Copper-nickel alloy for use in manufacturing containers for holding molten metals

Abstract

A material for manufacturing containers to hold metallic melts, such as a crucible for melting and remelting installations, which has both favorable thermomechanical properties as well as outstanding weldability. The material is a copper alloy in the non-hardened condition, consisting of 0.2 to 1.5% nickel, 0.002 to 0.12% of at least one element of the group including phosphorus, aluminum, manganese, lithium, calcium, silicon and boron, the balance being copper and impurities resulting from the production process. For a targeted increase in strength, the copper alloy can also contain up to 0.3% zirconium.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A material for manufacturing a container for holding metallic melts, such as a crucible for melting and remelting installations, comprising: a copper alloy which includes 0.2 to 1.5% nickel, 0.002 to 0.12% of at least one element selected from the group consisting of phosphorus, aluminum, manganese, lithium, calcium, magnesium, silicon and boron, and a balance of copper.  
     
     
         2 . The copper alloy material according to  claim 1 , comprising 0.6 to 1.3% nickel, a total of 0.01 to 0.06% of at least one of boron, magnesium and phosphorus, and a balance of copper.  
     
     
         3 . The copper alloy material according to  claim 2 , comprising 1.0 to 1.3% nickel, 0.01 to 0.03% phosphorus and a balance of copper.  
     
     
         4 . The copper alloy according to  claim 1 , further comprising zirconium in an amount up to 0.3%.  
     
     
         5 . A copper alloy consisting of: 0.2 to 1.5% nickel, 0.002 to 0.12% of at least one element selected from the group consisting of phosphorus, aluminum, manganese, lithium, calcium, magnesium, silicon and boron, and a balance of copper.  
     
     
         6 . The copper alloy according to  claim 5 , consisting of: 0.6 to 1.3% nickel, a total of 0.01 to 0.06% of at least one of boron, magnesium and phosphorus, and a balance of copper.  
     
     
         7 . The copper alloy according to  claim 6 , consisting of 1.0 to 1.3% nickel, 0.01 to 0.3% phosphorus and a balance of copper.  
     
     
         8 . A crucible suitable for metal melting made of the copper alloy material according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         9 . A crucible suitable for metal melting made of the copper alloy material according to  claim 2 .  
     
     
         10 . A crucible suitable for metal melting made of the copper alloy material according to  claim 5 .  
     
     
         11 . A crucible suitable for metal melting made of the copper alloy material according to  claim 6 .  
     
     
         12 . A method for manufacturing a container for metallic melts from the copper alloy according to  claim 1 , wherein the alloy is subjected to a hot forming process, and is subsequently cooled in still environmental air.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the alloy, after the hot forming process, is cold formed by at least 10%.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the cold forming and a subsequent welding of the alloy at hand in the hot formed condition are adjusted to each other in such a way that the strength and the electrical conductivity in the welding seam do not deviate by more than 15% from the corresponding property values of the basic material.