High-precision zinc-based alloy electrode wire and manufacture method thereof

A high-precision zinc-based alloy electrode wire comprising:

• a core;
• and
• an external shell covering the core;
• wherein
• the core is made of brass,
• the external shell in wt % consisting of:
• Zn:
• 78.5-85%;
• Cu:
• 12.5-19%;
• X:
• 0.02-4.0%;
• Y:
• 0.002-0.4%;
• and unavoidable impurities, and the unavoidable impurities is less than or equal to 0.3%;
• where, X refers to any two kinds of metals selected from Ni, Ag, Cr, Si and Zr, and the weight percentage of each of these two kinds of metals is 0.01-2.0%;
• and Y refers to any two kinds of metals selected from Ti, Al, Co, B, and P, and the weight percentage of each of these two kinds of metals is 0.001-0.2%;
• the external shell has a thickness of 2-4 μm, the external shell has a metallurgical structure in ε-phase, and the ε-phase is uniformly distributed on a surface of the core.

A method for manufacturing a high-precision zinc-based alloy electrode wire, comprising following steps:

• 1) mixing alloy in proportion by mixing, in weight percentage (wt %):
• 57-68% Cu, 0.03-4.5% X, 0.004-0.5% Y;
• and the balance is Zn and unavoidable impurities originated from raw material or introduced during smelting, and the unavoidable impurities is less than or equal to 0.5%;
• where X refers to any two kinds of metals selected from Ni, Ag, Cr, Si, and Zr, and each of these two kinds of metals is 0.015-2.25%;
• and
• Y refers to any two kinds of metals selected from Ti, Al, Co, B, and P, and each of these two kinds of metals is 0.002-0.25%;
• 2) smelting mixed alloy in an induction furnace, and casting smelted mixed alloy into an alloy wire blank with a diameter of 8-15 mm;
• 3) obtaining a based wire blank with a diameter of 0.5-5 mm by extruding or multi-stage stretching and annealing the alloy wire blank;
• 4) degreasing the based wire blank, waShing the based wire blank with acids, waShing the based wire blank with water, then galvanizing the based wire blank, with an electroplating current of 1500-3000 A and a voltage of 150-220 V, to obtain an electroplated first wire blank with a galvanized layer having a thickness of 0.5-50 μm;
• 5) stretching and annealing the electroplated first wire blank to obtain a second wire blank;
• and
• 6) alloying thermal treating the second wire blank to obtain a finished electrode wire with a diameter of 0.05-0.35 mm.