Copper alloy sheet excellent in resistance property of stress relaxation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10053751-B2
Application number	US-81133909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2009
Priority date	Jan 31, 2008
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

The invention provides a Cu—Ni—Sn—P alloy sheet satisfying the resistance property of stress relaxation in the direction perpendicular to the rolling direction and excellent in the other necessary properties as terminals and connectors. The invention relates to a Cu—Ni—Sn—P alloy sheet having a specific composition, which is made to contain specific atomic clusters containing at least any of an Ni atom or a P atom, as detected with a three-dimensional atom probe field ion microscope, in a specific density, by increasing the reduction ratio in the final cold rolling and by intentionally shortening the time for the rolling and the time to be taken before the final annealing at low temperature, and of which the necessary properties as a terminal or connector 3 are improved in that the resistance property of stress relaxation thereof in the direction perpendicular to the rolling direction is enhanced and the difference (anisotropy) in the resistance property of stress relaxation thereof between the parallel direction and the perpendicular direction to the rolling direction is reduced.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A copper alloy sheet, comprising:
Ni in 0.1 to 3.0 mass %;
Sn in 0.01 to 3.0 mass %;
P in 0.01 to 0.3 mass %; and
a remainder comprising copper and an inevitable impurity,
wherein the copper alloy sheet has a stress relaxation ratio in the direction perpendicular to the rolling direction of less than 10%,
the difference between the stress relaxation ratio in the direction parallel to the rolling direction and the stress relaxation ratio in the direction perpendicular to the rolling direction is 3% or less, and
the copper alloy sheet comprises an atomic cluster which is detected with a three-dimensional atom probe field ion microscope, and the atomic cluster comprises at least one of a Ni atom or a P atom, wherein:
a distance between the Ni atom or P atom and an Ni atom or P atom adjacent to the Ni atom or P atom is 0.90 nm or less;
a total number of Cu, Ni, and P atoms in the atomic cluster is 15 or more and less than 100; and
an average density of atomic clusters is 5×10 5 /μm 3 or more.

2. The copper alloy sheet according to claim 1 , which further comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of
Fe in more than 0 to 0.5 mass % or less,
Zn in more than 0 to 1 mass % or less,
Mn in more than 0 to 0.1 mass % or less,
Si in more than 0 to 0.1 mass % or less, and
Mg in more than 0 to 0.3 mass % or less.

3. The copper alloy sheet according to claim 2 , which further comprises Ca, Zr, Ag, Cr, Cd, Be, Ti, Co, Au, and Pt in a total amount of 1.0 mass % or less.

4. The copper alloy sheet according to claim 3 , which further comprises Hf, Th, Li, Na, K, Sr, Pd, W, S, C, Nb, Al, V, Y, Mo, Pb, In, Ga, Ge, As, Sb, Bi, Te, B, and Misch metal in a total amount of 0.1 mass % or less.

5. The copper alloy sheet according to claim 2 , which further comprises Hf, Th, Li, Na, K, Sr, Pd, W, S, C, Nb, Al, V, Y, Mo, Pb, In, Ga, Ge, As, Sb, Bi, Te, B, and Misch metal in a total amount of 0.1 mass % or less.

6. The copper alloy sheet according to claim 1 , which further comprises Ca, Zr, Ag, Cr, Cd, Be, Ti, Co, Au, and Pt in a total amount of 1.0 mass % or less.

7. The copper alloy sheet according to claim 6 , which further comprises Hf, Th, Li, Na, K, Sr, Pd, W, S, C, Nb, Al, V, Y, Mo, Pb, In, Ga, Ge, As, Sb, Bi, Te, B, and Misch metal in a total amount of 0.1 mass % or less.

8. The copper alloy sheet according to claim 1 , which further comprises Hf, Th, Li, Na, K, Sr, Pd, W, S, C, Nb, Al, V, Y, Mo, Pb, In, Ga, Ge, As, Sb, Bi, Te, B, and Misch metal in a total amount of 0.1 mass % or less.

9. A copper alloy sheet according to claim 1 , wherein the copper alloy sheet has a stress relaxation ratio in the direction perpendicular to the rolling direction from 6% to less than 10%.

10. A copper alloy sheet, comprising:
Ni in 0.1 to 3.0 mass %;
Sn in 0.01 to 3.0 mass %;
P in 0.01 to 0.3 mass %; and
a remainder comprising copper and an inevitable impurity, wherein the copper alloy sheet has a stress relaxation ratio in the direction perpendicular to the rolling direction from 6% to less than 10%,
the difference between the stress relaxation ratio in the direction parallel to the rolling direction and the stress relaxation ratio in the direction perpendicular to the rolling direction is 3% or less, and
the copper alloy sheet comprises an atomic cluster which is with a three-dimensional atom probe field ion microscope, and the atomic cluster comprises at least one of a Ni atom or a P atom, wherein:
a distance between the Ni atom or P atom and an Ni atom or P atom adjacent to the Ni atom or P atom is 0.90 nm or less;
a total number of Cu, Ni, and P atoms in the atomic cluster is 15 or more and less than 100; and
an average density of atomic clusters is 5×10 5 /μm 3 or more.

11. The copper alloy sheet according to claim 10 , which further comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of
Fe in more than 0 to 0.5 mass % or less,
Zn in more than 0 to 1 mass % or less,
Mn in more than 0 to 0.1 mass % or less,
Si in more than 0 to 0.1 mass % or less, and
Mg in more than 0 to 0.3 mass % or less.

12. The copper alloy sheet according to claim 10 , which further comprises Ca, Zr, Ag, Cr, Cd, Be, Ti, Co, Au, and Pt in a total amount of 1.0 mass % or less.

13. The copper alloy sheet according to claim 10 , which further comprises Hf, Th, Li, Na, K, Sr, Pd, W, S, C, Nb, Al, V, Y, Mo, Pb, In, Ga, Ge, As, Sb, Bi, Te, B, and Misch metal in a total amount of 0.1 mass % or less.

14. A copper alloy sheet according to claim 10 , wherein the copper alloy sheet has a stress relaxation ratio in the direction perpendicular to the rolling direction from 6% to less than 9%.

Assignees

• Aruga Yasuhiro
• Kobe Steel Ltd

Inventors

• Aruga Yasuhiro

Classifications

• H01R13/03

  characterised by the material, e.g. plating, or coating materials · CPC title

• C22C9/00

  Alloys based on copper · CPC title

• C22F1/08

  of copper or alloys based thereon · CPC title

• C22C9/06

  with nickel or cobalt as the next major constituent · CPC title

• H01R13/113

  co-operating with pins or blades having a rectangular transverse section · CPC title