Copper wire and method and equipment for the production of copper wire

Abstract

A copper wire has an average copper content of at least 99.95 wt.% and at least one accompanying element alloyed with the copper. The ratio of the percentage by weight of the accompanying element and the percentage by weight of the residual oxygen concentration has a value in the range of 0.8 to 1.7. The percentage by weight of the accompanying element varies along a length of wire by a maximum of 25%, based on the maximum percentage by weight of the accompanying element. The copper wire is produced by a process that includes a casting operation followed by further processing. The copper melt is protected from the surrounding atmosphere until it has solidified. To guarantee exact alloying of the accompanying element, the equipment for the production of the copper wire has an automatic metering control system connected to a metering device.

1 . A copper wire comprising an average copper content of at least 99.95 wt.% and at least one accompanying element alloyed with the copper, wherein a ratio of the percentage by weight of the accompanying element and the percentage by weight of the residual oxygen concentration has a value in the range of 0.8 to 1.7, and wherein the percentage by weight of the accompanying element varies along a length of wire by a maximum of 25%, based on the maximum percentage by weight of the accompanying element.  
     
     
         2 . The copper wire in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the accompanying element is phosphorus.  
     
     
         3 . The copper wire in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the accompanying element is boron.  
     
     
         4 . The copper wire in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the accompanying element is lithium.  
     
     
         5 . The copper wire in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the accompanying element in the copper is 5 ppm to 60 ppm.  
     
     
         6 . The copper wire in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein an average grain size is a maximum of 30 micrometers.  
     
     
         7 . The copper wire in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the accompanying element is at least partly deposited at grain boundaries.  
     
     
         8 . The copper wire in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the accompanying element is at least partly incorporated in the atomic lattice of the grains.  
     
     
         9 . The copper wire in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the percentage by weight of the accompanying element varies along the length of the wire by a maximum of 20%, based on its maximum percentage by weight of the accompanying element  10 .  
     
     
         10 . A method for the production of copper wire having an average copper content of at least 99.95 wt.%, in which at least one accompanying element is alloyed with the copper, and in which the production includes a casting operation, the method comprising protecting the copper melt from a surrounding atmosphere until the copper has solidified, and adding the at least one accompanying element is added in an amount such that a ratio of the percentage by weight of the accompanying element and the percentage by weight of a residual oxygen concentration of the copper melt is adjusted to a value in the range of 0.8 to 1.7, and the ratio is maintained at an essentially constant value along the length of the wire.  
     
     
         11 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising determining the concentration of the accompanying element in the copper by at least one test probe.  
     
     
         12 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising determining the concentration of the accompanying element by the test probe in a molten copper zone.  
     
     
         13 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising determining the concentration of the accompanying element by the test probe in a solidified wire zone.  
     
     
         14 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising adjusting the conductivity of the copper by the concentration of the accompanying element in the copper.  
     
     
         15 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising, when the oxygen concentration is elevated, adding an increased amount of the accompanying element to the copper.  
     
     
         16 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising producing the copper wire by direct casting.  
     
     
         17 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising producing the copper wire by casting and hot working.  
     
     
         18 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising producing the copper wire by cold working.  
     
     
         19 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising added the accompanying element to the copper in the region of a runner.  
     
     
         20 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising added the accompanying element to the copper in the region of a lower crater.  
     
     
         21 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising added the accompanying element to the copper in the region of a casting trough.  
     
     
         22 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising added the accompanying element to the copper in the region of an upper crater.  
     
     
         23 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising added the accompanying element to the copper in the region of a holding furnace.  
     
     
         24 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising added the accompanying element to the copper in the region of a molten stream.  
     
     
         25 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising added the accompanying element to the copper essentially in the form of a pure substance.  
     
     
         26 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising added the accompanying element to the copper essentially in the form of a prealloy.  
     
     
         27 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising measuring the oxygen concentration of the copper melt and supplying the result of the measurement to an automatic metering control system.  
     
     
         28 . The method in accordance with  claim 27 , comprising measuring the proportion of the accompanying element contained in the copper and maintaining the concentration at an essentially constant level along the length of the wire in a closed-loop control system with the use of the automatic metering control system and the metering device.  
     
     
         29 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the total content of all of the accompanying elements in the copper is taken into account by the automatic metering control system for determining the amount of the selected accompanying element to be metered.  
     
     
         30 . Equipment for the production of copper wire, comprising at least a furnace for the production of a copper melt and a casting machine, further comprising a metering device for metering at least one accompanying element connected to an automatic metering control system, which control system is connected to at least one sensor for detecting a furnace weight and a device for measuring a casting output.  
     
     
         31 . Equipment in accordance with  claim 30 , wherein the furnace is installed on a weighing device.  
     
     
         32 . Equipment in accordance with  claim 30 , wherein the furnace is a melting furnace.  
     
     
         33 . Equipment in accordance with  claim 30 , wherein the furnace is a casting furnace.  
     
     
         34 . Equipment in accordance with  claim 30 , wherein the automatic metering control system is connected to a sensor for detecting the oxygen concentration of the copper melt.