High-conductivity copper microalloys obtained by conventional continuous or semi-continuous casting

We provide a new copper microalloy with high-conductivity, excellent heat resistance and high strain strength, which can be obtained by conventional continuous or semi-continuous casting, which essentially consists of at least one element selected from the following list: - 5-800 mg/Kg Pb (lead) - 10-100 mg/Kg Sb (antimony) - 5-1000 mg/Kg Ag (silver) - 5-700 mg/Kg Sn (tin) - 1-25 mg/Kg Cd (cadmium) - 1-30 mg/Kg Bi (bismuth) - 20-500 mg/Kg Zn (zinc) - 10-400 mg/Kg Fe (iron) - 15-500 mg/Kg Ni (nickel) - 1-15 mg/Kg S (sulfur) - in all cases, with 20-500 mg/Kg O (oxygen). The alloy is suitable for all the applications that require an electrical conductivity similar to that of pure copper, but with a better heat resistance, better mechanical properties and lower standard deviation values in strain strength. Specifically, it can be used for electric wires with high mechanical requirements and/or high annealing temperatures, for high-risk applications and for electrical wires and components in the electronic and micro-electronic industry.