Ni-Cr type alloy material

Ni-Cr type allow materials comprising 10 to 50 atom % of Cr, 5 to 25 atom % of Al and/or Si, and the balance to make up 100 atom % of substantially pure Ni, excelling in cold workability, and exhibiting high electric resistance. These alloy materials possess very high electric resistance and small electrical resistance temperature coefficients over a wide temperature range from room temperature to elevated temperatures, and have excellent cold workability, mechanical properties, durability, ability to resist oxidation, corrosion, and fatigue as well as strain gauge sensitivity. The alloys are very useful as industrial materials of varying types including electrical resistors, precision resistors, and electrically heating wires used at elevated temperatures and bracing materials, reinforcing materials, and corrosionproofed materials used at elevated temperatures.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to Ni-Cr type alloy materials which have excellent 
cold workability and show low electrical resistance temperature 
coefficients over a wide temperature range from room temperature through 
elevated temperatures, as well as a high degree of electrical resistance. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Ni-Cr type alloy materials have generally been widely used as heating 
elements at elevated temperatures and as electrical resistors at elevated 
temperatures. The reason for this favorable acceptance is that the Ni-Cr 
type alloy materials, as compared with the Fe-Cr-Al type alloy materials, 
for example, have advantages such as not being easily embrittled even 
after exposure to heat, exhibiting high strength and other mechanical 
properties at elevated temperatures, and having sufficient stability to 
withstand virtually all corrosive gases except sulfide gases. On the other 
hand, they have disadvantages such as lower degrees of electrical 
resistance, larger electrical resistance temperature coefficients at 
varying temperatures from room temperature through elevated temperatures, 
and slightly lower maximum working temperatures than the Fe-Cr-Al type 
alloys. Moreover, they do not fully satisfy other requirements such as 
having an ability to resist the action of acids. 
Generally, it is possible to improve the ability of Ni-Cr type alloy 
materials to resist acid and enhance their electrical resistance up to the 
level of 115 .mu..OMEGA.-cm by fixing their Cr contents in the range of 40 
to 45 atom%. However, this increase in the Cr contents results in 
degradation of workability of alloy materials. Normally, therefore, Ni-Cr 
type alloy materials having Cr contents controlled to the neighborhood of 
20 atom% for the purpose of ensuring ample cold-moldability are used. 
Efforts to improve the aforementioned disadvantages by the incorporation 
of Al and Si have been separately continued. Since it has been ascertained 
that their incorporation heavily impairs workability even to the extent of 
rendering cold working or coiling impracticable the incorporation of Al 
and Si is now limited to 3 atom% at most. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the present invention is to provide Ni-Cr type alloy materials 
which have excellent cold workability and show low electrical resistance 
temperature coefficients over a wide temperature range from room 
temperature through elevated temperatures, as well as a high degree of 
electrical resistance. 
The present inventors have found that the above object is attained by 
preparing a Ni-Cr type alloy of a specific composition and solidifying the 
alloy still in a molten state by quenching. 
This invention is directed to Ni-Cr type alloy materials comprising 10 to 
50 atom% Cr, 5 to 25 atom% of Al and/or Si, and the balance to make up 100 
atom% of substantially pure Ni. The alloy has excellent cold workability 
and exhibits a high degree of electrical resistance. The invention is also 
directed to Ni-Cr type alloy materials comprising (a) 10 to 50 atom% of 
Cr, (b) 5 to 25 atom% of Al and/or Si, (c) 0.1 to 40 atom% of at least one 
element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Nb, Ta, V, Mo, Mn, 
Cu, Ge, Ga, Ti, Zr, Hf, Ca, Ce, Y, and Th (providing that the content of 
Fe is 0.1 to 40 atom%, that of each of Co, Nb, Ta, V, Mo, Mn, Cu, Ge, and 
Ga 0.1 to 3.0 atom%, and/or that of each of Ti, Zr, Hf, Ca, Ce, Y, and Th 
0.1 to 1.0 atom%, and (d) the balance to make up 100 atom% of 
substantially pure Ni. This alloy also has excellent cold workability and 
exhibits a high degree of electrical resistance. 
The alloy materials of the present invention are solid solutions of 10 to 
50 atom% of Cr and 5 to 25 atom% of Al and/or Si in substantially pure Ni. 
These alloy materials exhibit much higher values of electrical resistance, 
lower electrical resistance temperature coefficients over a wide 
temperature range from room temperature through elevated temperatures, 
better mechanical properties, ability to resist oxidation, corrosion and 
fatigue longer service life, and higher degrees of strain gauge 
sensitivity than conventional Ni-Cr type alloy materials. Therefore, 
alloys of this invention are highly useful as industrial materials of 
varying types including electrical resistors, precision resistors, and 
electrical heating wires at elevated temperatures and bracing materials, 
reinforcing materials, and corrosion resistant materials which must be 
used at elevated temperatures. 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The alloy materials contemplated by this invention contain 10 to 50 atom% 
of Cr and 5 to 25 atom% of Al and/or Si. The Cr content is preferably in 
the range of 15 to 45 atom% and more preferably in the range of 30 to 37 
atom%. The Al and/or Si content preferably falls in the range of 7 to 20 
atom% and more preferably in the range of 7 to 15 atom%. 
If the Cr content is less than 10 atom% and/or the Al and/or Si content is 
less than 5 atom%, the produced alloy materials will not have improved 
electrical resistance, electrical resistance temperature coefficient, 
oxidationproofness, mechanical properties, corrosion-proofness, and 
fatigue resistance. If the Cr content exceeds 50 atom% and/or the Al 
and/or Si content exceeds 25 atom%, the alloy materials obtained by 
quenching suffer from precipitation of such compounds as Ni.sub.3 Si, 
Ni.sub.3 Al, NiAl, and Ni.sub.3 Cr.sub.2 Si.sub.1. Therefore, the alloys 
become brittle and deficient in workability, and do not have practical 
utility. Particularly when the Cr content is in the neighborhood of 40 
atom%, the alloy materials exhibit the maximum electric resistance. This 
electrical resistance tends to fall gradually as the Cr content increases 
beyond this level. 
The alloy materials of the present invention have further improved 
workability, electrical resistance, tensile strength at rupture and other 
mechanical properties, and longer service life. These properties made be 
improved by incorporating therein 0.1 to 40 atom% of at least one element 
selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Nb, Ta, V, Mo, Mn, Cu, Ge, 
Ga, Ti, Zr, Hf, Ca, Ce, Y, and Th (providing that the content of Fe is 0.1 
to 40 atom%, that of each of Co, Nb, Ta, V, Mo, Mn, Cu, Ge, and Ga 0.1 to 
3.0 atom%, and/or that of each of Ti, Zr, Hf, Ca, Ce, Y, and Th 0.1 to 1.0 
atom%. Particularly the Fe content in the range of 10 to 40 atom% proves 
desirable because the presence of this Fe enhances workability and, at the 
same time, lowers cost without appreciably degrading heat resistance and 
gas resistance. The elements such as Co, Nb, Ta, V, Mo, Mn, Cu, Ge, Ga, 
Ti, Zr, and Hf are effective in improving heat resistance, thermal 
expansion coefficient, electrical resistance, tensile strength at rupture 
and other mechanical properties. The elements such as Ca, Ce, Y, and Th 
are effective in lengthening service life. However, when these elements 
are incorporated in amounts exceeding the upper limits mentioned above, 
the alloy materials suffer from loss of cold workability, becoming 
brittle, and no longer suit practical utility. 
In the aforementioned alloy compositions of the present invention, when the 
Cr content is limited to the range of 15 to 35 atom% and the Al and/or Si 
content to the range of 7 to 20 atom%, produced alloy materials enjoy 
lowered thermal electromotive force relative to copper and increased 
strain gauge ratio (strain gauge sensitivity) and, accordingly, prove to 
be highly desirable materials for strain gauges. 
Any of the alloy systems of this invention mentioned above tolerates 
presence of such impurities as B, P, C, S, Sn, In, As, and Sb in amounts 
normally found in most industrial materials of ordinary run. The presence 
of these impurities in such insignificant amounts does not impair the 
objects of this invention. 
Manufacture of an alloy material of this invention is accomplished by 
preparing the component elements in amounts making up a selected 
percentage composition, melting the component elements by heating either 
in natural atmosphere or under a vacuum, and quenching the resultant 
molten solid solution. Although various other methods are available for 
this quenching, the liquid quenching methods represented by the one-roll 
method and the two-roll method and the spinning-in-rotary liquid method 
prove to be particularly effective. Alloys in the shape of plates can be 
manufactured by the piston-anvil method, the splat quenching method, etc. 
The aforementioned liquid quenching methods (one-roll method, two-roll 
method, and spinning-in-rotary liquid method) have quenching speeds about 
10.sup.4 .degree. to 10.sup.5 .degree. C./sec. and the piston-anvil method 
and the splat quenching method have quenching speeds of about 10.sup.5 
.degree. to 10.sup.6 .degree. C./sec. By adoption of one of these 
quenching methods, therefore, the molten solid solution can be efficiently 
quenched. 
The spinning-in-rotary liquid method, as disclosed in Japanese Patent 
Application (OPI) No. 64948/80 (The term "OPI" as used herein refers to a 
"published unexamined Japanese patent application".) is an operation which 
comprises placing water in a rotary drum, allowing the water to form a 
film of water on the inner wall of the rotary drum by virtue of the 
centrifugal force, spouting the molten alloy through a spinning nozzle 
into the film of water, and producing a thin alloy wire having a circular 
cross section. To produce this thin alloy wire in a uniform size without 
breakage, the peripheral speed of the rotary drum is preferably equal to 
or greater than the speed of the flow of molten alloy spouted out of the 
spinning nozzle. It is particularly desirable for the peripheral speed of 
the rotary drum to be 5 to 30% higher than the speed of the flow of molten 
alloy spouted out of the spinning nozzle. The angle to be formed between 
the flow of molten alloy spouted out of the spinning nozzle and the film 
of water formed on the inner wall of the rotary drum is desired to be at 
least 20.degree., preferably 40.degree. to 90.degree.. 
Since the alloy material of the present invention contains a large amount 
of Si and/or Al, when the molten alloy is spouted into the aforementioned 
coolant in rotary motion to be quenched and solidified, there can be 
obtained a continuous thin alloy wire which enjoys a uniform circular 
cross section and suffers very little from uneven diameter distribution. 
Moreover, since the incorporation of Si and/or Al in the Ni-Cr alloy 
serves to enhance various properties as described above and, at the same 
time, impart substantial ability to form a thin alloy wire in a liquid 
coolant (the nature of the molten alloy, on being quenched and solidified 
in the liquid coolant, to form a uniform thin alloy wire having a circular 
cross section and suffering very little from uneven diameter 
distribution), it proves highly desirable for the purpose of obtaining a 
uniform thin alloy wire having a circular cross section. 
The alloy material of the present invention can be subjected to cold 
working continuously. In order to improve dimensional accuracy and 
mechanical properties, the alloy material may be rolled into sheets or 
drawn into wires. When necessary, it may be subjected to thermal 
treatments such as annealing. The high speed and simple procedure of the 
liquid quenching method contribute to lowering the production cost and the 
energy requirement in the manufacture of the material contemplated by the 
present invention. 
The use of such a liquid quenching method makes it possible to manufacture 
an alloy material formed of supersaturated solid solution having a widely 
variable percentage composition including 10 to 50 atom% of Cr and 5 to 25 
atom% of Al and/or Si, combining relatively high tensile strength at 
rupture with high tenacity, and possessing a face-centered cubic 
structure. The alloy material thus manufactured possesses higher electric 
resistance than conventional Ni-Cr alloy materials. When the alloy is used 
as an electrical resistor, it can be expected to exhibit more desirable 
results with respect to thermal resistance, as well as resistances to 
oxidation, corrosion and fatigue, durability and strain gauge sensitivity. 
For example, the material obtained by quenching a molten alloy consisting 
of 55 atom% of Ni, 35 atom% of Cr, and 10 atom% of Si by the one-roll 
method exhibits a high electrical resistance of 150 .mu..OMEGA.-cm. 
Moreover, this alloy material has high tenacity, abounds in ductility, 
shows a high rupture strength of about 65 kg/mm.sup.2, and permits cold 
rolling. When the Cr and Si contents are further increased, however, the 
electric resistance and the ductility tend to be gradually impaired, 
although the strength at rupture is improved. This trend is also found in 
the Ni-Cr-Al type alloy materials. An alloy composition of 70 atom% of Ni, 
20 atom% of Cr, and 10 atom% of Al exhibits the maximum electric 
resistance of 145 .mu..OMEGA.-cm. When the Cr and Al contents are further 
increased, the electric resistance and the ductility tend to fall 
gradually, although the rupture strength is increased. 
The alloy materials described above are substantially better than 
conventional Ni-Cr type alloy materials in terms of cold workability, 
electric properties and mechanical properties, as well as their abilities 
to resist corrosion, oxidation, and fatigue, and to provide a longer 
service life. Accordingly, alloys of the invention are highly useful as 
industrial materials of varying types including electrical resistors, 
precision resistors, and electrically heating wires at elevated 
temperatures and bracing materials, reinforcing materials, and corrosion 
resistant materials used at elevated temperatures. 
The present invention will now be described more specifically below with 
reference to working examples. However, the invention is not limited to 
these examples.

EXAMPLES 1 TO 8 AND COMATIVE EXAMPLES 1 TO 4 
A Ni-Cr-Si alloy of a varying percentage composition indicated in Table 1 
was melted in an atmosphere of argon. Under an argon gas pressure of 1.0 
kg/cm.sup.2, the resultant molten alloy was spewed through a spinning 
nozzle made of ruby and having an orifice diameter of 0.5 mm.phi. onto the 
surface of a steel roll having a diameter of 20 cm and rotating at 2500 
r.p.m. to produce a continuous ribbon 50 .mu.m in thickness and 3 mm in 
width. The ribbon was tested by the four-terminal method for electrical 
resistance (electrical specific resistance in .mu..OMEGA.-cm), for 
electrical resistance temperature coefficient in a temperature range of 
from room temperature through 800.degree. C., by the Instron type tensile 
tester for strength at rupture (in kg/mm.sup.2), for elongation at rupture 
(in %), and for 180.degree. intimate-contact bending property. 
The results are collectively shown in Table 1. 
TABLE 1 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
Electrical 180.degree. 
Electrical 
Resistance Intimate- 
Specific 
Temperature 
Strength 
Elongation 
Contact 
Run Alloy Composition 
Resistance 
Coefficient 
at Rupture 
at Rupture 
Bending 
No. 
Example No. 
(atom %) (.mu..OMEGA.-cm) 
(10.sup.-5 K.sup.-1) 
(kg/mm.sup.2) 
(%) Property 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
1 Comparative 
Ni.sub.78 Cr.sub.20 Si.sub.2 
95 26 30 25 Good 
Example 1 
2 Example 1 
Ni.sub.75 Cr.sub.20 Si.sub.5 
105 11 36 20 Good 
3 Example 2 
Ni.sub.70 Cr.sub.20 Si.sub.10 
110 12 49 15 Good 
4 Example 3 
Ni.sub.65 Cr.sub.20 Si.sub.15 
120 0 55 12 Good 
5 Example 4 
Ni.sub.60 Cr.sub.20 Si.sub.20 
125 4 60 8 Good 
6 Comparative 
Ni.sub.52 Cr.sub.20 Si.sub.28 
-- -- -- -- Not Good 
Example 2 
7 Comparative 
Ni.sub.82 Cr.sub. 8 Si.sub.10 
90 17 35 25 Good 
Example 3 
8 Example 5 
Ni.sub.75 Cr.sub.15 Si.sub.10 
105 13 40 20 Good 
9 Example 6 
Ni.sub.65 Cr.sub.25 Si.sub.10 
130 7 55 15 Good 
10 Example 7 
Ni.sub.55 Cr.sub.35 Si.sub.10 
150 5 65 9 Good 
11 Example 8 
Ni.sub.45 Cr.sub.45 Si.sub.10 
135 4 80 5 Good 
12 Comparative 
Ni.sub.35 Cr.sub.55 Si.sub.10 
-- -- -- -- Not Good 
Example 4 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
Note: 
"Good" means that the rupture or breakage does not occur when subjected t 
the test for 180.degree. C. intimatecontact bending property and the 
complete intimately contact bending property can be obtained. 
"Not Good" means that the rupture or breakage occur in the 180.degree. C. 
intimatecontact bending property test, and the sample embrittled. 
It is noted from Table 1 that Run Nos. 2 to 5 and Nos. 8 to 11 produced 
alloy materials conforming to the requirements of the present invention. 
Because they had high Cr and Si contents, they exhibited improved degrees 
of strength at rupture (tensile strength at rupture), higher degrees of 
electrical specific resistance, and smaller electrical resistance 
temperature coefficients. The alloy materials of Run Nos. 1 and 7 
contained Si and Cr both in insufficient amounts and, therefore, exhibited 
low degrees of electrical resistance and strength at rupture and large 
electrical resistance temperature coefficients. They were not improved. 
The alloy materials of Run No. 6 and No. 12 contained Si and Cr both in 
excessive amounts and, therefore, did not allow further solid solution of 
Si and Cr in Ni. The ribbon alloys obtained from these alloy materials 
were too brittle to withstand the procedures in volved in the test for 
electrical properties and mechanical properties. 
The ribbon alloys obtained in Run Nos. 2 to 5 and Nos. 8 to 11 could be 
rolled to a thickness of 10 .mu.m without undergoing intermediate 
annealing. Particularly, the ribbon alloy of Run No. 10 exhibited an 
improved strength at rupture of 130 kg/mm.sup.2 after rolling. This sample 
was subjected to five cycles of heat treatment each consisting of heating 
from room temperature to 950.degree. C. and cooling from 950.degree. C. 
back to room temperature and, at the end of the last cycle of heat 
treatment, tested for brittleness. It was confirmed that the heat 
treatment did not embrittle the sample at all but increased the electrical 
specific resistance to 160 .mu..OMEGA.-cm and lowered the electrical 
resistance temperature coefficient to 1.times.10.sup.-5 K.sup.-1. Thus, 
the heat treatment brought about a notable improvement. 
The strength at rupture and the elongation were both measured by an Instron 
type tensile tester under the conditions of 2 cm of test length and 
4.17.times.10.sup.-4 /sec of strain speed. 
EXAMPLES 9 TO 15 AND COMATIVE EXAMPLES 5 TO 8 
A Ni-Cr-Al alloy of a varying percentage composition indicated in Table 2 
was melted in an atmosphere of argon. Under an argon gas pressure of 4.0 
kg/cm.sup.2, the molten alloy was spewed through a spinning nozzle made of 
ruby and having an orifice diameter of 0.10 mm.phi. into a rotating body 
of cooling water 2.5 cm in depth kept at 4.degree. C. on the inside of a 
rotary drum having an inside diameter of 500 mm.phi. and rotated at a 
speed of 400 r.p.m. to be quenched and solidified. Consequently, there was 
produced a continuous thin wire of a circular cross section having an 
average diameter of about 0.095 mm.phi.. 
In this case, the distance between the spinning nozzle and the surface of 
the rotating body of cooling water was kept at 1.5 mm and the angle formed 
between the flow of molten alloy spewed from the spinning nozzle and the 
surface of the rotating body of cooling water was kept at 65.degree.. 
The speed at which the molten alloy was spewed from the spinning nozzle was 
found to be about 500 to 610 m/minute. It was determined on the basis of 
the weight of the molten alloy which had been spewed out into the air and 
then collected to be weighted. 
The thin wires obtained after quenching were severally tested for 
electrical specific resistance, electrical resistance temperature 
coefficient, strength at rupture, elongation at rupture, and 180.degree. 
intimate-contact bending property. The results are collectively shown in 
Table 2. 
It is noted from Table 2 that Run Nos. 14 to 17 and Nos. 20 to 22 produced 
alloy materials conforming to the requirements of the present invention. 
Because of their high Cr and Al contents, they exhibited high degrees of 
electrical specific resistance, low electrical resistance temperature 
coefficients, and high degrees of strength at rupture. The alloy materials 
of Run Nos. 13 and 19 contained Al and Cr both in insufficient amounts 
and, therefore, were inferior to the alloy materials of Run Nos. 14 to 17 
and Nos. 20 to 22 in terms of electrical resistance and mechanical 
properties. The alloy materials of Run Nos. 18 and 23 contained Al and Cr 
both in excessive amounts. The thin wires obtained from these alloy 
materials were too brittle to produce test pieces capable of withstanding 
the procedures involves in the test for electrical resistance and 
mechanical properties. 
TABLE 2 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
Electrical 180.degree. 
Electrical 
Resistance Intimate- 
Specific 
Temperature 
Strength 
Elongation 
Contact 
Run Alloy Composition 
Resistance 
Coefficient 
at Rupture 
at Rupture 
Bending 
No. 
Example No. 
(atom %) (.mu..OMEGA.-cm) 
(10.sup.-5 K.sup.-1) 
(kg/mm.sup.2) 
(%) Property 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
13 Comparative 
Ni.sub.78 Cr.sub.20 Al.sub.2 
100 22 25 45 Good 
Example 5 
14 Example 9 
Ni.sub.75 Cr.sub.20 Al.sub.5 
118 12 31 42 Good 
15 Example 10 
Ni.sub.70 Cr.sub.20 Al.sub.10 
145 2 35 37 Good 
16 Example 11 
Ni.sub.65 Cr.sub.20 Al.sub.15 
135 -1 40 32 Good 
17 Example 12 
Ni.sub.60 Cr.sub.20 Al.sub.20 
115 1 42 25 Good 
18 Comparative 
Ni.sub.52 Cr.sub.20 Al.sub.28 
-- -- -- -- Not Good 
Example 6 
19 Comparative 
Ni.sub.82 Cr.sub.8 Al.sub.10 
95 10 28 40 Good 
Example 7 
20 Example 13 
Ni.sub.75 Cr.sub.15 Al.sub.10 
130 3 33 38 Good 
21 Example 14 
Ni.sub.60 Cr.sub.30 Al.sub.10 
130 3 53 19 Good 
22 Example 15 
Ni.sub.45 Cr.sub.45 Al.sub.10 
115 2 60 10 Good 
23 Comparative 
Ni.sub.35 Cr.sub.55 Al.sub.10 
-- -- -- -- Not Good 
Example 8 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
Note: 
"Good" means that the rupture or breakage does not occur when subjected t 
the test for 180.degree. C. intimatecontact bending property and the 
complete intimately contact bending property can be obtained. 
"Not Good" means that the rupture or breakage occur in the 180.degree. C. 
intimatecontact bending property test, and the sample embrittled. 
The thin wires from the alloy materials of Run Nos. 14 to 17 and Nos. 20 to 
22 could be drawn with a diamond die to a diameter of 0.050 mm.phi. 
without undergoing any intermediate annealing. This drawing work could 
notably improve the strength at rupture (for example, the thin wire of Run 
No. 15, when cold drawn to 0.05 mm.phi. in diameter, exhibited an improved 
degree of strength at rupture of 115 kg/mm.sup.2) without adversely 
affecting the electrical resistance temperature coefficient. 
EXAMPLES 16 TO 22 AND COMATIVE EXAMPLES 9 TO 15 
For the purpose of evaluating the effect of the incorporation of such 
additive elements (M) as Nb, Ta, V, Mo, Mn, Ti, and Zr upon the Ni.sub.55 
-X.Cr.sub.35 Si.sub.10 M.sub.x alloy, a sample ribbon (50 .mu.m in 
thickness and 3 mm in width) of a varying percentage composition indicated 
in Table 3 was prepared by using the same apparatus as in Example 1 and 
following the procedure of Example 1. It was then tested for electrical 
resistance, strength at rupture, elongation at rupture, and 180.degree. 
intimate-contact bending property. 
The results are collectively shown in Table 3. 
TABLE 3 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
180.degree. 
Electrical Intimate- 
Specific 
Strength 
Elongation 
Contact 
Run Alloy Composition 
Resistance 
at Rupture 
at Rupture 
Bending 
No. 
Example No. 
(atom %) (.mu..OMEGA.-cm) 
(kg/mm.sup.2) 
(%) Property 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
24 Example 16 
Ni.sub.53 Cr.sub.35 Si.sub.10 Nb.sub.2 
160 85 5 Good 
25 Comparative 
Ni.sub.51.5 Cr.sub.35 Si.sub.10 Nb.sub.3.5 
-- -- -- Not Good 
Example 9 
26 Example 17 
Ni.sub.53 Cr.sub.35 Si.sub.10 Ta.sub.2 
160 83 6 Good 
27 Comparative 
Ni.sub.51.5 Cr.sub.35 Si.sub.10 Ta.sub.3.5 
-- -- -- Not Good 
Example 10 
28 Example 18 
Ni.sub.53 Cr.sub.35 Si.sub.10 V.sub.2 
155 80 4 Good 
29 Comparative 
Ni.sub.51.5 Cr.sub.35 Si.sub.10 V.sub.3.5 
-- -- -- Not Good 
Example 11 
30 Example 19 
Ni.sub.53 Cr.sub.35 Si.sub.10 Mo.sub.2 
155 80 4 Good 
31 Comparative 
Ni.sub.51.5 Cr.sub.53 Si.sub.10 Mo.sub.3.5 
-- -- -- Not Good 
Example 12 
32 Example 20 
Ni.sub.53 Cr.sub.35 Si.sub.10 Mn.sub.2 
160 75 4 Good 
33 Comparative 
Ni.sub.51.5 Cr.sub.35 Si.sub.10 Mn.sub.3.5 
-- -- -- Not Good 
Example 13 
34 Example 21 
Ni.sub.54.5 Cr.sub.35 Si.sub.10 Ti.sub.0.5 
155 75 3 Good 
35 Comparative 
Ni.sub.53.5 Cr.sub.35 Si.sub.10 Ti.sub.1.5 
-- -- -- Not Good 
Example 14 
36 Example 22 
Ni.sub.54.5 Cr.sub.35 Si.sub.10 Zr.sub.0.5 
155 70 3 Good 
37 Comparative 
Ni.sub.53.5 Cr.sub.35 Si.sub.10 Zr.sub.1.5 
-- -- -- Not Good 
Example 15 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
Note: 
"Good" means that the rupture or breakage does not occur when subjected t 
the test for 180.degree. C. intimatecontact bending property and the 
complete intimately contact bending property can be obtained. 
"Not Good" means that the rupture or breakage occur in the 180.degree. C. 
intimatecontact bending property test, and the sample embrittled. 
From Table 3, it is noted that Run Nos. 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, adn 36 
produced alloy materials conforming to the requirements of the present 
invention, respectively incorporating therein Nb, Ta, V, Mo, and Mn each 
in a proportion of 2 atom%, and Ti and Zr each in a proportion of 0.5 
atom%. They enjoyed additions of 5 to 10 .mu..OMEGA.-cm to electrical 
specific resistance and additions of 5 to 20 kg/mm.sup.2 to strength at 
rupture and invariably showed tenacity enough to permit 180.degree. 
intimate-contact bending property. 
The alloy materials of Run Nos. 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, and 37 incorporated 
the additive elements in excessive amounts. The quenched ribbons obtained 
from these alloy materials were too brittle to afford test pieces capable 
of withstanding the procedures involved in the test for electrical 
resistance and mechanical properties. 
EXAMPLE 23 
An alloy composed of 35 atom% of Ni, 30 atom% of Fe, 20 atom% of Cr, 10 
atom% of Si and 5 atom% of Al was melted in an atmosphere of argon. under 
an argon gas pressure of 4.5 kg/cm.sup.2, the molten alloy was spewed out 
through a spinning nozzle made of ruby and having an orifice diameter of 
0.15 mm.phi. into a rotating body of aqueous sodium chloride solutions 3.0 
cm in depth kept at -15.degree. C. inside a rotary drum having an inside 
diameter of 650 mm.phi. and rotating at a speed of 350 r.p.m. 
Consequently, there was obtained a highly uniform continuous thin wire of 
a circular cross section having an average diameter of 0.135 mm.phi. and 
suffering very little from uneven diameter distribution. 
In this case, the distance between the spinning nozzle and the surface of 
the rotating body of the aqueous solution was kept at 1.0 mm and the angle 
of contact formed between the flow of molten alloy spewed out of the 
spinning nozzle and the surface of the rotating body of the liquid coolant 
was kept at 80.degree.. 
The speed at which the molten alloy was spewed from the spinning nozzle was 
640 m/min. 
The thin wire possesses an electrical specific resistance of 155 
.mu..OMEGA.-cm and a rupture strength of 55 kg/mm.sup.2. It was highly 
tenacious and could be cold drawn easily to a diameter of 0.05 mm.phi. by 
use of a diamond die. The drawing work improved the rupture strength to 
120 kg/mm.sup.2. 
EXAMPLE 24 
An alloy composed of 65 atom% of Ni, 20 atom% of Cr, 5 atom% of Si, and 10 
atom% of Al was melted and spewed under an argon gas pressure of 1.0 
kg/cm.sup.2 through a spinning nozzle made of ruby and having an orifice 
diameter of 0.3 mm.phi. onto the surface of a steel roll having a diameter 
of 20 cm and rotated at a speed of 5,000 r.p.m. Consequently, there was 
obtained a ribbon 8 .mu.m in thickness and 2 mm in width. The ribbon 
sample was tested by the four-terminal method with an Instron type tensile 
tester for change in electric specific resistance at temperature from room 
temperature to 800.degree. C. under application of stress to evaluate 
various physical properties and determine whether the ribbon was useful as 
a material for a strain gauge sensor. Consequently, the electrical 
specific resistance was 170 .mu..OMEGA.-cm, the electrical resistance 
temperature coefficient was 1.times.10.sup.-5 K.sup.-1, the tensile 
strength was 38 kg/mm.sup.2, the thermal electromotive force relative to 
copper was 0.5.times.10.sup.-6 V/K, and the gauge ratio was about 6.0. 
These values warrant high usefulness of the ribbon as a material for a 
strain gauge. 
While the invention has been described in detail and with reference to 
specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the 
art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without 
departing from the spirit and scope thereof.