Wrought Coppers and high copper alloys

Dr. Dmitri Kopeliovich

According to the Unified Numbering System (UNS):

Coppers are copper alloys, containing not less than 99.3% of copper. Wrought coppers are designated with the numbers from C10100 through C157600.

High copper alloys are copper alloys, containing more than 96% but less than 99.3% of copper. Wrought High Copper Alloys are designated with the numbers from C16200 through C19600.

Alloys from these groups have any major alloying elements but may contain small amounts of beryllium (Be), chromium (Cr), phosphorous (P), silver (Ag), arsenic (As), sulfur (S), lead (Pb), tin (Sn), zirconium (Zr), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), cadmium (Cd) and tellurium (Te) as minor alloying additives.

Coppers and high copper alloys have very high electric and heat conductivity, very high ductility and relatively low hardness and tensile strength.

High copper alloys have better hardness and tensile strength, but lower ductility than coppers.

The alloys may be strengthened by cold work (strain hardening). Ductility of the alloys decreases as a result of cold work.

Some of the high copper alloys are heat-treatable (beryllium copper, chromium copper).

Solution treatment followed by either artificial or natural aging allows considerable increasing the yield strength (3-5 times). Ductility of the alloy decreases as a result of the heat treatment.

Coppers and high copper alloys have good corrosion resistance provided by protection film of copper oxide formed on the metal surface.

Coppers and high copper alloys are used for manufacturing electric wires and other electric components.

UNS Designation	Trade mark	Be,%	Al,%	Co,%	Si,%	Cr,%	Fe,%	Zr,%	Cu, % min
C10100	Oxygen-Free Electronic Copper	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	99.99
C15000	Zirconium Copper	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.1-0.2	99.80
C17000	Beryllium Copper	1.6-1.85	0.20 max.	0.20 min.	0.20 max.	-	-	-	98.30
C18200	Chromium Copper	-	-	-	0.10 max.	0.6-1.2	0.10 max.	-	99.1

(Materials Data)

• Wrought copper C10100 (Oxygen-Free Electronic Copper)
• Wrought copper alloy C15000 (Zirconium Copper)
• Wrought copper alloy C17000 (Beryllium Copper)
• Wrought copper alloy C18200 (Chromium Copper)

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• Wrought brasses
• Wrought phosphor bronzes
• Wrought aluminum bronzes
• Wrought silicon bronzes
• Wrought copper-nickel alloys and Nickel Silvers
• Spinodal Bronzes
• Cast Coppers and high copper alloys
• Classification of copper alloys
• Temper designation of copper alloys
• Treatment of molten copper alloys

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