The present invention provides a copper billet horizontal continuous casting apparatus with a vertical shaft furnace for smelting and a corresponding process. The copper billet horizontal continuous casting apparatus with a vertical shaft furnace for smelting includes: a vertical shaft, a refining furnace, a mixing furnace, a holding furnace, and a continuous casting furnace; wherein the refining furnace comprises a furnace body, and a gas flushing device disposed beneath the furnace body, a gas flushing brick is provided at the chamber bottom wall of the furnace body; a gas inlet device is provided on the vertical shaft furnace; the vertical shaft furnace further includes a detecting device and an adjusting device which are connected with the air inlet device.

A quantity of continuously cast Mg brass is made by the step of melting a charge of Mg brass and then continuously casting a rod of the Mg brass through a casting die. The casting die has been previously treated by continuously casting a melt of copper or brass through it to clean out Mg deposits formed by an earlier continuous casting of Mg brass which formed the Mg deposits. The quantity of continuously cast Mg brass may be in the form of EDM wire. These methods may be used to purify scrap or used brass, by removing metal oxides to improve the material quality, thus reducing the need to use premium priced virgin copper and zinc.

The present invention provides a copper billet horizontal continuous casting apparatus with a vertical shaft furnace for smelting and a corresponding process. The copper billet horizontal continuous casting apparatus with a vertical shaft furnace for smelting includes: a vertical shaft, a refining furnace, a mixing furnace, a holding furnace, and a continuous casting furnace; wherein the refining furnace includes a furnace body, and a gas flushing device disposed beneath the furnace body, a gas flushing brick is provided at the chamber bottom wall of the furnace body; a gas inlet device is provided on the vertical shaft furnace; the vertical shaft furnace further includes a detecting device and an adjusting device which are connected with the air inlet device.

A wire rod of a Cu—Zn—Si based alloy obtained by up-drawing continuous casting is provided; the amount of Cu is within a range of 75.0 mass% or more and 76.9 mass% or less, the amount of Si is within a range of 2.6 mass% or more and 3.1 mass% or less, the amount of Zr is within a range of 0.003 mass% or more and 0.20 mass% or less, the amount of P is within a range of 0.02 mass% or more and 0.15 mass% or less, the balance is composed of Zn and inevitable impurities, and the number density of a Zr—P compound containing Zr and P is within a range of 1500 pieces/mm.sup.2 or more and 7000 pieces/mm.sup.2 or less.

A copper alloy material manufacturing equipment for manufacturing a copper alloy material by continuously casting molten copper. The equipment includes an element adding means for adding a metal element to the molten copper, a tundish for holding the molten copper containing the metal element, a pouring nozzle connected to the tundish to feed the molten copper from the tundish, and a trapping member arranged inside the tundish and including a same type of material as at least one of an oxide of the metal element, a nitride of the metal element, a carbide of the metal element and a sulfide of the metal element.

A method includes: replacing a first casting system component by a second casting component; sensing a position of the second casting component relative to at least one of a reference position and a third casting component; determining an adjustment amount and/or direction of the second casting system component; and providing the adjustment amount and/or direction to an operator for adjustment of the second casting system component and/or commanding that the second casting system component be adjusted by the adjustment amount and/or direction.

There are provided a copper alloy for a slide bearing and a slide bearing, which can prevent Mn—Si primary crystals from causing seizure. The copper alloy for a slide bearing and a slide bearing according to the present invention contain 25 wt % or more and 48 wt % or less of Zn, 1 wt % or more and 7 wt % or less of Mn, 0.5 wt % or more and 3 wt % or less of Si, and 1 wt % or more and 10 wt % or less of Bi, the balance consisting of inevitable impurities and Cu, wherein there exist, in a sliding surface on which a counter material slides, Bi particles having a circle equivalent diameter larger than the average circle equivalent diameter of Mn—Si primary crystals and Bi particles having a circle equivalent diameter smaller than the average circle equivalent diameter of the Mn—Si primary crystals.

There are provided a copper alloy for a bearing and a bearing in which a Mn—Si compound is prevented from being broken and becoming a foreign matter. The copper alloy for a bearing and the bearing according to the present invention contain 25 wt % or more and 48 wt % or less of Zn, 1 wt % or more and 7 wt % or less of Mn, 0.5 wt % or more and 3 wt % or less of Si and 1 wt % or more and 10 wt % or less of Bi, the balance consisting of inevitable impurities and Cu, and are characterized in that the average width value among Mn—Si primary crystal particles dispersed in a sliding surface on which a counter shaft slides is 3 μm or more.

A dilute copper alloy material used in an environment with presence of hydrogen includes pure copper including an inevitable impurity, more than 2 mass ppm of oxygen, and an additive element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Zr, Nb, Ca, V, Fe, Al, Si, Ni, Mn, Ti and Cr, the additive element being capable of forming an oxide in combination with the oxygen. A method of manufacturing a dilute copper alloy member excellent in characteristics of resistance to hydrogen embrittlement includes melting the dilute copper alloy material by SCR continuous casting and rolling at a copper melting temperature of not less than 1100° C. and not more than 1320° C. to make molten metal, forming a cast bar from the molten metal, and forming the dilute copper alloy member by hot-rolling the cast bar.

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 1.0≦I{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.