COPPER-BASED ALLOY EXCELLENT IN CORROSION RESISTANCE, HOT WORKABILITY, AND RESISTANCE TO STRESS CORROSION CRACKING, AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE COPPER-BASED ALLOY

摘要

A copper-based alloy characterized by being an alloy which has a composition consisting of 58.0-63.0 wt.% copper, 0.5-4.0 wt.% lead, 0.05-0.25 wt.% phosphorous, 0.5-3.0 wt.% tin, 0.05-0.30 wt.% nickel, and the balance consisting of zinc and unavoidable impurities and has homogeneously and finely divided structure so as to have excellent corrosion resistance and hot workability, and by being an alloy which becomes excellent also in resistance to stress corrosion cracking through an appropriate drawing and heat treatment by both of which mechanical properties, e.g., tensile strength, proof stress, and elongation, are improved and the internal stress is sufficiently removed. The copper-based alloy has the hot forgeability inherent in lead-containing brass and has excellent resistance to dezincification corrosion. It is economically advantageous because the material cost is low due to the use of phosphorous for improving corrosion resistance. Furthermore, it becomes excellent also in resistance to stress corrosion cracking through an appropriate drawing and heat treatment.