Copper alloys

copper-alloys

17 materials across 1 types

About copper alloys

Copper, brass and bronze: strength by temper, composition and corrosion data with sources.

Copper alloys include brasses (copper and zinc) and bronzes (copper with tin, aluminium or other elements). Strength depends on temper or casting condition, which every value names.

At a glance

Highest yield strength: Beryllium copper (BeCu) reaches 1,380 MPa. Lowest: Copper (Cu) starts at 69 MPa. (13 of 17 grades have a sourced value.)
Highest tensile strength: Beryllium copper (BeCu) reaches 1,550 MPa. Lowest: Copper (Cu) starts at 179 MPa. (16 of 17 grades have a sourced value.)

Ranges run across the conditions each source reports (temper, heat treatment, form), measured at room temperature where the source says so.

How they compare

The same measurements for every material in the collection. A range means the grade has values under several conditions; "at least" means the source gives a specified minimum. "no data" means no sourced value yet. For ranked tables, open a benchmark.

Copper alloys: how the grades compare
Material	Yield strength	Tensile strength	Density	Young's modulus	Thermal conductivity	Melting point
Copper (Cu)electrical conductor	69 MPa	179 to 262 MPa	8.9 to 8.96 g/cm³	117 GPa	391 W/(m·K)	1,083 to 1,085 °C
Free-cutting brass C36000free-cutting machining alloy	at least 130 MPa	at least 330 MPa	8.5 g/cm³	no data	116 W/(m·K)	954 to 1,049 °C
Aluminium bronze C95400cast bearing, gear and marine alloy	at least 205 MPa	at least 515 MPa	7.45 g/cm³	107 GPa	58.7 W/(m·K)	1,027 to 1,038 °C
Aluminium bronze C63000wrought bearing, worm gear, aerospace and marine alloy	250 to 530 MPa	585 to 814 MPa	7.58 g/cm³	115 to 117 GPa	37.7 to 63 W/(m·K)	1,035 to 1,075 °C
Beryllium copper (BeCu)high-strength, non-magnetic conductive spring alloy	130 to 1,380 MPa	410 to 1,550 MPa	8.36 g/cm³	131 GPa	105 W/(m·K)	870 °C
C510wrought copper-tin alloy for springs, electrical contacts and fasteners	550 MPa	485 to 790 MPa	8.86 g/cm³	110 GPa	84 W/(m·K)	954 to 1,049 °C
Cartridge brass 70/30 (C260)cold-working copper-zinc alloy	103 to 359 MPa	324 to 700 MPa	8.53 g/cm³	110 GPa	121 W/(m·K)	916 to 954 °C
Cu-Agelectrical conductor	no data	180 MPa	no data	no data	no data	no data
CuCrZrprecipitation-hardened copper alloy for welding electrodes, electrical contacts and high-heat-flux liners	233 to 500 MPa	345 to 660 MPa	8.75 to 8.94 g/cm³	108 to 130 GPa	310 to 330 W/(m·K)	954 to 1,081 °C
Cupronickel 70/30 (CuNi 70/30)seawater-resistant condenser and heat-exchanger tube alloy	124 to 179 MPa	310 to 414 MPa	8.94 g/cm³	no data	29 to 33 W/(m·K)	1,170 to 1,240 °C
Gilding metal 95/5 (C21000)cold-working copper-zinc alloy, high copper	no data	235 to 531 MPa	8.8 to 8.86 g/cm³	117 GPa	189 to 234 W/(m·K)	954 to 1,049 °C
CW614Nleaded free-machining brass for screw-machine and high-volume machined parts	150 to 420 MPa	360 to 580 MPa	8.44 to 8.47 g/cm³	97 to 105 GPa	123 W/(m·K)	875 to 890 °C
Nickel silver C75200copper-nickel-zinc spring and optical alloy	no data	365 to 765 MPa	8.7 to 8.75 g/cm³	135 GPa	32 W/(m·K)	1,060 to 1,110 °C
Phosphor bronze C52100 (CuSn8)highest-tin wrought phosphor bronze for springs, connectors and slide bearings	350 to 725 MPa	475 to 840 MPa	8.79 g/cm³	115 GPa	67 W/(m·K)	882 to 1,027 °C
C655wrought copper-silicon-manganese alloy for welded vessels, fasteners, bushings and marine hardware	145 to 427 MPa	386 to 758 MPa	8.53 g/cm³	103 GPa	36.3 W/(m·K)	971 to 1,027 °C
Tellurium copper (Cu-Te)free-machining electrical conductor	at least 205 MPa	at least 260 MPa	8.94 g/cm³	117 GPa	355 W/(m·K)	1,051 to 1,080 °C
Tinned copper (Sn/Cu)electrical conductor with a solderable tin coating	no data	no data	7.28 to 10.5 g/cm³	50 GPa	66.6 to 430 W/(m·K)	232 to 962 °C

What these materials are made of

Composition by weight, as printed in the sources for each grade (the first constituents listed).

Composition of each grade
Material	Main constituents
Copper (Cu)	Cu 100.0%
Aluminium bronze C95400	Cu 83% · Al 10 to 11.5% · Fe 3 to 5%
Aluminium bronze C63000	Cu balance · Al 9 to 11% · Fe 2 to 4% · Ni 4 to 5.5%
CuCrZr	Cu balance · Cr 0.5 to 1.5% · Zr 0.02 to 0.2%
Tellurium copper (Cu-Te)	Te 0.4 to 0.7% · P 0.004 to 0.012%

Where they are used

Uses
Use	Grades
Negative-electrode current collector foil in lithium-ion cells	Copper (Cu)
Printed circuit boards	Copper (Cu)
Heat spreading and conductive paths	Copper (Cu)
Automatic screw-machine products and fasteners	Free-cutting brass C36000
Plumbing components, fittings, adaptors and fluid connectors (terrestrial use)	Free-cutting brass C36000
Bearings, bushings, spur gears and heavily loaded worm gears	Aluminium bronze C95400
Covers for marine hardware and ship building parts	Aluminium bronze C95400
Pump parts, valve bodies, valve guides, valve seats and valves	Aluminium bronze C95400
Highly loaded bearings, toggle lever bearings and worm wheels for sliding speeds below 1 m/s	Aluminium bronze C63000
Aerospace landing gear parts and marine fasteners	Aluminium bronze C63000
Condenser plates and components in chemical apparatus, and moulds and mould inserts	Aluminium bronze C63000
Bushings, bearings and springs	Beryllium copper (BeCu)
Circular and coaxial connectors, test probes and compression contacts	Beryllium copper (BeCu)
Electrical contacts and wire forms	C510
Springs, bushings and bearings	C510
Fasteners	C510

When each grade fits

Best use and weak spots of each grade
Material	Best for	Weakest at
Copper (Cu)	Carrying electricity and heat: 100 %IACS electrical conductivity and 391 W/(m·K) thermal conductivity in the soft oxygen-free grade	Strength in the soft state (69 MPa yield), and survival of the cell's copper foil if the cell is over-discharged (dissolution above about 3.5 V vs Li+/Li in a model)
Free-cutting brass C36000	High-volume machined parts such as screw-machine products, fasteners and valve components, where machinability rated 100 matters most	Corrosion in water (dezincification, about 35 % zinc) and in ammonia (season cracking), plus its 2.5 to 3.0 % lead content
Aluminium bronze C95400	Heavily loaded, low-speed bearings, worm gears and valve parts, and marine hardware in seawater (Concast, Bunting, Wikipedia)	Dealuminification in seawater crevices, under deposits or with galvanic coupling, and oxyacetylene welding (not recommended by Concast)
Aluminium bronze C63000	Highly loaded, wear-resistant bearings and worm wheels, aerospace landing gear parts, marine fasteners, and pump and valve parts (Smith Metal, Zollern)	Brazing and soft soldering (Zollern), dealuminification in crevices or under deposits, and sulphide-polluted sea water (Hendrix)
Beryllium copper (BeCu)	High strength with useful conductivity and non-magnetic behaviour in springs, bushings, bearings and connectors, once beryllium exposure is controlled	Health: beryllium dust, mist and fume are a serious inhalation hazard. Strength also depends on temper, since annealed stock yields at only 130 to 250 MPa
C510	Springs and electrical contacts: H08 spring temper has a minimum tensile strength of 790 MPa in fine round sizes (Concast), and the alloy solders and brazes well	Dust and fume when cut, ground or welded (Fisk SDS); a seawater corrosion rate for C51000 was not found in this run
Cartridge brass 70/30 (C260)	Cold-formed and deep-drawn parts such as cartridge cases, fasteners, pins and radiator parts, where good cold working and a ductile temper matter most	Season cracking in ammonia or amine atmospheres when residual stress from cold forming is left in the part
Cu-Ag	Conductors that must stay conductive and resist softening after repeated heating, such as commutators and generator rotor bars	Strength as-cast (180 N/mm2 rod); density, melting point and thermal conductivity for this grade could not be read from a fetched source
CuCrZr	Parts that must carry current or heat and keep strength under repeated heating, such as welding electrodes and high-heat-flux liners	Overheating: the hardened condition is lost near 500 °C, and the alloy is not resistant to ammonia, halide, cyanide, sulphide or seawater exposure
Cupronickel 70/30 (CuNi 70/30)	Seawater condenser, heat-exchanger and piping parts, where resistance to seawater matters more than strength or service temperature	Strength and rated temperature: soft rod gives 358 to 414 MPa, no maximum service temperature is printed, and sulphide-rich seawater still corrodes it at about 0.09 mm/a in the laboratory test
Gilding metal 95/5 (C21000)	Deep-drawn and coined parts such as bullet jackets, coins, connectors and fasteners, where copper is too soft or too costly and moderate conductivity with extra strength is enough (Wieland)	Season cracking in ammonia or amine atmospheres when cold-forming stress is left in the part, and poor machinability (Fisk index 1, poor)
CW614N	Machined parts in volume (screw-machine products, fittings, fasteners) where machinability and a standard reference grade matter most	Ammonia and acid exposure, stress corrosion cracking after cold work, and potable-water use, all made worse by its 2.5 to 3.5 % lead and about 39 % zinc
Nickel silver C75200	Springs, connectors and precision optical or watch parts that need a silver colour, cold-formed strength and corrosion resistance without precious metal	Machinability (Fisk rates it 1 of 5, Matthey calls it rather poor) and hot working, plus the nickel content, which carries allergy and carcinogen hazard statements
Phosphor bronze C52100 (CuSn8)	Springs and connectors: the H08 spring temper has 725 to 820 MPa tensile strength and 690 MPa minimum yield (Aurubis), and the alloy solders and brazes excellently	Dust and fume when cut, ground or welded (Fisk SDS); the only seawater corrosion rate read is an unnamed-test manufacturer claim (jtcopper)
C655	Welded tanks, pressure vessels, pump and valve parts, and marine hardware where welding and corrosion resistance matter more than conductivity	Electrical conductivity of 7 %IACS, and not recommended above 150 degC or in steam above 100 degC (Australwright datasheet)
Tellurium copper (Cu-Te)	Free-machining electrical parts that need copper-level conductivity: 93 % IACS with a machinability rating of 85	Corrosion data and dust safety: no quantitative corrosion test was found, and machining releases tellurium-bearing dust
Tinned copper (Sn/Cu)	Solderable, heat-conducting current paths in shields and harnesses: a 58 MS/m copper core with a tin skin, and tin-plated braid rated -65 to +150 °C	Cold and whiskers: tin turns brittle below 13.2 °C, and pure tin plate can grow whiskers several millimetres long that bridge closely spaced circuits