A method for measuring average thickness of a metal or alloy coating on a metal or alloy substrate using an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer is used when the coating has an uneven surface at different distances from a measurement window of the XRF spectrometer. The method includes measuring elemental composition of the coating or substrate using the XRF spectrometer and obtaining the average thickness of the coating using a calibration relationship between coating thickness and elemental composition of the coating or substrate. The metal or alloy coating may be a metal or alloy coating of a plurality of outer armor wires wrapped around a cable. The method may be used to analyze coating thickness changes over time or along the length of the cable, or to analyze a corrosive environment in order to choose optimal material for a metal or alloy coating.

A method of pretinning a guidewire core made of shape memory alloy and having an elongate axis, comprising: placing a ball of solder in a pocket in a soldering block; melting the ball of solder; holding a guidewire core over the ball of solder; lowering the guidewire core into the ball of solder; removing the guidewire from the ball of solder.

A method of pretinning a guidewire core made of shape memory alloy and having an elongate axis, comprising: placing a ball of solder in a pocket in a soldering block; melting the ball of solder; holding a guidewire core over the ball of solder; lowering the guidewire core into the ball of solder; removing the guidewire from the ball of solder.

Provided is a Zn—Al—Mg-based alloy-plated steel material that can be used in automobiles and home appliances and the like and, more particularly, to a Zn—Al—Mg-based alloy-plated steel material that can suppress the generation of cracks in a plating layer that are generated during processing.

A copper-coated steel wire includes a core wire made of a steel and a coating layer made of copper or a copper alloy which covers an outer peripheral surface of the core wire. The coating layer includes an intermediate layer which is disposed in a region including the interface with the core wire and has a higher zinc concentration than a remaining region of the coating layer.

A copper-coated steel wire includes a core wire made of a steel and a coating layer made of copper or a copper alloy which covers an outer peripheral surface of the core wire. The coating layer includes an intermediate layer which is disposed in a region including the interface with the core wire and has a higher zinc concentration than a remaining region of the coating layer.

A method of pretinning a core wire for a guidewire having an elongate axis, comprising placing a ball of solder within a pocket in a soldering block; melting the ball of solder; holding a core wire over the ball of solder, with the elongate axis in a horizontal orientation; lowering a portion of the core wire into the ball of solder while maintaining the elongate axis in a horizontal orientation; removing the core wire from the ball of solder.

A method of pretinning a core wire for a guidewire having an elongate axis, comprising placing a ball of solder within a pocket in a soldering block; melting the ball of solder; holding a core wire over the ball of solder, with the elongate axis in a horizontal orientation; lowering a portion of the core wire into the ball of solder while maintaining the elongate axis in a horizontal orientation; removing the core wire from the ball of solder.

Provided is a thermal-insulated multi-walled pipe for superconducting power transmission that highly prevents intrusion of external heat due to radiation and has excellent thermal insulation property without using a superinsulation. A thermal-insulated multi-walled pipe for superconducting power transmission comprises: a superconducting cable; and a multi-walled pipe that houses the superconducting cable, wherein the multi-walled pipe is composed of a plurality of straight pipes, and at least one of the plurality of straight pipes has, at a surface thereof, a zinc or zinc alloy-plated layer having an average spangle size of 2.0 mm or less.

Provided is a thermal-insulated multi-walled pipe for superconducting power transmission that highly prevents intrusion of external heat due to radiation and has excellent thermal insulation property without using a superinsulation. A thermal-insulated multi-walled pipe for superconducting power transmission comprises: a superconducting cable; and a multi-walled pipe that houses the superconducting cable, wherein the multi-walled pipe is composed of a plurality of straight pipes, and at least one of the plurality of straight pipes has, at a surface thereof, a zinc or zinc alloy-plated layer having an average spangle size of 2.0 mm or less.