Method for manufacturing low-oxygen copper

A method for continuously manufacturing a low-oxygen copper wire, comprising:

• preparing a starting material for low-oxygen copper;
• performing combustion of the starting material in a reducing atmosphere a melting furnace so as to produce molten copper;
• sealing the molten copper in a non-oxidizing atmosphere in a casting trough, the casting trough extending horizontally and having a degasser, the degasser including a plurality of dikes positioned on upper, lower and side surfaces of the casting trough and extending in vertical directions and horizontal directions inside the casting trough such that the molten copper is channeled to flow upward, downward and side to side in the casting trough;
• transferring the molten copper horizontally through the degasser to a tundish by using the casting trough;
• feeding the dehydrogenated molten copper to a continuous casting machine so as to continuously produce cast copper;
• and
• rolling the cast copper so as to manufacture the low-oxygen copper wire.

A method for continuously manufacturing a wire composed of a low-oxygen copper alloy, comprising:

• preparing a starting material for low-oxygen copper;
• performing combustion of the starting material in a reducing atmosphere in a melting furnace so as to produce molten copper;
• sealing the molten copper in a non-oxidizing atmosphere in a casting trough, the trough extending horizontally and having a degasser, the degasser including a plurality of dikes positioned on upper, lower and side surfaces of the casting trough and extending in vertical directions and horizontal directions inside the casting trough such that the molten copper is channeled to flow upward, downward and side to side in the casting trough;
• transferring the molten copper horizontally through the degasser to a tundish by using the casting trough;
• adding silver to the dehydrogenated molten copper;
• feeding the molten copper with the added silver to a continuous casting machine so as to continuously produce a cast copper alloy;
• and
• rolling the cast copper alloy so as to manufacture the wire composed of the low-oxygen copper alloy.

A method for continuously manufacturing a base low-oxygen copper material containing phosphorus for use in copper plating, comprising:

• preparing a starting material for low-oxygen copper;
• performing combustion of the starting material in a reducing atmosphere in a melting furnace so as to produce molten copper;
• sealing the molten copper in a non-oxidizing atmosphere in a casting trough, the casting trough extending horizontally and having a degasser, the degasser including a plurality of dikes positioned on upper, lower and side surfaces of the casting trough and extending in vertical directions and horizontal directions inside the casting trough such that the molten copper is channeled to flow upward, downward and side to side in the casting trough;
• transferring the molten copper horizontally through the degasser to a tundish by using the casting trough;
• adding phosphorus to the dehydrogenated molten copper;
• feeding the molten copper with the added phosphorus to a continuous casting machine so as to continuously produce a cast base copper material;
• and
• rolling the cast base copper material so as to manufacture the base low oxygen copper material containing phosphorus for use in copper plating.