An electrical contact material (10) having: a conductive substrate (1) formed from copper or a copper alloy; a first intermediate layer (2) provided on the conductive substrate (1); a second intermediate layer (3) provided on the first intermediate layer (2); and an outermost layer (4) formed from tin or a tin alloy and provided on the second intermediate layer (3), wherein the first intermediate layer (2) is constructed as one layer of grains extending from the conductive substrate (1) side to the second intermediate layer (3) side, and wherein, in the first intermediate layer (2), the density of grain boundaries (5b) extending in a direction in which the angle formed by the grain boundary in interest and the interface between the conductive substrate and the first intermediate layer is 45° or greater, is 4 μm/μm.sup.2 or less; a method of producing the same; and a terminal.

A process for producing a molded material that can form metallic glass material in a state of lower viscosity, and can manufacture a small structure of several 10 μm or less in a comparatively short time while precisely controlling shape thereof, by the process comprising a heating step of heating supercooled state metallic glass material or a solid metallic glass material at a temperature increase rate of 0.5 K/s to a temperature at or higher than a temperature at which a crystallization process for a supercooled liquid of the metallic glass material begins, and a molding step of transfer molding the metallic glass material until the crystallization process for the supercooled liquid of the metallic glass material has been completed. In addition, the purpose is also to provide the molded material that has been formed by this process, a wavefront control element, and a diffraction grating.

A process for producing a molded material that can form metallic glass material in a state of lower viscosity, and can manufacture a small structure of several 10 μm or less in a comparatively short time while precisely controlling shape thereof, by the process comprising a heating step of heating supercooled state metallic glass material or a solid metallic glass material at a temperature increase rate of 0.5 K/s to a temperature at or higher than a temperature at which a crystallization process for a supercooled liquid of the metallic glass material begins, and a molding step of transfer molding the metallic glass material until the crystallization process for the supercooled liquid of the metallic glass material has been completed. In addition, the purpose is also to provide the molded material that has been formed by this process, a wavefront control element, and a diffraction grating.

After drying the surface of a tin plating layer having a thickness of 0.4 to 3 μm which is formed on a base material of copper or a copper alloy by electroplating at a current density of 5 to 13 A/dm.sup.2 in a tin plating solution consisting of water, tin sulfate, sulfuric acid and a surfactant, the surface of the tin plating layer is heated to melt tin, and then, cooled to cause a layer of the tin plating layer on the side of the outermost surface to be a tin layer, which has a structure obtained by solidification after melting, while causing a layer of the tin plating layer between the tin layer and the base material to be a copper-tin alloy layer, to produce a tin-plated product wherein a tin layer, which has a structure obtained by solidification after melting, is formed on a copper-tin alloy layer formed on a base material of copper or a copper alloy and wherein the tin-plated product has a glossiness of 0.3 to 0.7.

After drying the surface of a tin plating layer having a thickness of 0.4 to 3 μm which is formed on a base material of copper or a copper alloy by electroplating at a current density of 5 to 13 A/dm.sup.2 in a tin plating solution consisting of water, tin sulfate, sulfuric acid and a surfactant, the surface of the tin plating layer is heated to melt tin, and then, cooled to cause a layer of the tin plating layer on the side of the outermost surface to be a tin layer, which has a structure obtained by solidification after melting, while causing a layer of the tin plating layer between the tin layer and the base material to be a copper-tin alloy layer, to produce a tin-plated product wherein a tin layer, which has a structure obtained by solidification after melting, is formed on a copper-tin alloy layer formed on a base material of copper or a copper alloy and wherein the tin-plated product has a glossiness of 0.3 to 0.7.

A method for manufacturing a strip in a soft magnetic alloy capable of being cut out mechanically, the chemical composition of which comprises by weight: 18%Co55% 0%V+W3% 0%Cr3% 0%Si3% 0%Nb0.5% 0%B0.05% 0%C0.1% 0%Zr+Ta0.5% 0%Ni5% 0%Mn2% The remainder being iron and impurities resulting from the elaboration, according to which a strip obtained by hot rolling is cold-rolled in order to obtain a cold-rolled strip with a thickness of less than 0.6 mm. After cold rolling, a continuous annealing treatment is carried out by passing into a continuous oven, at a temperature comprised between the order/disorder transition temperature of the alloy and the onset temperature of ferritic/austenitic transformation of the alloy, followed by rapid cooling down to a temperature below 200 C. Strip obtained.

A method for manufacturing a strip in a soft magnetic alloy capable of being cut out mechanically, the chemical composition of which comprises by weight: 18%Co55% 0%V+W3% 0%Cr3% 0%Si3% 0%Nb0.5% 0%B0.05% 0%C0.1% 0%Zr+Ta0.5% 0%Ni5% 0%Mn2% The remainder being iron and impurities resulting from the elaboration, according to which a strip obtained by hot rolling is cold-rolled in order to obtain a cold-rolled strip with a thickness of less than 0.6 mm. After cold rolling, a continuous annealing treatment is carried out by passing into a continuous oven, at a temperature comprised between the order/disorder transition temperature of the alloy and the onset temperature of ferritic/austenitic transformation of the alloy, followed by rapid cooling down to a temperature below 200 C. Strip obtained.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing a tubular article, comprising (a) providing a carrier tube, (b) providing a metal coating on the carrier tube by applying a liquid metal phase onto the carrier tube and solidifying the liquid metal phase, (c) applying a contact pressure to the metal coating by at least one densification tool, and moving the densification tool and the metal coating relative to each other.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing a tubular article, comprising (a) providing a carrier tube, (b) providing a metal coating on the carrier tube by applying a liquid metal phase onto the carrier tube and solidifying the liquid metal phase, (c) applying a contact pressure to the metal coating by at least one densification tool, and moving the densification tool and the metal coating relative to each other.

Methods of producing high purity powders of submicron particles of metal oxides are presented. The methods comprise providing or forming an alloy of a first metal with a second metal, optionally heating the alloy, subjecting the alloy to a leaching agent to remove the second metal from the alloy and to oxidize the first metal, thus forming submicron oxide particles of the first metal. Collections of high purity, high surface area, submicron particles are presented as well.