Corrosion-resistant coated copper and method for making the same

• US 7,045,221 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2004
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Revere Copper Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Louis Berkman Company
• Inventors: Zamanzadeh, Mehrooz, Carey, Jay F. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, John J.
• Application Number:
  US10/849,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20040214029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 428/647, 428/939, 428/607
• US Class Current: 428/647
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/01 all layers being exclusively metallic making layered metal workpieces by pressure cladding B23K20/22; making coatings with a metallic material characterised by its composition C23C30/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/013 one layer being formed of an iron alloy or steel, another layer being formed of a metal other than iron or aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/015 the said other metal being copper or nickel or an alloy thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 13/00 Alloys based on tin
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 13/02 with antimony or bismuth as the next major constituent
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 18/00 Alloys based on zinc
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 30/04 containing tin or lead
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 30/06 containing zinc
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 2/024 by cleaning or etching
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 2/026 Deposition of sublayers, e.g. adhesion layers or pre-applied alloying elements or corrosion protection
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 2/06 Zinc or cadmium or alloys based thereon
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 2/08 Tin or alloys based thereon
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 2/28 Thermal after-treatment, e.g. treatment in oil bath
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 2/29 Cooling or quenching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/939 Molten or fused coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12493 Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12715 Next to Group IB metal-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12736 Al-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12792 Zn-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12799 Next to Fe-base component [e.g., galvanized]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12903 : Cu-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12979 : Containing more than 10% nonferrous elements [e.g., high alloy, stainless]

Abstract

A corrosion-resistant coated base metal coated with a corrosion resistant alloy. The corrosion resistant alloy includes tin and zinc. The corrosion resistant coated base metal includes a heat created intermetallic layer primarily including copper and zinc.

Claims

1. A corrosion-resistant metal strip having a base metal strip coated with a corrosion-resistant metal alloy by a hot dip process, said base metal strip having a surface that includes copper prior to said metal alloy coating being coated on said base metal strip, said metal alloy coating including at least about 15 weight percent tin, and at least an effective amount of zinc to form a multi-phase metal alloy coating after said metal alloy coating cools on said base metal strip, said tin content plus said zinc content at least about 90 weight percent, said metal alloy coating including at least one metal additive to positively affect the chemical and/or physical properties of said metal alloy coating;

said metal additive including a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, antimony, bismuth, chromium, copper, lead, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, titanium, or mixtures thereof.

2. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 1, wherein said base metal strip includes a majority of copper.

3. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 2, wherein said base metal strip is a copper strip.

4. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 1, wherein said metal alloy coating has an average thickness of up to about 77 microns.

5. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 3, wherein said metal alloy coating has an average thickness of up to about 77 microns.

6. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 1, wherein said base metal strip has an average thickness of less than about 2540 microns, said base metal strip thickness being greater than said metal alloy coating thickness.

7. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 5, wherein said base metal strip has an average thickness of less than about 2540 microns, said base metal strip thickness being greater than said metal alloy coating thickness.

8. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 1, including a heat created intermetallic layer between said metal alloy coating and said base metal strip, said heat created intermetallic layer including a majority of copper plus zinc, and having a thickness of up to about 20 microns.

9. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 7, including a heat created intermetallic layer between said metal alloy coating and said base metal strip, said heat created intermetallic layer including a majority of copper plus zinc, and having a thickness of up to about 20 microns.

10. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 8, wherein said heat created intermetallic layer includes at least about 75 weight percent copper plus zinc.

11. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 9, wherein said heat created intermetallic layer includes at least about 75 weight percent copper plus zinc.

12. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 1, wherein said metal alloy coating includes over about 9 weight percent zinc.

13. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 11, wherein said metal alloy coating includes over about 9 weight percent zinc.

14. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 1, wherein said metal alloy comprises:

15. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 1, wherein said metal alloy comprises:

16. A corrosion-resistant metal strip having a base metal strip coated with a corrosion-resistant metal alloy and a heat created intermetallic layer formed between said base metal strip and said metal alloy coating, said base metal strip formed of a majority of copper and having a surface which includes copper prior to being coated with said metal alloy coating, said metal alloy coating including about 9–

80 weight percent zinc and at least about 15 weight percent tin, said tin content plus said zinc content of said metal alloy coating at least about 90 weight percent, said metal alloy coating including at least one metal additive to positively affect the chemical and/or physical properties of said metal alloy coating;

said metal additive including a metal selected from thegroup consisting of aluminum, antimony, bismuth, chromium, copper, lead, magnesium, manganese, molybdenilim, nickel,silicon, titanium, or mixtures thereof, said base metal strip having an average thickness of about 381–

2540 microns, said metal alloy coating having an average thickness of about 2–

1250 microns, said base metal strip having a thickness greater than said metal alloy coating thickness.

17. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 16, wherein said base metal strip is a copper strip.

18. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 16, wherein said metal alloy coating has an average thickness of up to about 77 microns.

19. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 17, wherein said metal alloy coating has an average thickness of up to about 77 microns.

20. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 16, wherein said heat created intermetallic layer includes at least about 75 weight percent copper plus zinc.

21. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 19, wherein said heat created intermetallic layer includes at least about 75 weight percent copper plus zinc.

22. The, corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 16, wherein said heat created intermetallic layer has an average thickness of up to about 20 microns.

23. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 21, wherein said heat created intermetallic layer has an average thickness of up to about 20 microns.

24. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 16, wherein said metal alloy coating includes at least about 20 weight percent zinc.

25. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 23, wherein said metal alloy coating includes at least about 20 weight percent zinc.

26. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 16, wherein said metal alloy comprises:

27. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 16, wherein said metal alloy comprises:

28. A corrosion-resistant metal strip having a base metal strip coated with a corrosion-resistant metal alloy, said base metal strip formed of a majority of copper and having a surface which includes copper prior to being coated with said metal alloy coating, said metal alloy coating including over 40 weight percent zinc and over 40 weight percent tin, said tin content plus said zinc content of said metal alloy coating at least about 98 weight percent, said base metal strip having an average thickness of about 381–

2540 microns, said alloy coating forming at least three distinct layers including a heat created intermetallic layer, a top layer and an intermediate layer positioned between said heat created intermetallic layer and said top layer, said heat created intermetallic layer formed between said base metal strip and said intermediate layer, said heat created intermetallic layer including a majority of copper and zinc, said intermediate layer including copper and a majority of zinc, said top layer including zinc and a majority of tin, said intermediate layer and top layer of said alloy coating having an average thickness of at least about 7 microns, said base metal strip having a thickness greater than said metal alloy coating thickness, said metal alloy coating including at least one metal additive to positively affect the chemical and/or physical properties of said metal alloy coating, said metal additive including a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, antimony, bismuth, chromium, copper, lead, maanesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, titanium, or mixtures thereof.

29. The corrosion-resistant metal strip as defined in claim 28, wherein said metal alloy comprises: