The present invention provides a shape-memory alloy including a AuCuAl alloy having 20 at % or more and 40 at % or less Cu and 15 at % or more and 30 at % or less Al, with the balance being Au and inevitable impurities. The shape-memory alloy has a Vickers hardness of 360 Hv or less. The AuCuAl alloy of the present invention is an alloy capable of developing both biocompatibility and a shape-memory effect, and further capable of achieving artifactlessness in a magnetic environment. The AuCuAl alloy can be produced by heat-treating a clad material formed of a combination of a hollow material made of a AuCu alloy and a core material made of metallic Al at 500 C. or more and 700 C. or less.

A DC high-voltage relay including at least one contact pair including a movable contact and a fixed contact, having a contact force and/or opening force of 100 gf or more, the DC high-voltage relay of 48 V or more. The movable contact and/or the fixed contact includes Ag oxide-based contact material. Metal components in the contact material includes at least one metal M essentially containing Sn, and a balance including Ag and inevitable impurity metals. The content of the metal M is 0.2% by mass or more and 8% by mass or less based on the total mass of all metal components in the contact material. The contact material has a material structure in which one or more oxides of the metal M are dispersed in a matrix including Ag or a Ag alloy. As metal M, In, Bi, Ni and Te can be added.

An alloy material includes: a composition, in a composition range of a ternary alloy of silver (Ag), palladium (Pd), and copper (Cu), the composition containing 20 to 30 wt % of Ag, 35 to 55 wt % of Pd, and 20 to 40 wt % of Cu. The composition as a base is added with tin (Sn) in a range of 0.5 to 2.5 wt %, further added with any one of or a combination of cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), and zinc (Zn) in a range of 0.1 to 1.0 wt %, and added with 0.01 to 0.1 wt % of either one of or a combination of iridium (Ir) and ruthenium (Ru).

An alloy material includes: a composition, in a composition range of a ternary alloy of silver (Ag), palladium (Pd), and copper (Cu), the composition containing 20 to 30 wt % of Ag, 35 to 55 wt % of Pd, and 20 to 40 wt % of Cu. The composition as a base is added with tin (Sn) in a range of 0.5 to 2.5 wt %, further added with any one of or a combination of cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), and zinc (Zn) in a range of 0.1 to 1.0 wt %, and added with 0.01 to 0.1 wt % of either one of or a combination of iridium (Ir) and ruthenium (Ru).

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a monocrystalline metal foil and a monocrystalline metal foil manufactured thereby, the method comprising the steps of: fixing each of the ends of polycrystalline metal foil to electrodes; and heat-treating the fixed polycrystalline metal foil to manufacture a monocrystalline metal foil.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a monocrystalline metal foil and a monocrystalline metal foil manufactured thereby, the method comprising the steps of: fixing each of the ends of polycrystalline metal foil to electrodes; and heat-treating the fixed polycrystalline metal foil to manufacture a monocrystalline metal foil.

The present invention provides an alloy for medical use including an AuPt alloy, in which the AuPt alloy has a Pt concentration of 24 mass % or more and less than 34 mass % with the balance being Au, and has at least a material structure in which a Pt-rich phase having a Pt concentration higher than that of an -phase is distributed in an -phase matrix, the Pt-rich phase has a Pt concentration that is 1.2 to 3.8 times the Pt concentration of the -phase, and the Pt-rich phase has an area ratio of 1 to 22% in any cross-section. This alloy is an artifact-free alloy material that exhibits excellent compatibility with a magnetic field environment such as an MRI and has magnetic susceptibility of 4 ppm with respect to magnetic susceptibility of water.

The present invention provides an alloy for medical use including an AuPt alloy, in which the AuPt alloy has a Pt concentration of 24 mass % or more and less than 34 mass % with the balance being Au, and has at least a material structure in which a Pt-rich phase having a Pt concentration higher than that of an -phase is distributed in an -phase matrix, the Pt-rich phase has a Pt concentration that is 1.2 to 3.8 times the Pt concentration of the -phase, and the Pt-rich phase has an area ratio of 1 to 22% in any cross-section. This alloy is an artifact-free alloy material that exhibits excellent compatibility with a magnetic field environment such as an MRI and has magnetic susceptibility of 4 ppm with respect to magnetic susceptibility of water.

The present invention relates to a sterling silver alloy, copper-free in its basic embodiment, age-hardenable, with improved resistance to tarnishing, thanks to the presence of palladium in combination with zinc and indium, this alloy being mainly used for the realization of precious articles; the present invention also relates to a master alloy composition suitable for the production of said sterling silver alloy.

The present invention relates to a sterling silver alloy, copper-free in its basic embodiment, age-hardenable, with improved resistance to tarnishing, thanks to the presence of palladium in combination with zinc and indium, this alloy being mainly used for the realization of precious articles; the present invention also relates to a master alloy composition suitable for the production of said sterling silver alloy.