibit reduced weights and/or better corrosion resistance. The alloys may include any of the following Al.sub.xCu.sub.yTi.sub.z, Al.sub.xFe.sub.yNi.sub.z, Al.sub.xMn.sub.yNi.sub.z, Al.sub.xNi.sub.yTi.sub.z, Cu.sub.xFe.sub.yTi.sub.z, Cu.sub.xNi.sub.yTi.sub.z, Al.sub.xFe.sub.ySi.sub.z, Al.sub.xMn.sub.ySi.sub.z, Al.sub.xNi.sub.ySi.sub.z, Ni.sub.xSi.sub.yTi.sub.z, and C.sub.xFe.sub.ySi.sub.z. The alloys or metallic glass may be doped with various dopants to improve glass forming ability, mechanical strength, ductility, electrical or thermal conductivities, hydrophobicity, and/or corrosion resistance.