Wear resistant copper base alloy, method of preparing the same and electrical part using the same

摘要

Wear resistant copper or a wear resistant copper base alloy having formed on the outermost surface thereof an oxide layer having a thickness of 10-1000 nm and a layer of an intermetallic compound primarily comprising Cu-Sn having a thickness of 0.1-10 mum under the oxide film layer is provided; a method of preparing the above-described wear resistant copper or copper base alloy by coating base material copper or a copper base alloy with Sn, preferably performing reflow treatment and then conducting heat treatment is provided; and an electrical part comprising the above-described wear resistant copper or copper base alloy is provided. A terminal made of the alloy according to the present invention which has an appropriate oxide film layer by performing heat treatment can greatly decrease a terminal-insertion force compared with that made of an ordinary copper base alloy which is not subjected to the heat treatment. The wear resistant copper or copper base alloy according to the present invention has a large surface hardness, an excellent slipping property, small contact resistance, an excellent electrical characteristic, as well as the small terminal-insertion force so that it can advantageously be used in an electrical part such as a connector or the like for use in an automobile, a charging socket or the like for use in an electric automobile.