Abstract: A continuous-casting mold for vertically casting metal strip, in particular for strip casting of copper and copper alloys, in which a mold insert has a casting opening of rectangular cross-section, and the body is provided with an outer cooling device. In order to ensure uniform cooling of the strand, the cooling device is arranged solely on the wide sides of the mold body and, starting from a bottom edge of the mold, the cooling device extends approximately up 55-75% of the height of the wide sides, the narrow sides being uncooled.

Abstract: A low-alloyed copper alloy suitable for use as a base material for a semiconductor includes 0.03 to 0.2% nickel by weight, 0.03 to 0.2% tin by weight; and 0.015 to 0.1% titanium by weight, the remainder being copper and common impurities.

Abstract: A copper-nickel-tin-titanium-alloy suitable for use as a base material for semiconductors includes, by weight, 0.25 to 3.0% nickel, 0.25 to 3.0% tin, and 0.12 to 1.5% titanium, the remainder being copper and common impurities. An alternative form of the inventive alloy includes, by weight, 0.25 to 3.0% nickel, 0.25 to 3.0% tin, 0.12 to 1.5% titanium, and 0.05 to 0.45% chrome, the remainder being copper and common impurities. A method for making these alloys includes the steps of homogenizing the alloy at temperatures of 850.degree. to 950.degree. C. between 1 and 24 hours, hot-rolling the alloy at temperatures of 600.degree. to 800.degree. C. in one or more passes, and cooling the alloy to room temperature with a cooling speed of between 10.degree. C. per minute and 2000.degree. C. per minute.

Abstract: A method of preparing a ceramic body of high toughness from an aluminum oxide matrix forming ceramic material by using a ceramic embedment material to generate tensile stresses for the formation of controlled microfissures, is provided. The ceramic embedment material comprises 4 to 25% of the volume of the body to be formed, of unstabilized zirconium dioxide and/or hafnium dioxide with a particle size of 0.3 to 1.25 um. This is mixed with the aluminum oxide material and the mixture is sintered by hot-pressing in a mold at a temperature of 1400.degree. C. to 1500.degree. C.

Abstract: A sintered ceramic body of high toughness, consisting of an isotropic ceramic matrix (e.g. Al.sub.2 O.sub.3) and at least one therein-dispersed phase (ZrO.sub.2, HzO.sub.2) of ceramic embedment material formed from a powder consisting of particles having an average diameter from 0.3 to 1.25 .mu.m, wherein the ceramic embedment material is present in different enantiotropic solid modifications at the firing temperature of the ceramic body and below the firing temperature, whose densities are substantially different, and the ceramic body is shot through with extremely fine microfractures in high density.