A wire drawing apparatus (10) is used in a final drawing process to ensure adequate initial performance of adhesion between brass-plated steel wire and rubber without a drop in productivity. At least one of the die (14z) disposed in the most downstream position, the die (14y) disposed in the second most downstream position, and the die (14x) disposed in the third most downstream position is a drawing die having a friction coefficient of 0.12 to 0.41 with the brass-plated steel wire. The other dies (14) are drawing dies each having a friction coefficient of 0.1 or below. By using these drawing dies, brass-plated steel wire (13) is drawn, and a noncrystalline portion of high lattice defect density is formed on the surface of the crystalline portion of the brass-plating layer of the brass-plated steel wire (13).

The present invention is a metallic wire rod comprising iridium or an iridium-containing alloy and, the wire rod has in the cross section thereof biaxial crystal orientation of 50% or more of abundance proportion of textures in which crystallographic orientation has preferred orientation to <100> direction. In the present invention, crystal orientation in the outer periphery from semicircle of the cross section which is the periphery of the wire rod is important, and in this zone, abundance proportion of textures in which crystallographic orientation has preferred orientation to <100> direction is preferably not less than 50%.

A process for producing a high-grade steel tube includes the steps of: providing a tubular blank of an austenitic high-grade steel, wherein the high-grade steel comprises in weight % no more than 0.02% carbon, no more than 1.0% manganese, no more than 0.03% phosphor, no more than 0.015% sulfur, no more than 0.8% silicon, no more than 17.5% t to 18.5% nickel, no more than 19.5% to 20.5% chromium, no more than 6.0% to 6.5% molybdenum, no more than 0.18% to 0.25% nitrogen, no more than 0.5% to 1.0% copper,and a remainder of iron and unavoidable impurities; and cold-forming the blank into a tube.

A soft dilute copper alloy material includes 2 mass ppm to 12 mass ppm of sulfur, more than 2 mass ppm and not more than 30 mass ppm of oxygen, 4 mass ppm to 55 mass ppm of Ti, and a balance including copper. An average crystal grain size is not more than 20 m in a surface layer up to a depth of 50 m from a surface. The average crystal grain size in the surface layer is less than the average crystal grain size in an inner portion located more interiorly than the surface layer.

An apparatus for straightening wire in a directed energy deposition additive manufacturing machine. The apparatus includes at least three roller bearings positioned along one side of a longitudinal axis and a first adjustable bearing and a second adjustable bearing positioned along another side of the longitudinal axis. The first adjustable bearing and the second adjustable bearing are connected to a body and are positioned in a staggered alternating pattern with the at least three roller bearings. Further. the first adjustable bearing and the second adjustable bearing are each configured to apply a load to the wire. A directed energy deposition additive manufacturing machine includes the apparatus. A method for straightening a wire including feeding the wire into the apparatus.

A unique sequence of steps is provided to reduce contaminants along one or more surfaces and faces of gold evaporative sources without deleteriously impacting the structure of the gold evaporative sources. Edges are deburred; contaminants are successfully removed therealong; and surface smoothness is substantially retained. The resultant gold evaporative source is suitable for use in evaporative processes as a precursor to gold film deposition without the occurrence or a substantial reduction in the likelihood of spitting by virtue of significantly reduced levels of contaminants, in comparison to gold evaporative sources subject to a standard cleaning protocol.

An aluminum alloy wire rod having a composition comprising Mg: 0.1-1.0 mass %, Si: 0.1-1.2 mass %, Fe: 0.10-1.40 mass %, Ti: 0-0.100 mass %, B: 0-0.030 mass %, Cu: 0-1.00 mass %, Ag: 0-0.50 mass %, Au: 0-0.50 mass %, Mn: 0-1.00 mass %, Cr: 0-1.00 mass %, Zr: 0-0.50 mass %, Hf: 0-0.50 mass %, V: 0-0.50 mass %, Sc: 0-0.50 mass %, Co: 0-0.50 mass %, Ni: 0-0.50 mass %, and the balance: Al and inevitable impurities, wherein a number of compound particles present on a surface and having a diameter of greater than or equal to 1 m in terms of equivalent circle diameter is less than or equal to one per 100 m.sup.2, and a tensile strength is greater than or equal to 200 MPa.

An aluminum alloy wire rod includes Mg: 0.1-1.0 mass %, Si: 0.1-1.2 mass %, Fe: 0.10-1.40 mass %, Ti: 0-0.100 mass %, B: 0-0.030 mass %, Cu: 0-1.00 mass %, Ag: 0-0.50 mass %, Au: 0-0.50 mass %, Mn: 0-1.00 mass %, Cr: 0-1.00 mass %, Zr: 0-0.50 mass %, Hf: 0-0.50 mass %, V: 0-0.50 mass %, Sc: 0-0.50 mass %, Co: 0-0.50 mass %, Ni: 0-0.50 mass %, and the balance: Al and inevitable impurities. In a cross section parallel to a wire rod lengthwise direction and including a center line of the wire rod, no void having an area greater than 20 m.sup.2 is present, or even in a case where at least one void having an area greater than 20 m.sup.2 is present, a presence ratio of the at least one void per 1000 m.sup.2 is on average in a range of less than or equal to one void/1000 m.sup.2.

An aluminum alloy wire rod comprising 0.1-1.0 mass % Mg; 0.1-1.0 mass % Si; 0.01-1.40 mass % Fe; 0.01-0.50 mass % Zr; 0.000-0.100 mass % Ti; 0.000-0.030 mass % B; 0.00-1.00 mass % Cu; 0.00-0.50 mass % Ag; 0.00-0.50 mass % Au; 0.00-1.00 mass % Mn; 0.00-1.00 mass % Cr; 0.00-0.50 mass % Hf; 0.00-0.50 mass % V; 0.00-0.50 mass % Sc; 0.00-0.50 mass % Co; and 0.00-0.50 mass % Ni, a Mg/Si ratio being greater than 1, wherein a dispersion density of an Mg.sub.2Si compound having a particle size of 0.5 m to 5.0 m is less than or equal to 3.010.sup.3 particles/m.sup.2, and in the sectional structure, a concentration of each of Mg and Si other than a compound is less than or equal to 2.00 mass %.

A copper alloy wire and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The copper alloy wire includes: by weight percentage of components, 0.3 to 0.45 of argent, 0.01 to 0.02 of titanium, and a remaining part that is formed by copper and unavoidable impurities. The method for manufacturing the copper alloy wire is performing two-phase vacuum melting: first performing vacuum electric arc melting into a copper-titanium mother alloy, and then performing vacuum induction melting with remaining components into a copper alloy wire material by means of continuous casting; then drawing the copper alloy wire material into a copper alloy fine wire by a non-slip wire drawing device in a material even-flow wire drawing manner, and finally performing thermal treatment on the copper alloy fine wire by using argon as a protection gas, so as to complete a process of the copper alloy wire.