Method for producing copper alloy ingot

Details Method for producing copper alloy ingot Method for producing copper alloy ingot

1999-12-29

2001-09-11

King, Roy (Department: 1742)

Specialized metallurgical processes, compositions for use therei

Processes

Free metal or alloy reductant contains magnesium

C075S010160

Reexamination Certificate

active

06287364

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a useful method for producing a high quality and sound copper alloy ingot while suppressing casting defects, segregation and oxide content.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A vacuum melting casting method has hitherto been employed for producing a copper alloy ingot, which is free from oxides and contains a reduced number of pinholes caused by dissolved oxygen or dissolved hydrogen. In addition, various attempts have been made, which include directional solidification under vacuum or in an argon gas atmosphere, in order to produce a sound ingot having less shrinkage cavities, segregation of components and other defects. The shrinkage cavities, which are usually caused during solidifying the molten metal, include macroscopic shrinkage cavities (e.g., center shrinkage cavity and final shrinkage cavity) and microscopic shrinkage cavities (e.g., shrinkage cavity observed in grain boundaries under a microscope). The conventional melting casting techniques commonly employ such procedure as, after the copper alloy material is molten in a crucible, a molten metal is poured into another container (casting mold) and then cooled to thereby solidify the molten metal.
However, the above conventional methods for melting and casting a copper alloy have a variety of problems, especially because there is provided the step of pouring the molten metal into the casting mold. The problems includes poor workability and productivity, complicated operations required to control the molten metal temperature during the pouring step, the low cooling efficiency of the casting mold leading to greater feeding and higher equipment investment, thus resulting in higher producing cost. When the material is poured or molten in air rather than under vacuum or in an argon gas atmosphere to prevent these problems, there arises a problem that oxides are entrained in the step of pouring or melting the molten metal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a method capable of producing a sound copper alloy ingot with a reduced number of casting defects, segregation and oxide content at low cost, while improving the workability and productivity with reasonable molten metal control operation and minimum feeding.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a method for producing a copper alloy ingot includes steps of heating a copper alloy material in a graphite crucible to melt the copper alloy material, and cooling the molten metal in the crucible from a bottom of the crucible so that the molten metal solidifies in a single direction.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5364449 (1994-11-01), Nakamura et al.
patent: 6024779 (2000-02-01), Snell
patent: 63-293124 (1988-11-01), None
patent: 5-220567 (1993-08-01), None
Nippon Shindo Kyokai, pp. 34-37, 54-55, “Basics and Industrial Technology About Copper and Copper Alloy,” May 25, 1988 (with partial English Translation).
Nikkan Kogyo Shinbun Sha, p. 190, “Terminology Dictionary on Casting with Illustration,” Nov. 30, 1995 (with partial English Translation).

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