spore: profile
id: copper-silver
spore_version: 0.2
family: copper-alloys
name: Silver-bearing copper (CuAg0,10 OF)
abbreviation: Cu-Ag
role: electrical conductor
category: metals
type: copper-alloys
summary: |
  Silver-bearing copper is oxygen-free copper with about 0.08 to 0.12 % silver, sold as CuAg0,10(OF) and listed in ASTM B152 as C10700. KGHM's rod datasheet gives a minimum electrical conductivity of 58.0 MS/m (100.0 % IACS) and a tensile strength of 180 ± 10 N/mm2 for rod in its as-cast state. The silver does not change conductivity much but slows softening: CERN chose C10700 for LHC vacuum chambers that are heated to 200 to 300 °C each time their getter coatings are activated, and set a hardness limit of 90 HRF so that strength survives the repeated thermal cycles.
best_for: Conductors that must stay conductive and resist softening after repeated heating, such as commutators and generator rotor bars
weakest_at: Strength as-cast (180 N/mm2 rod); density, melting point and thermal conductivity for this grade could not be read from a fetched source
identity:
  formula: Cu with 0.08 to 0.12 wt% Ag (CuAg0,10), oxygen 5 ppm or less in KGHM rod; Cu plus Ag at least 99.95 % in the CERN specification for C10700
  designations:
    - system: UNS
      code: C10700
      source: astm-b152
      where: Scope table, row C10400, C10500, C10700 with 'OFS' and 'Oxygen-free, silver bearing'
    - system: EN name
      code: CuAg0,10
      note: OF
      source: kghm-rod-2025
      where: Product row, first CuAg0,10(OF) entries
    - system: EN name
      code: CW019A
      source: luvata-brochure
      where: Alloys table, row CuAg0.10(OF), EN column
    - system: Trade name
      code: HK015
      note: Luvata alloy name for CuAg0.10(OF)
      source: luvata-brochure
      where: Alloys table, row CuAg0.10(OF), Luvata Alloy column
  source: kghm-rod-2025
  where: Product row (CuAg0,10(OF)-8 to -25) and Ag content row (CuAg0,10 800-1200 ppm); composition of C10700 from the CERN review, section 4.2
tags:
  environments: []
  stresses:
    - thermal-cycling
  applications:
    - electronics-and-chips
    - structures
properties:
  - benchmark: electrical_conductivity
    label: Electrical conductivity, CuAg0,10(OF) rod
    value: 58
    bound: lower
    unit: MS/m
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: CuAg0,10(OF)
      temperature: 20 °C
      unit_in_source: 58.0 MS/m (100.0% IACS)
      basis: minimum printed in the datasheet
    method: Minimum value printed in a manufacturer datasheet for oxygen-free silver-bearing rod
    status: ground
    source: kghm-rod-2025
    where: 'Physical properties section, row ''Conductivity at 20°C: min. 58.0 MS/m (100.0% IACS)'''
  - benchmark: electrical_conductivity
    label: Electrical conductivity, annealed oxygen-free silver-bearing copper
    value: 100
    unit: '% IACS'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 20 °C
      temper: annealed
      basis: CERN gives this figure for annealed oxygen-free silver coppers in general, not for a named datasheet
    method: Value stated in a CERN accelerator review for the annealed state
    status: ground
    source: cern-sgobba-2020
    where: Section 4.2, first paragraph, sentence 'Annealed oxygen-free silver coppers have an electric conductivity of 100% IACS at 20°C'
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Tensile strength, CuAg0,10(OF) rod
    value: 180
    unit: N/mm2
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: CuAg0,10(OF)
      product: rod, 8 to 25 mm diameter
      gauge_length: 200 mm
      temper: rod in the structurally cast state as produced
      tolerance: ± 10 N/mm2 as printed
    method: Nominal value printed in a manufacturer datasheet with a ± 10 N/mm2 tolerance
    status: ground
    source: kghm-rod-2025
    where: 'Physical properties section, row ''Tensile strength (200 mm): 180 ± 10 N/mm2'''
  - benchmark: elongation
    label: Elongation, CuAg0,10(OF) rod (2025 sheet)
    value: 37
    bound: lower
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: CuAg0,10(OF)
      gauge_length: 200 mm
    method: Minimum value printed in a manufacturer datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kghm-rod-2025
    where: 'Physical properties section, row ''Elongation (200 mm): min. 37%'''
  - benchmark: elongation
    label: Elongation, CuAg0,10(OF) rod (earlier sheet)
    value: 38
    bound: lower
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: CuAg0,10(OF)
      gauge_length: 200 mm
      tolerance: ± 2 % as printed
    method: Value printed in an earlier revision of the same manufacturer rod datasheet
    note: The 2025 sheet gives a minimum of 37 % for the same rod at 200 mm. The two revisions differ by one point, so the lower figure is the safer design value.
    status: ground
    source: kghm-rod-2016
    where: 'Physical properties section, row ''Elongation (200 mm): ≥ 38 ± 2%'''
  - benchmark: hydrogen_embrittlement_bends
    label: Two-sided bend test without breaks, CuAg0,10(OF)-8 rod
    value: 10
    bound: lower
    unit: bends
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: CuAg0.10(OF)-8
      diameter: 8 mm
      test: two-sided bending, no breaks required
    method: Minimum bend count printed in a manufacturer datasheet as a hydrogen embrittlement check
    status: ground
    source: kghm-rod-2016
    where: Physical properties section, row 'Hydrogen embrittlement' (minimum 10 bends)
  - benchmark: silver_content
    label: Silver content, CuAg0,10 rod (range)
    value: 800
    value_high: 1200
    bound: range
    unit: ppm
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: CuAg0,10(OF)
      basis: silver content printed for the 0.10 grade
    method: Range printed in a manufacturer datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kghm-rod-2025
    where: Ag content row, 'CuAg0,10 (800–1200 ppm)'
  - benchmark: silver_content
    label: Minimum silver content, alloy C10700 (CERN specification)
    value: 0.085
    bound: lower
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      alloy: C10700
      composition: Cu plus Ag 99.95 % minimum, Ag 0.085 % minimum, oxygen 0.0010 % maximum, as specified for LHC vacuum chambers
    method: Specification quoted in a CERN review, not a manufacturer datasheet
    status: ground
    source: cern-sgobba-2020
    where: Section 4.2, Copper-silver and copper-zirconium alloys, paragraph on the LHC vacuum chambers
  - benchmark: copper_plus_silver_content
    label: Copper plus silver, minimum (C10700 specification)
    value: 99.95
    bound: lower
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      alloy: C10700
      basis: copper figure includes silver
    method: Specification quoted in a CERN review
    status: ground
    source: cern-sgobba-2020
    where: 'Section 4.2, same paragraph, ''alloy C10700 (99.95% min Cu+Ag, 0.085% min Ag, Oxygen max: 0.0010%)'''
  - benchmark: oxygen_content
    label: Oxygen, maximum (C10700 specification)
    value: 0.001
    bound: upper
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      alloy: C10700
    method: Specification quoted in a CERN review
    status: ground
    source: cern-sgobba-2020
    where: 'Section 4.2, same paragraph, ''Oxygen max: 0.0010%'''
  - benchmark: oxygen_content
    label: Oxygen, maximum, CuAg0,10(OF) rod
    value: 5
    bound: upper
    unit: ppm
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: CuAg0,10(OF)
    method: Maximum printed in a manufacturer datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kghm-rod-2025
    where: Impurities row, 'Maks. 25 ppm, O2 < 5 ppm'
  - benchmark: total_impurities_max
    label: Total impurities, maximum, CuAg0,10(OF) rod
    value: 25
    bound: upper
    unit: ppm
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: CuAg0,10(OF)
    method: Maximum printed in a manufacturer datasheet
    status: ground
    source: kghm-rod-2025
    where: Impurities row, 'Maks. 25 ppm'
  - benchmark: rockwell_hardness_f
    label: Maximum initial hardness, hard-drawn C10700 for LHC vacuum chambers
    value: 90
    bound: upper
    unit: HRF
    scope: material
    conditions:
      alloy: C10700
      temper: hard drawn
      use: vacuum chambers repeatedly activated at 200 to 300 °C
    method: Design limit quoted in a CERN review, not a measured value
    status: ground
    source: cern-sgobba-2020
    where: Section 4.2, sentence 'the maximum allowed initial hardness was limited to 90 HRF'
  - benchmark: exposure_temperature
    label: NEG activation temperature range on C10700 vacuum chambers
    value: 200
    value_high: 300
    bound: range
    unit: °C
    scope: material
    conditions:
      context: activation of TiZrV non-evaporable getter coatings on the LHC vacuum chambers
    method: Range quoted in a CERN review
    status: ground
    source: cern-sgobba-2020
    where: Section 4.2, sentence 'compatible with an activation in a temperature range between 200°C and 300°C'
  - benchmark: resistivity_increase_per_percent_alloy
    label: Electrical resistivity increase per 1 % silver addition
    value: 3.6
    unit: nΩ·m per 1 %
    scope: material
    conditions:
      alloying_element: Ag
      basis: CERN compares it with zirconium, which adds 80 nΩ·m per 1 % addition
    method: Value stated in a CERN accelerator review, in one sentence comparing silver with zirconium
    status: ground
    source: cern-sgobba-2020
    where: Section 4.2, sentence 'The resistivity increase of Zr per 1% addition is 80 nΩ·m, much higher than Ag (3.6 nΩ·m)'
corrosion:
  - environment: Rural outdoor air (copper, not silver-bearing)
    headline: Copper in rural air forms Cu2O first, then CuOHCl and CuS. The source tested T1 copper, not C10700.
    effect: Liang et al. exposed T1 copper (Cu above 99.95 %) at a Guangdong rural substation. Cu2O dominated at six months; after 12 months the products were mainly CuOHCl and CuS, and local pitting was seen. Silver-bearing copper was not part of this test.
    rating: low
    conditions:
      specimen: T1 copper, Cu above 99.95 mass %
      site: Guangdong Qingyuan 110 kV substation, rural atmosphere
      exposure: up to 12 months
      analysis: XRD, SEM, EDS, EIS
    source: liang2015
    where: Abstract; Results and Discussion, XRD and EDS analysis
  - environment: Brazing or welding in a moist or hydrogen-containing atmosphere
    headline: Oxygen-bearing copper becomes brittle when hydrogen diffuses in. The oxygen-free silver grade is stated to resist this.
    effect: Luvata says commercial coppers with 200 to 600 ppm oxygen become brittle by hydrogen embrittlement, while its oxygen-free silver-bearing grade, with 5 ppm oxygen or less, is immune and can be joined by all brazing and welding methods. KGHM's rod passes a two-sided bend test with a minimum of 10 bends.
    rating: low
    conditions:
      basis: manufacturer statements and a bend-test requirement; no exposure test in this run
    source: luvata-brochure
    where: Consistency and Immunity to hydrogen embrittlement columns
risks:
  hazards:
    - text: 'PubChem''s ECHA C&L summary for copper (3,463 company reports): 52.5 % (1818 of 3463) do not meet GHS criteria. Reports that give codes include H302 harmful if swallowed (21.7 %), H400 very toxic to aquatic life, H410 and H411. The record says classification depends on form and impurities.'
      ghs:
        - H302
        - H400
        - H410
        - H411
      source: pubchem-cu
      where: GHS Classification section, ECHA C&L notifications summary (reference 35), plus reference 80 and 46 entries
    - text: 'PubChem''s ECHA C&L summary for silver (2,154 company reports): 28.9 % (623 of 2154) do not meet GHS criteria. H400 is given in 70.4 % of reports that list codes, with signal word Warning.'
      ghs:
        - H400
      source: pubchem-ag
      where: GHS Classification section, ECHA C&L notifications summary (reference 36)
  failure_risks:
    - mode: Embrittlement in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere
      trigger: Brazing, welding or annealing an oxygen-bearing copper in a moist or reducing hydrogen atmosphere
      consequence: Luvata says steam formed from the copper's oxygen pores the metal, so ordinary copper with 200 to 600 ppm oxygen becomes brittle. The oxygen-free silver grade is stated to be immune, so this risk is mainly a risk for other coppers.
      severity: moderate
      source: luvata-brochure
      where: Immunity to hydrogen embrittlement column
    - mode: Softening after repeated heating
      trigger: Repeated activation of getter coatings at 200 to 300 °C
      consequence: Silver raises the temperature at which cold-worked copper softens, and CERN limited the initial hardness to 90 HRF so that the chamber keeps strength through the thermal cycles. The review gives no measured softening loss for C10700.
      severity: low
      source: cern-sgobba-2020
      where: Section 4.2, copper-silver alloys paragraph
    - mode: Tarnish and oxide films on exposed copper
      trigger: Exposure to humid or polluted outdoor air
      consequence: Cu2O, CuOHCl and CuS form on copper. The Liang et al. test was on T1 copper, not silver-bearing copper, so the film growth on C10700 is not measured here.
      severity: low
      source: liang2015
      where: Abstract
  side_effects: []
  handling:
    - text: KGHM supplies the rod in coils of 2.5 to 4 t, wrapped in stretch foil, with a synthetic wax coating against oxidation in transport and storage (wax optional on request).
      source: kghm-rod-2025
      where: Packing row and bullet list
    - text: Keep the oxygen content low. The KGHM sheet gives O2 below 5 ppm, and the CERN specification for C10700 gives 0.0010 % oxygen as a maximum.
      source: kghm-rod-2025
      where: Impurities row
  mitigations: []
uses:
  - application: electronics-and-chips
    device: Commutators, generator rotor bars and welding components
    example: Luvata says its silver-bearing oxygen-free copper (Ag) is perfectly suited to commutators, generator rotor bars and welding components, and lists rotor bars and stator windings for power generators and coils for electrical magnets among its applications. The brochure does not give the silver content for that grade.
    source: luvata-brochure
    where: Consistency column (silver bearing OF-OK paragraph) and Applications list
  - application: electronics-and-chips
    device: Wire rod drawn into electrical conductors
    example: KGHM supplies CuAg0,10(OF) rod in 8 to 25 mm diameters, in coils of 2.5 to 4 t, with conductivity at least 58.0 MS/m (100.0 % IACS).
    source: kghm-rod-2025
    where: Product, Dimensions and Packing rows; Physical properties
  - application: structures
    device: Vacuum chambers of the LHC long straight sections (CERN accelerator, not in space)
    example: CERN selected C10700 for the LHC chambers because the TiZrV getter coatings are activated repeatedly at 200 to 300 °C. A hard-drawn temper with a maximum initial hardness of 90 HRF was chosen to keep strength after the thermal cycles.
    source: cern-sgobba-2020
    where: Section 4.2, copper-silver alloys paragraph
supply:
  - subject: Silver (the alloying element)
    producers:
      - country: Mexico
        share_percent: 24.2
        year: 2025
      - country: Peru
        share_percent: 13.8
        year: 2025
      - country: China
        share_percent: 13.1
        year: 2025
      - country: Bolivia
        share_percent: 5.8
        year: 2025
      - country: Chile
        share_percent: 5.4
        year: 2025
    critical_lists:
      - list: U.S. Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals (silver added, Federal Register 90 FR 50494)
        listed: true
    recycling: 'USGS: about 1,000 tons of silver was recovered from new and old scrap in 2025, about 11 % of apparent U.S. consumption; 2025 electrical and electronics took 25 % of domestic silver use.'
    substitutes: []
    source: usgs-mcs2026-silver
    where: World Mine Production and Reserves table, 2025e (world total rounded 26,000 t; shares calculated by Space Mushroom from the country values 6,300; 3,600; 3,400; 1,500; 1,400); Domestic Production and Use; Recycling; Events, Trends, and Issues
  - subject: Copper (the matrix, at least 99.95 % with silver included)
    producers:
      - country: Chile
        share_percent: 23
        year: 2025
      - country: Congo (Kinshasa)
        share_percent: 13.9
        year: 2025
      - country: Peru
        share_percent: 11.7
        year: 2025
    critical_lists:
      - list: U.S. Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals (copper added)
        listed: true
    recycling: 'USGS: old scrap provided an estimated 160,000 tons of copper in 2025, and scrap contributed about 30 % of U.S. copper supply.'
    substitutes: []
    source: usgs-mcs2026-copper
    where: World Mine and Refinery Production and Reserves table, mine production 2025e (world total rounded 23,000 thousand t; shares calculated by Space Mushroom from 5,300; 3,200; 2,700); Recycling; Events, Trends, and Issues
documents:
  - title: ASTM B152 standard scope record (store.astm.org), C10400, C10500, C10700 listed as OFS
    type: standard
    url: https://store.astm.org/b0152_b0152m-19.html
    year: 2019
  - title: KGHM Polska Miedz, Oxygen-free silver-bearing copper rod datasheet (Cedynia plant, 2025, EN)
    type: datasheet
    url: https://kghm.com/sites/default/files/kghm_oxygen_free_silver_bearing_copper_rod_en_2025.pdf
    year: 2025
  - title: KGHM Polska Miedz, Oxygen-free silver-bearing copper rod datasheet (earlier revision, EN)
    type: datasheet
    url: https://KGHM.COM/sites/default/files/kghm_drut_z_miedzi_ze_srebrem_en_2.pdf
  - title: 'Sgobba, Vacuum for Accelerators: Introduction to Materials and Properties (CERN Accelerator School 2017), arXiv:2006.02212'
    type: paper
    url: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2006.02212
    year: 2020
  - title: Luvata, Oxygen-Free Copper brochure (OF-OK, OFE-OK), October 2023
    type: datasheet
    url: https://luvata.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Luvata-Oxygen-Free-Brochure_web_A4_25_10_2023.pdf
    year: 2023
  - title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Silver'
    type: report
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-silver.pdf
    year: 2026
  - title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Copper'
    type: report
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-copper.pdf
    year: 2026
  - title: PubChem compound record for copper (CID 23978), GHS classification
    type: database
    url: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/23978/JSON
    year: 2026
  - title: PubChem compound record for silver (CID 23954), GHS classification
    type: database
    url: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/23954/JSON
    year: 2026
  - title: Liang et al., Study of T1 Copper Corrosion Behavior in Qingyuan Rural Atmosphere (MMECEB 2015)
    type: paper
    url: https://www.atlantis-press.com/article/25847184.pdf
    year: 2015
gaps:
  - Density, melting point and thermal conductivity of C10700 were not found in a fetched source. The Aurubis CuAg0,10(OF) datasheet returns HTTP 406 at both aurubis.fi and aurubis.com (after a redirect). The copper.org C10700 alloy page is a Cloudflare maintenance page, and the Ulbrich, makeitfrom and totalmateria pages were blocked or paywalled. Search results gave density and thermal conductivity only for the sister grades C10400 and C10500 (9.0 g/cm3, 390 W/m-K); those are not C10700 and are not recorded.
  - The UNS C10700 composition table (ASTM B152 Table 1) was not read; only the ASTM scope row and the CERN specification were opened. CW019A is taken from the Luvata alloys table (row CuAg0.10(OF)), and the KGHM product name CuAg0,10(OF) is also recorded.
  - The Ag softening temperatures and hardness values in the 2024 Journal of Materials Research and Technology paper could not be read (DOAJ returned HTTP 403), so softening is described from the CERN review without numbers.
  - No atomic-oxygen, outgassing (NASA total mass loss), cold-welding or radiation data for silver-bearing copper were found. No flight result exists in this profile.
  - Electrical resistivity, temperature coefficient of resistance, and cryogenic (RRR) values for C10700 were not found.
  - The Luvata alloys table maps HK015 (CuAg0.10(OF)) to C10700 OFS, but the brochure gives no silver content range, so its applications are used as examples of the silver-bearing class only.
  - Atmospheric corrosion of silver-bearing copper was not measured; Liang et al. tested T1 copper, so the corrosion entries describe copper as a class.
  - 'Custom benchmark names used because they are not in spores/property-canon.yaml: silver_content, copper_plus_silver_content, oxygen_content, total_impurities_max, hydrogen_embrittlement_bends, rockwell_hardness_f, exposure_temperature, resistivity_increase_per_percent_alloy.'
  - No images (media) for this profile were sourced in this run.
sources:
  astm-b152:
    title: ASTM B152/B152M, Standard Specification for Copper Sheet, Strip, Plate, and Rolled Bar (scope record for C10700)
    id: UNS C10700, OFS, oxygen-free silver bearing
    url: https://store.astm.org/b0152_b0152m-19.html
    year: 2019
    kind: standard
    license: ASTM record (cited, not reproduced)
  kghm-rod-2025:
    title: KGHM Polska Miedz S.A., Oxygen-Free, Silver-Bearing Copper Rod datasheet (Cedynia Wire Rod Plant, EN, 2025)
    url: https://kghm.com/sites/default/files/kghm_oxygen_free_silver_bearing_copper_rod_en_2025.pdf
    year: 2025
    kind: datasheet
    license: Manufacturer datasheet (cited, not reproduced)
  kghm-rod-2016:
    title: KGHM Polska Miedz S.A., Oxygen-Free, Silver-Bearing Copper Rod datasheet (earlier revision, EN, with hydrogen embrittlement row)
    url: https://KGHM.COM/sites/default/files/kghm_drut_z_miedzi_ze_srebrem_en_2.pdf
    kind: datasheet
    license: Manufacturer datasheet (cited, not reproduced)
  cern-sgobba-2020:
    title: 'S. Sgobba (CERN), Vacuum for Accelerators: Introduction to Materials and Properties, CERN Accelerator School 2017, arXiv:2006.02212'
    url: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2006.02212
    year: 2020
    kind: paper
    license: arXiv preprint (cited, not reproduced)
  luvata-brochure:
    title: Luvata, Oxygen-Free Copper brochure (OF-OK, OFE-OK), 2023
    url: https://luvata.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Luvata-Oxygen-Free-Brochure_web_A4_25_10_2023.pdf
    year: 2023
    kind: datasheet
    license: Manufacturer brochure (cited, not reproduced)
  usgs-mcs2026-silver:
    title: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Silver
    id: USGS MCS 2026, February 2026
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-silver.pdf
    year: 2026
    kind: report
    license: public domain (USGS)
  usgs-mcs2026-copper:
    title: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Copper
    id: USGS MCS 2026, February 2026
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-copper.pdf
    year: 2026
    kind: report
    license: public domain (USGS)
  pubchem-cu:
    title: 'PubChem compound record: Copper (CID 23978), GHS classification including ECHA C&L Inventory summary'
    id: CAS 7440-50-8
    url: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/23978/JSON
    kind: database
    license: PubChem (NCBI), public domain; sections attributed to ECHA
  pubchem-ag:
    title: 'PubChem compound record: Silver (CID 23954), GHS classification including ECHA C&L Inventory summary'
    id: CAS 7440-22-4
    url: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/23954/JSON
    kind: database
    license: PubChem (NCBI), public domain; sections attributed to ECHA
  liang2015:
    title: Liang, Yang, Kuang, Study of T1 Copper Corrosion Behavior in Qingyuan Rural Atmosphere, MMECEB 2015, Atlantis Press
    url: https://www.atlantis-press.com/article/25847184.pdf
    year: 2015
    kind: paper
    license: Atlantis Press open access (cited, not reproduced)
license: CC-BY-4.0
updated: '2026-10-26'
review:
  status: draft
  method: assistant
  checked_values: 15
  unreachable: 4
  caveats: 4
  note: 'Read by an AI assistant on 2026-10-26 from the pages and PDFs named in each entry. Unreachable: the Aurubis CuAg0,10(OF) datasheet (HTTP 406 at aurubis.com after redirect), the copper.org C10700 alloy page (Cloudflare maintenance page), the Ulbrich C10700 wire page (Cloudflare block) and the DOAJ softening paper (HTTP 403). Caveats: the strength values are as-cast rod, not annealed strip; the silver grade''s density, melting point and thermal conductivity are missing; the 0.0010 % oxygen and the 90 HRF limit are CERN specification values, not measurements; the corrosion data are for T1 copper.'
story:
  risk_groups:
    - title: For people
      lead: The copper and silver in this alloy are classified inconsistently by notifiers, and the sources read here do not describe health effects of the alloy itself.
      level: 1
      verdict: Mixed notifications
      points:
        - label: Copper and silver as substances
          line: Of 3,463 company reports on copper to the European chemicals agency, 1,818 (52.5 %) said it does not meet the hazard criteria. Of 2,154 reports on silver, 623 (28.9 %) said the same. Where codes were given, the main one for copper was H302 (21.7 %), and for silver H400 (70.4 %).
        - label: Cells and components
          line: No safety data sheet for silver-bearing copper rod was read. The rod is supplied waxed against oxidation, and the datasheet lists no toxicology.
    - title: If it fails
      lead: These routes come from the sources read here. Only one is a result from a real test rig, the rest are specifications or manufacturer statements.
      points:
        - label: Softening
          line: Silver raises the softening temperature of copper. CERN specified a maximum hardness of 90 HRF so the LHC chambers keep strength through repeated 200 to 300 °C activations.
        - label: Hydrogen
          line: Oxygen-bearing coppers become brittle in hydrogen. Luvata states that its oxygen-free silver grade is immune, and KGHM's rod passes a two-sided bend test with at least 10 bends.
        - label: Tarnish
          line: In rural air, copper forms Cu2O, then CuOHCl and CuS after 12 months. That test used T1 copper, not silver-bearing copper.
    - title: Handling and storage
      points:
        - label: Keep it oxygen-free
          line: The KGHM datasheet gives oxygen below 5 ppm and total impurities up to 25 ppm. Silver-bearing rod should be kept wrapped and dry.
        - label: Mechanical state
          line: The rod datasheet gives 180 N/mm2 tensile strength in the as-cast state. Cold work changes this, and the datasheet does not give values for other tempers.
  why: 'Silver-bearing copper is oxygen-free copper with a small addition of silver, typically 0.08 to 0.12 %. The KGHM datasheet prints a minimum electrical conductivity of 58.0 MS/m (100.0 % IACS) and a tensile strength of 180 ± 10 N/mm2 for its rod. ASTM B152 lists the grade as C10700 in the oxygen-free, silver-bearing group. The silver is there for a specific reason: it stops copper softening after heating. CERN chose C10700 for the vacuum chambers of the LHC, whose getter coatings are heated to 200 to 300 °C each time they are activated.'
  uses:
    - where: Commutators and generator rotor bars
      line: Luvata says its silver-bearing oxygen-free copper is perfectly suited to commutators, generator rotor bars and welding components, and lists rotor bars and stator windings for power generators among its applications.
    - where: Wire rod for electrical conductors
      line: KGHM supplies CuAg0,10(OF) rod in diameters from 8 to 25 mm, in coils of 2.5 to 4 t, with conductivity of at least 58.0 MS/m.
    - where: Accelerator vacuum chambers
      line: CERN selected C10700 for the LHC vacuum chambers, with a hard-drawn temper and a maximum initial hardness of 90 HRF, so that the chambers keep their strength through repeated activation of the getter coatings.
  can_do:
    - label: Carry current
      value: 58.0 MS/m (100.0 % IACS)
      benchmark: electrical_conductivity
      line: The KGHM rod has a minimum conductivity of 58.0 MS/m at 20 °C, the reference value of 100 % IACS.
    - label: Resist softening
      value: 200 to 300 °C
      benchmark: exposure_temperature
      line: CERN states that silver raises the annealing temperature of cold-worked copper, and the LHC chambers are designed around repeated activation between 200 and 300 °C.
    - label: Strength in the rod
      value: 180 N/mm2
      benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
      line: The tensile strength of the rod is 180 ± 10 N/mm2 at 200 mm gauge length, and the elongation is at least 37 %.
  compare: Silver-bearing copper is a conductor that trades a little purity for softening resistance. CERN describes silver as increasing the resistance to softening without a large loss of room-temperature conductivity, and zirconium as stronger at raising the annealing temperature but costlier in conductivity. The density, melting point and thermal conductivity of this grade are missing from this profile.
  compare_rows:
    - label: Electrical conductivity
      benchmark: electrical_conductivity
    - label: Tensile strength
      benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    - label: Elongation
      benchmark: elongation
  handling:
    - Specify the temper and the product form, because the rod datasheet strength is for the as-cast rod and the CERN limit is for a hard-drawn temper.
    - Keep oxygen content low, since the grade is chosen for immunity to hydrogen embrittlement.
    - Keep the rod wrapped and dry, as KGHM supplies it with a wax coating.
  good_for:
    - Conducting current with a minimum of 58.0 MS/m (100.0 % IACS) in the KGHM rod.
    - Keeping conductivity and softening resistance after repeated heating, as in the LHC vacuum chambers.
  watch_out:
    - Density, melting point and thermal conductivity for C10700 could not be read from a fetched source.
    - The rod datasheet gives only 180 N/mm2 tensile strength, and that is the as-cast state.
    - The corrosion results are for plain T1 copper, not silver-bearing copper.
  verdict: Silver-bearing copper is an oxygen-free conductor with 58.0 MS/m minimum conductivity and a silver addition that slows softening under repeated heating. It is chosen for electrical parts and for the LHC vacuum chambers. This profile still lacks density, melting point, thermal conductivity and any flight or space result.
  recipe:
    line: CuAg0,10(OF) is copper with about 0.08 to 0.12 % silver and oxygen of 5 ppm or less. KGHM melts Cu-CATH-1 cathode copper with refined silver and casts the rod in a structurally cast state (datasheet, Charge material and Ag content rows).
    parts:
      - name: Copper
        symbol: Cu
        share: 99.95 % minimum with silver included (CERN specification for C10700)
        role: The matrix. Cathode copper is the charge material for KGHM's rod.
      - name: Silver
        symbol: Ag
        share: 800 to 1200 ppm, 0.08 to 0.12 % (KGHM CuAg0,10 grade); 0.085 % minimum for C10700 (CERN)
        role: Raises the softening temperature of copper and keeps the metal soft after cold work and heat.
      - name: Oxygen
        symbol: O
        share: 5 ppm or less (KGHM); 0.0010 % maximum (CERN)
        role: Kept very low so the copper is immune to hydrogen embrittlement during brazing and welding.