Disclosed herein is an alloy for a vehicle garnish, which is made by mixing Cu as a base with Mg and Si to have a composition of Cu.sub.aMg.sub.bSi.sub.c, wherein the alloy can have a color close to Au and the color of the alloy can be changed, and wherein the allow can also be made to have a low specific gravity and at a low cost.

The present invention provides a surface treatment method that improves antimicrobial activity of copper or a copper alloy and enhances immediate effects of antimicrobial actions on the surface of the copper or the copper alloy. A surface treatment method for copper or a copper alloy according to the present invention comprises preparing a reducing agent solution containing a biological reducing substance, and treating the surface of the copper or the copper alloy with the reducing agent solution. The present invention also provides a surface treatment liquid for sterilizing copper or a copper alloy, in which the surface treatment liquid contains a biological reducing substance. The present invention also provides a sterilization method that comprises bringing copper or a copper alloy treated by the surface treatment method into contact with a surface of an object to sterilize the surface of the object.

The present invention provides a surface treatment method that improves antimicrobial activity of copper or a copper alloy and enhances immediate effects of antimicrobial actions on the surface of the copper or the copper alloy. A surface treatment method for copper or a copper alloy according to the present invention comprises preparing a reducing agent solution containing a biological reducing substance, and treating the surface of the copper or the copper alloy with the reducing agent solution. The present invention also provides a surface treatment liquid for sterilizing copper or a copper alloy, in which the surface treatment liquid contains a biological reducing substance. The present invention also provides a sterilization method that comprises bringing copper or a copper alloy treated by the surface treatment method into contact with a surface of an object to sterilize the surface of the object.

The negative electrode active material according to the present embodiment includes alloy particle containing an alloy component and oxygen of 0.50 to 3.00 mass %. The alloy component contains Sn: 13.0 to 40.0 at % and Si: 6.0 to 40.0 at %. The alloy particle contains: one or two phases selected from a D0.sub.3 phase in which the Si content is from 0 to 5.0 at % and a phase in which the Si content is from 0 to 5.0 at %; one or two phases selected from an phase in which the Si content is from 0 to 5.0 at % and an phase in which the Si content is from 0 to 5.0 at %; and an SiOx phase. The alloy particle has, in an X-ray diffraction profile, a peak having a largest integrated diffraction intensity in a range of 42.0 to 44.0 degrees of a diffraction angle 2.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a slide member in which the bonding strength between a Bi-containing copper alloy layer and a substrate is enhanced; and a method for manufacturing the slide member. The slide member according to the present invention has a substrate and a copper alloy layer. The copper alloy layer comprises a copper alloy containing 4.0-25.0 mass % of Bi and has a structure in which Bi phases are scattered in a copper alloy structure. The volume ratio of Bi phases in the region of the copper alloy layer extending 10 m from the bonding interface with the substrate is not more than 2.0%. The slide member is manufactured by casting a molten copper alloy onto the substrate and causing the copper alloy to unidirectionally solidify.

In one aspect, methods of making freestanding metal matrix composite articles and alloy articles are described. A method of making a freestanding composite article described herein comprises disposing over a surface of the temporary substrate a layered assembly comprising a layer of infiltration metal or alloy and a hard particle layer formed of a flexible sheet comprising organic binder and the hard particles. The layered assembly is heated to infiltrate the hard particle layer with metal or alloy providing a metal matrix composite, and the metal matrix composite is separated from the temporary substrate. Further, a method of making a freestanding alloy article described herein comprises disposing over the surface of a temporary substrate a flexible sheet comprising organic binder and powder alloy and heating the sheet to provide a sintered alloy article. The sintered alloy article is then separated from the temporary substrate.

In one aspect, methods of making freestanding metal matrix composite articles and alloy articles are described. A method of making a freestanding composite article described herein comprises disposing over a surface of the temporary substrate a layered assembly comprising a layer of infiltration metal or alloy and a hard particle layer formed of a flexible sheet comprising organic binder and the hard particles. The layered assembly is heated to infiltrate the hard particle layer with metal or alloy providing a metal matrix composite, and the metal matrix composite is separated from the temporary substrate. Further, a method of making a freestanding alloy article described herein comprises disposing over the surface of a temporary substrate a flexible sheet comprising organic binder and powder alloy and heating the sheet to provide a sintered alloy article. The sintered alloy article is then separated from the temporary substrate.

This high-strength free-cutting copper alloy comprises 75.4-78.0% Cu, 3.05-3.55% Si, 0.05-0.13% P and 0.005-0.070% Pb, with the remainder comprising Zn and inevitable impurities, wherein the amount of Sn existing as inevitable impurities is at most 0.05%, the amount of Al is at most 0.05%, and the total amount of Sn and Al is at most 0.06%. The composition satisfies the following relations: 78.0f1=Cu+0.8Si+P+Pb80.8; and 60.2f2=Cu4.7SiP+0.5Pb61.5. The area percentage (%) of respective constituent phases satisfies the following relations: 2960; 00.3; =0; 01.0; 98.6f3=+; 99.7f4=+++; 0f5=+1.2; and 30f6=+6.sup.1/2+0.562. The long side of the phase is at most 25 m, the long side of the phase is at most 20 m, and the phase is present within the phase.

This high-strength free-cutting copper alloy comprises 75.4-78.0% Cu, 3.05-3.55% Si, 0.05-0.13% P and 0.005-0.070% Pb, with the remainder comprising Zn and inevitable impurities, wherein the amount of Sn existing as inevitable impurities is at most 0.05%, the amount of Al is at most 0.05%, and the total amount of Sn and Al is at most 0.06%. The composition satisfies the following relations: 78.0f1=Cu+0.8Si+P+Pb80.8; and 60.2f2=Cu4.7SiP+0.5Pb61.5. The area percentage (%) of respective constituent phases satisfies the following relations: 2960; 00.3; =0; 01.0; 98.6f3=+; 99.7f4=+++; 0f5=+1.2; and 30f6=+6.sup.1/2+0.562. The long side of the phase is at most 25 m, the long side of the phase is at most 20 m, and the phase is present within the phase.

The present disclosure provides a method for preparing a high-purity powder material, an application thereof, and a double-phase powder material. The high-purity powder material is prepared through an atomization comminuting process and de-phasing method. The preparation method comprises the following steps: firstly preparing intermediate alloy powders with first-phase particles wrapped by a second-phase matrix through an atomization comminuting process. Impurity elements are enriched into the second-phase matrix and the first-phase particles are purified during the solidification of the intermediate alloy powders; By removing the second-phase matrix in the intermediate alloy powders, a high-purity target powder material originated from the original first-phase particles can be obtained. The preparation method of the present disclosure has the characteristics of a simple process, easy operation, and low cost, and can be used to prepare nano-level, sub-micron-level, and micro-level multiple high-purity powder materials, which has a good application prospect in catalytic materials, powder metallurgy