US 7,524,356 B2
Method for manufacturing low-oxygen copper
Haruhiko Asao, Tokyo (Japan); Yutaka Koshiba, Tokyo (Japan); Keiji Nogami, Tokyo (Japan); Tutomu Masui, Osaka (Japan); Kazumasa Hori, Osaka (Japan); Kenji Wakiguchi, Osaka (Japan); Masahiko Wada, Osaka (Japan); and Yoshiaki Hattori, Osaka (Japan)
Assigned to Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on Aug. 02, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/194,568.
Application 11/194568 is a division of application No. 09/791767, filed on Feb. 26, 2001, granted, now 6,944,930.
Claims priority of application No. 2000-48005 (JP), filed on Feb. 24, 2000; application No. 2000-109827 (JP), filed on Apr. 11, 2000; application No. 2000-109828 (JP), filed on Apr. 11, 2000; application No. 2000-207488 (JP), filed on Jul. 07, 2000; application No. 2000-207490 (JP), filed on Jul. 07, 2000; application No. 2000-356325 (JP), filed on Nov. 22, 2000; and application No. 2000-356326 (JP), filed on Nov. 22, 2000.
Prior Publication US 2005/0262968 A1, Dec. 01, 2005
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C22B 15/00 (2006.01); C22C 9/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 75—646  [420/590] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for continuously manufacturing a wire composed of a low-oxygen copper alloy containing silver, comprising:
a step of preparing a starting material for low-oxygen copper;
a step of melting the starting material by combustion in a reducing atmosphere in a melting furnace so as to produce molten copper;
a step of sealing the molten copper in a non-oxidizing atmosphere in a substantially horizontally extending casting trough;
a step of transferring the molten copper to a tundish by using the casting trough;
a degassing step of passing the molten copper through the casting trough so as to dehydrogenate the molten copper, wherein the casting trough has a plurality of dikes;
a step of adding silver to the dehydrogenated molten copper such that the content of silver in the molten copper is 0.005 to 0.2 wt %, wherein the dehydrogenated molten copper is controlled to 1 to 10 ppm in oxygen content, and 1 ppm or less in hydrogen content;
a step of feeding the molten copper with the added silver to a belt caster type continuous casting machine so as to continuously produce a cast copper alloy; and
a step of rolling the cast copper alloy so as to manufacture the wire composed of the low-oxygen copper alloy.