Copper alloy

Abstract

A method of producing a copper alloy containing: Ni and/or Si and at least one or more of B, Al, As, Hf, Zr, Cr, Ti, C, Fe, P, In, Sb, Mn, Ta, V, S, O, N, Misch metal (MM), Co, and Be, the copper alloy having a precipitate X composed of Ni and Si, and a precipitate Y composed of Ni and/or Si, and at least one or more of B, Al, As, Hf, Zr, Cr, Ti, C, Fe, P, In, Sb, Mn, Ta, V, S, O, N, Misch metal (MM), Co, and Be, in which a grain diameter of the precipitate Y is 0.01 to 2 μm.

1 . A method of producing a copper alloy, comprising the steps of:
 melting a copper alloy;   casting into an ingot;   heating the ingot at a temperature rising rate of 20 to 200° C./hr after said casting step;   holding the resultant ingot at 850 to 1,050° C. for 0.5 to 5 hours;   hot-rolling the ingot; and   quenching the hot-rolled product,   wherein, after said hot-rolling step, the resultant alloy is formed into a given thickness, through a combination of solution treatment, annealing, and cold-rolling,   wherein the solution treatment temperature is 600 to 820° C. for an Ni amount of 2.0 mass % or more but less than 2.5 mass %, 700 to 870° C. for an Ni amount of 2.5 mass % or more but less than 3.0 mass %, 750 to 920° C. for an Ni amount of 3.0 mass % or more but less than 3.5 mass %, 800 to 970° C. for an Ni amount of 3.5 mass % or more but less than 4.0 mass %, 850 to 1,020° C. for an Ni amount of 4.0 mass % or more but less than 4.5 mass %, and 920 to 1,050° C. for an Ni amount of from 4.5 mass % or more but less than 5.0 mass % and   wherein the copper alloy has:
 a precipitate Y composed of
 Ni and/or Si and 
 at least one or more selected from the group consisting of B, Al, As, Hf, Zr, Cr, Ti, C, Fe, P, In, Sb, Mn, Ta, V, S, O, N, Misch metal (MM), Co, and Be; and 
 
 a precipitate X composed of Ni and Si, 
   wherein a grain diameter of the precipitate Y is 0.01 to 2 μm, and   wherein the number of precipitates X per mm 2  is 20 to 2,000 times the number of precipitates Y per mm 2 .