An aluminum-iron alloy for casting includes aluminum, iron, silicon, and niobium present in the aluminum-iron alloy in an amount according to formula (I): (Al.sub.3Fe.sub.2Si).sub.1-x+x Nb, wherein x is from 0.25 parts by weight to 2.5 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the aluminum-iron alloy. A method of forming a component including forming the aluminum-iron alloy is also described.

A rectangular parallelepiped ingot defined by a height H, a width W and a length L, having longitudinal faces extending between two end faces, having a volume between 0.15 m.sup.3 and 0.80 m.sup.3 and a surface area to volume ratio between 10 m.sup.−1 and 18 m.sup.−1, made of at least one metal, including at least one notch and a notch tip along the ingot length, wherein the at least one notch is configured such that: MaxD<H/2, MaxD<W/2 and MaxD being the maximum distance between any point of the ingot and the closest surface of the ingot.

Provided is a tantalum target, wherein, when a direction normal to a rolling surface (ND), which is a cross section perpendicular to a sputtering surface of a target, is observed via an electron backscatter diffraction pattern method, an area ratio of crystal grains of which a {100} plane is oriented in the ND is 30% or more. An object of the present invention is to provide a tantalum sputtering target in which a deposition rate can be appropriately controlled under high-power sputtering conditions. When sputter-deposition is performed using this kind of a tantalum target, it is possible to form a thin film having superior film thickness uniformity and improve the productivity of the thin film formation process, even for micro wiring.

Disclosed are alloys for anodized-quality aluminum sheets with improved surface quality, and methods for making these sheets. The alloys are designed to minimize the formation of cathodic intermetallic particles that result in surface streaks of anodized sheet products formed from the alloys. Further, the alloys allow the incorporation of recycled scrap aluminum in anodized-quality sheets.

A multicomponent FeCoSiM soft magnetic alloy is provided. M of the alloy is one or more of V, Cr and Ni. A sum of atomic percentages of alloy elements in the alloy is 100%. The atomic percents of the alloy elements meet the following conditions: Fe, 68˜78 at %; Co, 4˜12 at %; Si, 14˜18 at %; V, 0˜4 at %; Cr, 0˜4 at %; and Ni, 0˜4 at %. The preparation method of the alloy includes weighing raw materials according to the atomic percentages of the alloy elements and then performing melting and annealing heat treatment each in vacuum or a protective atmosphere. The alloy is obtained by a reasonable design of compositions and contents. A magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant of the alloy is low, a magnetostrictive coefficient of the alloy approaches zero and the alloy has characteristics of high saturation flux density and low coercivity.

Steam exhaust ports are located around a perimeter of a direct chill casting pit, at various locations from below the top of the pit to the pit bottom to rapidly remove steam from the casting pit with addition of dry excess air. Gas introduction ports are also located around a perimeter of the casting pit and configured to introduce an inert gas into the casting pit interior.

An apparatus, material and method for forming a brazing sheet has a high strength core bonded with corrosion protection layer on the coolant side and/or layers on both airside and coolant side. The material enables heat exchanger components, such as tube, header, plate, etc., for applications, such as automotive heat exchangers, that require high fatigue life as well as high service life in a corrosive environment.

Disclosed is a low yield ratio and superhigh-strength hot-rolled Q&P steel and a method for manufacturing the same, having the following chemical composition in weight percentage: C: 0.2-0.3%, Si: 1.0-2.0%, Mn: 1.5-2.5%, P: ≦0.015%, S: ≦0.005%, Al: 0.5-1.0%, N: ≦0.006%, Nb: 0.02-0.06%, Ti: ≦0.03%, O: ≦0.003%, and the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities. The manufacture method comprises stepped cooling process to finally obtain a three-phase structure containing a certain volume fraction of proeutectoid ferrite+a certain volume fraction of martensite+a certain volume fraction of residual austenite. By controlling the relative contents of the three different phases, a low yield ratio and superhigh-strength hot-rolled Q&P steel having an excellent comprehensive performance which has a yield strength of ≧600 MPa and a tensile strength of ≧1300 MPa as well as a good elongation and a low yield ratio, shows an excellent match of high plasticity and can be applied in the field of steels requiring easy deformabilities and wear-resistances, is obtained.

Disclosed is a low yield ratio and superhigh-strength hot-rolled Q&P steel and a method for manufacturing the same, having the following chemical composition in weight percentage: C: 0.2-0.3%, Si: 1.0-2.0%, Mn: 1.5-2.5%, P: ≦0.015%, S: ≦0.005%, Al: 0.5-1.0%, N: ≦0.006%, Nb: 0.02-0.06%, Ti: ≦0.03%, O: ≦0.003%, and the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities. The manufacture method comprises stepped cooling process to finally obtain a three-phase structure containing a certain volume fraction of proeutectoid ferrite+a certain volume fraction of martensite+a certain volume fraction of residual austenite. By controlling the relative contents of the three different phases, a low yield ratio and superhigh-strength hot-rolled Q&P steel having an excellent comprehensive performance which has a yield strength of ≧600 MPa and a tensile strength of ≧1300 MPa as well as a good elongation and a low yield ratio, shows an excellent match of high plasticity and can be applied in the field of steels requiring easy deformabilities and wear-resistances, is obtained.

Provided is a copper alloy sputtering target, wherein, based on charged particle activation analysis, the copper alloy sputtering target has an oxygen content of 0.6 wtppm or less, or an oxygen content of 2 wtppm or less and a carbon content of 0.6 wtppm or less. Additionally provided is a method for manufacturing a copper alloy sputtering target, wherein a copper raw material is melted in a vacuum or an inert gas atmosphere, a reducing gas is thereafter introduced into the melting atmosphere, an alloy element is subsequently added to a molten metal for alloying, and an obtained ingot is processed into a target shape. The present invention aims to provide a copper alloy sputtering target that generates few particles during sputtering, and a method for manufacturing such a sputtering target.