US2137283A - Copper alloys - Google Patents

Description

lit

Patented Nova 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE corrna more Franz R. Hensel and Earl I. Larsen, Indianapolis,

Ind.,

'assignors to P.-R.. Mallory & Co., Inc.,

" Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application August 12, 1938, Serial No. 224,499

1 Claim.

This invention relates to copper alloys. This case is a continuation in part of our copending application S. N. 164,032, filed September I is described herein, it is contemplated that con-.

siderable variation may be made in the method of procedure and the combination of elements,

vgithout departing from the spirit of the invent on.

The present invention relates to the improvement of alloys of copper and zirconium. Ascording to the present invention the improved alloys are made of the following elements in substantially the following proportions;

I Per cent Metal selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt and nickel 0. 1 to 30 Zirconium 0. 05 to 5 Beryllium 0. 05 to 3 Copper balance Where high electricalconductivities are desired, it is preferred to keep the proportion of iron 7 group metal within an upper limit of 5%.-

, The alloys of the present invention may also contain smallproportions, or even up to several percent, of zinc, tin, calcium, lithium, magnesium, phosphorus and silver. I f

The beryllium combines with theiroh group metal or metals to form the beryllide"th'er'eof and thereby imparts age-hardening characteristics to the alloy.

The addition of zirconium in this type of alloy not only imparts additional age-hardening characteristics, but alsoproduces a material of corrosion resistance, hgh strength at elevated'temperatures and superior fatigue and impact properties. I i- The-alloys can be made according to standard alloying methods. A preferred method for introducing the zirconium is to prepare a hardener alloy containing a high percentage oi. zirconium and then introduce a'predetermined amount of this alloy into a coppermelt, containing the other ingredients in the desired proportions.

After the alloy has been prepared according tosuch methods, the material may be heat 5 treated by firstquenching the'alloy in the form of a billet or sand casting, or any other form,

, from above 700 C. and subsequently aging at a temperature below 700 C. In certain cases, we have found it also advisable to use one heat 10 treatment only, namely, the low temperature treatment, and eliminate the quenching treatment. 4 I

If the materials are processed by rolling, extruding, drawing, forging or any other fabricatl5 ing methods, we have found it desirable in many cases to quench the materials from the intermediate anneals, cold working same and applying an aging treatment afterwards. This cold working before aging hastens considerably the pre- 20' cipitation of thedispersed phase. In addition, a certain amount of cold work may be applied after aging in order to improve the surface finish of the wrought material.

An example of an alloy produced according to 25 the present invention is:

Per cent Zirconium 0.. 6'! Cobalt- 2.04: Silico 0.83 at: Copper balance After quenching this alloy from 950 C. and aging at 450 0., a Rockwell B hardness of was .obtained,,with an excess of 45% electrical con- 35 strips, or tubing.

The composition which has exceptional merits for condenser tubing is as follows: its

. Per cent Nickel 15 to 30 Zirc n 0. 05 to 5 Beryllium 0. 05 to 3 Copper balance 5 'While the present invention as to its objects and advantages has been described herein as carried out, in specific embodiments, it is not desired to be limited thereby, but it is intended to 55 cover the invention broadly within the appended lium, and the balance substantially all copper, clalm. characterized by high hardness and further char- What is claimed is: acterized by the fact that its hardness is not per- A heat-treated alloy composed of 0.05 to 5% manently adversely affected by temperatures in o zirconium, 0.1 to 30% of a metal or a combinathe order of 450 C. tlon of metals selected from the group consist- FRANZ R. HENSEL. in: of iron, cobalt and nickel, 0.05 to 3% beryl- EARL I. LARSEN.