A manufacturing efficiency of the wire rod made of the cast alloy including the additive element having the high activity to the oxygen is improved. An apparatus of manufacturing a wire rod includes: a tundish storing a molten metal; a mold for use in continuously casting the molten metal fed from the tundish; and an additive-element feeding unit continuously feeding an additive element (wire) to a feeding port of the mold.

A method of producing an exothermic mold powder in a form of sprayed granules of the present invention includes spray-drying into granules, an aqueous slurry containing: a raw material blend; and a metal silicon powder and/or a silicon alloy powder, the method comprising adjusting the pH of the aqueous slurry to 13 or less.

A method of producing an exothermic mold powder in a form of sprayed granules of the present invention includes spray-drying into granules, an aqueous slurry containing: a raw material blend; and a metal silicon powder and/or a silicon alloy powder, the method comprising adjusting the pH of the aqueous slurry to 13 or less.

A continuous casting mold according to the present invention has plural separate portions filled with a metal of low thermal conductivity formed by filling a metal having a thermal conductivity of 30% or less of that of copper into circular concave grooves having a diameter of 2 to 20 mm which are formed in the region of the inner wall surface of the copper mold from an arbitrary position higher than a meniscus to a position 20 mm or more lower than the meniscus, in which the filling thickness of the metal in the portions filled with the metal of low thermal conductivity is equal to or less than the depth of the circular concave grooves and satisfies the relationship with the diameter of the portions filled with the metal of low thermal conductivity expressed by expression (1) below:
0.5Hd(1).

A continuous casting mold according to the present invention has plural separate portions filled with a metal of low thermal conductivity formed by filling a metal having a thermal conductivity of 30% or less of that of copper into circular concave grooves having a diameter of 2 to 20 mm which are formed in the region of the inner wall surface of the copper mold from an arbitrary position higher than a meniscus to a position 20 mm or more lower than the meniscus, in which the filling thickness of the metal in the portions filled with the metal of low thermal conductivity is equal to or less than the depth of the circular concave grooves and satisfies the relationship with the diameter of the portions filled with the metal of low thermal conductivity expressed by expression (1) below:
0.5Hd(1).

A method for continuously producing a strip-shaped metallic workpiece may involve introducing a molten mass into a casting region, solidifying the molten mass introduced into the casting region at least partially, and conveying the at least partially solidified molten mass out of the casting region. Hollow bodies may be added to the molten mass and encapsulated into the workpiece. Further, an apparatus for continuously producing a strip-shaped metallic workpiece may include a casting region into which a molten mass can be introduced and in which the molten mass introduced can solidify at least partially. The apparatus may also include a conveying device for conveying the molten mass out of the casting region, as well as a metering apparatus for adding hollow bodies to the molten mass.

A method for continuously producing a strip-shaped metallic workpiece may involve introducing a molten mass into a casting region, solidifying the molten mass introduced into the casting region at least partially, and conveying the at least partially solidified molten mass out of the casting region. Hollow bodies may be added to the molten mass and encapsulated into the workpiece. Further, an apparatus for continuously producing a strip-shaped metallic workpiece may include a casting region into which a molten mass can be introduced and in which the molten mass introduced can solidify at least partially. The apparatus may also include a conveying device for conveying the molten mass out of the casting region, as well as a metering apparatus for adding hollow bodies to the molten mass.

A copper alloy sputtering target is formed by a copper alloy including the content of Ca being 0.3 to 1.7% by mass, the total content of Mg and Al being 5 ppm or less by mass, the content of oxygen being 20 ppm or less by mass, and the remainder is Cu and inevitable impurities. A manufacturing method of a copper alloy sputtering target comprises steps of: preparing a copper having purity of 99.99% or more by mass; melting the copper so as to obtain a molten copper; controlling components so as to obtain a molten metal having a predetermined component composition by the addition of Ca having a purity of 98.5% or more by mass into the molten copper and by melting the Ca; casting the molten metal so as to obtain an ingot; and performing stress relieving annealing after performing hot rolling to the ingot.

A copper alloy sputtering target is formed by a copper alloy including the content of Ca being 0.3 to 1.7% by mass, the total content of Mg and Al being 5 ppm or less by mass, the content of oxygen being 20 ppm or less by mass, and the remainder is Cu and inevitable impurities. A manufacturing method of a copper alloy sputtering target comprises steps of: preparing a copper having purity of 99.99% or more by mass; melting the copper so as to obtain a molten copper; controlling components so as to obtain a molten metal having a predetermined component composition by the addition of Ca having a purity of 98.5% or more by mass into the molten copper and by melting the Ca; casting the molten metal so as to obtain an ingot; and performing stress relieving annealing after performing hot rolling to the ingot.

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.