# US 9,434,005 B2 · Pb-free copper-alloy sliding material, and plain bearing

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 9,434,005 B2
- Document ID: US9434005B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/493,617
- Filed: 2012-06-11
- Published: 2012-10-04
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2007-05-15
- Assignees: Taiho Kogyo Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Hiromi Yokota; Ryo Mukai; Shinichi Kato; Nahomi Hamaguchi
- Inventors: Hiromi Yokota; Ryo Mukai; Shinichi Kato; Nahomi Hamaguchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434005B2

## CPC

- B22F 7/08: with one or more parts not made from powder {(B22F7/062 takes precedence)}
- C22C 1/0425: {Copper-based alloys}
- C22C 9/00: Alloys based on copper
- C22C 9/02: with tin as the next major constituent
- C22C 9/04: with zinc as the next major constituent
- C22C 9/08: with lead as the next major constituent
- F16C 33/121: {Use of special materials}
- B22F 2998/00: Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
- F16C 2204/12: with tin as the next major constituent
- Y02T 10/86: Optimisation of rolling resistance, e.g. weight reduction
- B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
- C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F)
- F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A method of producing a Pb-free copper-alloy sliding material containing 1.0 to 15.0% of Sn, 0.5 to 15.0% of Bi and 0.05 to 5.0% of Ag, and Ag and Bi from an Ag—Bi eutectic. If necessary, at least one of 0.1 to 5.0% of Ni, 0.02 to 0.2% P, 0.5 to 30.0% of Zn, and 1.0 to 10.0 mass % of at least one of a group consisting of Fe3P, Fe2P, FeB, NiB and AlN may be added.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for producing a Pb-free sintered copper-alloy sliding material, comprising:
preparing a copper alloy powder consisting of, by mass percentage, 1.0 to 15.0% of Sn, 2 to 10% of Bi and 0.05 to 5.0% of Ag, with the balance being Cu and unavoidable impurities;
heating said copper alloy powder to a temperature in a range of 700 to 900 degrees C.; and,
cooling said copper alloy, in which said Sn, Bi and Ag are dissolved in solid copper alloy, under a condition that said Ag and Bi form an Ag—Bi eutectic, and neither Ag nor Bi are essentially dissolved in a Cu matrix, and Ag and Bi are not precipitated in a morphology except for said Ag—Bi eutectic.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein a cooling speed at an Ag—Bi eutectic temperature is 200 degrees per minute.

### Claim 3

A method for producing a Pb-free sintered copper-alloy sliding material comprising:
preparing a copper alloy powder consisting of, by mass percentage, 1.0 to 15.0% of Sn, 2 to 10% of Bi, 0.05 to 5.0% of Ag, at least one of 0.1 to 5.0% of Ni, 0.02 to 0.2% P, and 0.5 to 30.0% of Zn, with the balance being Cu and unavoidable impurities;
heating said copper alloy powder to a temperature in a range of 700 to 900 degrees C.; and,
cooling said copper alloy, in which said Sn, Bi and Ag are dissolved in solid copper alloy, under a condition that said Ag and Bi form an Ag—Bi eutectic, neither Ag nor Bi are essentially dissolved in a Cu matrix, and Ag and Bi are not precipitated in a morphology except for said Ag—Bi eutectic.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, wherein a cooling speed at an Ag—Bi eutectic temperature is 200 degrees per minute.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method for producing a Pb-free sintered copper-alloy sliding material according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of preparing an at least one hard-particle powder selected from the group consisting of Fe3P, Fe2P, FeB, NiB and AlN, having an average particle diameter of 1.5 to 70 μm, in an amount of 1.0 to 10.0% by mass relative to total of said copper alloy powder and hard-particle powder; and mixing said copper alloy powder and said hard particle powder prior to heating to a temperature in a range of 700 to 900 degrees C.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The method for producing a Pb-free sintered copper-alloy sliding material according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of preparing an at least one hard-particle powder selected from the group consisting of Fe3P, Fe2P, FeB, NiB and AlN, having an average particle diameter of 1.5 to 70 μm, in an amount of 1.0 to 10.0% by mass relative to total of said copper alloy powder and hard-particle powder; and mixing said copper alloy powder and said hard particle powder prior to heating to a temperature in a range of 700 to 900 degrees C.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the heating is carried out on a backing metal.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5, wherein the heating is carried out on a backing metal.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein the heating is carried out on a backing metal.