The invention relates to a high-strength copper-nickel-tin alloy with excellent castability, hot workability and cold workability, high resistance to abrasive wear, adhesive wear and fretting wear and improved resistance to corrosion and stress relaxation stability, consisting of (in weight %): 2.0-10.0% Ni, 2.0-10.0% Sn, 0.01-1.5% Si, 0.002-0.45% B, 0.001-0.09% P, selectively up to a maximum of 2.0% Co, optionally also up to a maximum of 2.0% Zn, selectively up to a maximum of 0.25% Pb, the residue being copper and unavoidable impurities, characterised in thatthe ratio Si/B of the element contents in wt. % of the elements silicon and boron is a minimum 0.4 and a maximum 8; such that the copper-nickel-tin alloy has Si-containing and B-containing phases and phases of the systems NiSiB, NiB, NiP and NiSi, which significantly improve the processing properties and use properties of the alloy. The invention also relates to a casting variant and a further-processed variant of the high-strength copper-nickel-tin alloy, to a production method, and to the use of the alloy.

A copper alloy material production method is provided. A copper raw material including not higher than 30 ppm by mass of oxygen is melted to form a molten copper. Not lower than 4 ppm by mass and not higher than 55 ppm by mass of titanium is added to the molten copper. After the adding of the titanium, not lower than 100 ppm by mass and not higher than 7000 ppm by mass of magnesium is added.

A copper alloy sheet material includes 0.5 to 2.5 mass % of Ni, 0.5 to 2.5 mass % of Co, 0.30 to 1.2 mass % of Si and 0.0 to 0.5 mass % of Cr and the balance Cu and unavoidable impurities, wherein an X-ray diffraction intensity ratio is 1.0I{200}/I.sub.0{200}5.0 when I{200} is a result of the X-ray diffraction intensity of {200} crystal plane of sheet surface and I.sub.0{200} is a result of the X-ray diffraction intensity of {200} crystal plane of a standard powder of pure copper, and wherein 0.2% yield strength in a rolling parallel direction (RD) is 800 MPa or more and 950 MPa or less, an electrical conductivity of 43.5% IACS or more and 53.0% IACS or less, 180 degree bending workability in a rolling parallel direction (GW) and a rolling perpendicular direction (BW) is R/t=0, and a difference between the rolling parallel direction (RD) and a rolling perpendicular direction (TD) of the 0.2% yield strength is 40 MPa or less.

A copper ingot of the present invention which is casted by a belt-caster type continuous casting apparatus includes: 1 ppm by mass or less of carbon; 10 ppm by mass or less of oxygen; 0.8 ppm by mass or less of hydrogen; 15 ppm by mass to 35 ppm by mass of phosphorus; and a balance of Cu and inevitable impurities, and includes inclusions formed of oxides containing carbon, phosphorus, and Cu.

A method for making Mg brass EDM wire has the steps of melting a charge of Mg brass to form a melt of Mg brass; transferring the melt to a holding furnace; casting a rod from the melt; and drawing the rod down to a size suitable for EDM machining. Mg deposits may form in the holding furnace. These can be removed by flushing the holding furnace with molten brass.

An electrode in which the metallurgical structure of the active surface includes incoherent chromium precipitates, more than 90% of which have a surface of projection of less than 1 m.sup.2, the incoherent chromium precipitates having a size at least between 10 and 50 nm. The electrode further has a fibrous structure that is visible in a cross-section of the active surface of the electrode following surfacing and chemical etching. The fibrous structure includes a plurality of radial fibers having a thickness of less than 1 mm and of a substantially central fiberless region that has a diameter of less than 3 mm. The electrical conductivity of the electrode is greater than 85% IUPAC. The method for obtaining the electrode in a continuous casting process as well as to a use of the electrode in a resistive spot welding process.

In a method for forming a shape memory alloy wire a shape memory alloy composition of CuAlMnNi excluding grain refiner elements, is mixed, including between about 20 at % and about 28 at % Al, between about 2 at % and about 4 at % Ni, between about 3 at % and about 5 at % Mn, and Cu as a remaining balance. The mixture is heated between about 1100 C. and about 1400 C. and ejected from a crucible, at an ejection pressure of between about 3 bar and about 5 bar through a nozzle having a nozzle diameter of between about 200 microns and about 280 microns, to a face of a melt spinning wheel with speed of between about 9 m/s and about 13 m/s until there is formed a shape memory alloy wire having a length of at least about 1.5 meters and a diameter of no more than about 150 microns.

A nozzle put into a molten metal in vertical upwards continuous casting for casting a cast product by pulling up the molten metal, the nozzle includes a nozzle body having an intake hole through which the molten metal is taken in and which is formed in a lateral surface of the nozzle body and a flange portion formed on lower side of the intake hole and projecting beyond the nozzle body.

A high-efficiency and short-process method for preparing a high-strength and high-conductivity copper alloy is disclosed, comprising the following steps: performing horizontal continuous casting to obtain an as-cast primary billet of copper alloy, wherein the alloying elements in the obtained as-cast primary billet being in a supersaturated solid solution state; after peeling the obtained as-cast primary billet, directly performing continuous extrusion, cold working and aging annealing treatment to obtain a copper alloy, and keeping the alloying elements of the billet in a supersaturated solid solution state during the process of continuous extrusion. The method shortens the flow, reduces energy consumption and improves the product forming rate.

This hot-rolled copper alloy sheet contains Mg: 0.2 mass % or more and 2.1 mass % or less, Al: 0.4 mass % or more and 5.7 mass % or less, and Ag: 0.01 mass % or less, with a remainder being Cu and inevitable impurities, an area ratio of Cube orientation (area ratio of crystal orientation) measured by an EBSD method is 5% or less, an average KAM value when a boundary between adjacent pixels where an orientation difference between the pixels is 5? or more is regarded as a crystal grain boundary is 2.0 or less, and an average crystal grain size ? in a sheet-thickness central portion is 40 ?m or less.