Copper alloy, use of a copper alloy, sanitary fitting and method for producing a sanitary fitting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11767577-B2
Application number	US-201816638039-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2018
Priority date	Aug 11, 2017
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

Copper alloy, the elements of which have the following mass fractions:
46% to 53.5% copper (Cu); 0% to 1.0% aluminum (Al); 0% to 1.40% lead (Pb); 0% to 0.2% iron (Fe); 0% to 0.4% tin (Sn); 0% to 0.0002% boron (B); 0% to 0.2% arsenic (As); and remainder zinc (Zn). In addition, a use of a corresponding copper alloy for an additive manufacturing process, a sanitary fitting ( 1 ) with a corresponding copper alloy, and a method for producing a sanitary fitting ( 1 ) from a corresponding copper alloy are proposed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A copper alloy, consisting of, in mass fractions:
46% to 53.5% copper (Cu);
0% to 1.0% aluminum (Al);
0% to 1.40% lead (Pb);
0% to 0.2% iron (Fe);
0% to 0.4% tin (Sn);
more than 0% to 0.0002% boron (B);
0% to 0.2% arsenic (As);
Zinc; and
at least one contaminant included in an unavoidable residual amount, limited individually to a maximum of 0.02%,
wherein the at least one containment is one or more elements other than Cu, Al, Pb, Fe, Sn, B, As and Zinc, and
wherein the copper alloy is formed predominantly with BETA phase.

2. The copper alloy according to claim 1 , wherein the contaminant is at least one element selected from the group consisting of phosphorus (P), manganese (Mn), bismuth (Bi), chromium (Cr), sulphur (S), magnesium (Mg) and antimony (Sb).

3. A copper alloy, consisting of, in mass fractions:
46% to 53.5% copper (Cu);
0% to 1.0% aluminum (Al);
0% to 1.40% lead (Pb);
0% to 0.2% iron (Fe);
0% to 0.4% tin (Sn);
more than 0% to 0.0002% boron (B);
0% to 0.2% arsenic (As);
Zinc; and
one or more contaminants included in an unavoidable residual amount, selected from the group consisting of manganese (Mn), bismuth (Bi), chromium (Cr), sulphur (S), magnesium (Mg) and antimony (Sb),
wherein the copper alloy is formed predominantly with BETA phase.

4. A sanitary fitting, comprising:
a housing that comprises the copper alloy according to claim 1 .

5. A sanitary fitting, comprising:
a housing that comprises the copper alloy according to claim 3 .

6. A method for producing a sanitary fitting, comprising:
manufacturing a housing by at least one of a casting process and an additive manufacturing process,
wherein the housing comprises the copper alloy according to claim 1 .

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the copper alloy comprises a melting temperature of below 930° C.

8. A method for producing a sanitary fitting, comprising:
manufacturing a housing by at least one of a casting process and an additive manufacturing process,
wherein the housing comprises the copper alloy according to claim 3 .

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the copper alloy comprises a melting temperature of below 930° C.

Assignees

• Lixil Corp

Inventors

• Romanowski Carsten

Classifications

• C22C9/04 Primary

  with zinc as the next major constituent · CPC title

• B22F1/05

  Metallic powder characterised by the size or surface area of the particles · CPC title

• B33Y70/00

  Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• C22C18/02

  with copper as the next major constituent · CPC title

• E03C1/04

  Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths (valves, faucets, mixing valves, taps F16K) · CPC title