PROCESSING METHOD FOR RAPIDLY AGING SURFACE OF COPPER OR COPPER ALLOY AND COPPER OR COPPER ALLOY PRODUCT HAVING RAPIDLY AGED SURFACE

摘要

PURPOSE:To make Cu or a Cu alloy harmless to the human body by oxidizing the surface of a Cu or Cu alloy member contacting with water by annealing, heating followed by rapid cooling and exposure to air, pickling, or exposure to an ozone atmosphere. CONSTITUTION:A molded article of Cu or a Cu alloy is annealed, it is exposed to an ozone atmosphere for a fixed time to cause rapid oxidation, it is pickled, neutralized, and washed, or it is heated at a low temp., rapidly cooled, exposed to air, and slowly cooled. By said operation, the surface of the molded article contacting with water is rapidly aged by oxidation, so water contacting with the article is not made harmful. This method is applied to industrial produces of Cu or a Cu alloy such as a molding, a porous molding, a wire, a fine granule, an aggregate of fine granules, a pipe, a plate and foil, water vessels such as a kettle, a pot and a bottle, and goods for water supply such as a water tap, a trap, and a connecting pipe.