Copper Alloys Chromium Zirconium Copper UNS-C18150

 Product Data Sheet – Copper Alloys

Chromium Zirconium Copper  UNS-C18150

C18150 is a high conductivity, high strength copper alloyed with chromium. C18150 is heat treatable, and resists softening in service up to temperatures of 500°C. It is used for spot and seam welding electrodes, plastic mould components and other applications requiring excellent electrical and thermal conductivity and high strength and wear resistance at high temperatures. As supplied by Austral Wright Metals, C18200 is heat treated to high strength, and requires no further heat treatment. It meets the requirements of RWMA (Resistance Welder Manufacturers Association) Group A, Class 2.

C18150 when used for spot and seam welding electrodes can provide less sticking and resists deformation longer than copper-chromium (C18200) in some specific situations. C18150 can be used instead of C18200 in any structural or current carrying application.

C18150 can be used to spot weld: cold rolled steel, hot rolled steel, nickel plated steel, zinc and zinc-aluminium coated steel (galvanised and zincalume), nickel alloys, Monel, nickel silver, stainless steel.

Chemical Composition

Copper(1)ChromiumZirconium
Min / Max
Remainder
0.5 – 1.5
0.05 – 0.25
Nominal
98.9
1.0
0.10

(1) Copper value includes Silver

Note: Copper + Sum of Named Elements, 99.7% min)

Common Fabrication Processes

Bending, Cold Heading, Machining

Fabrication Properties

Joining TechniqueSuitability
Soldering
Good
Brazing
Good
Oxy-Acetylene Welding
Not Recommended
Gas Shielded Arc Welding
Good
Coated Metal Arc Welding
Not Recommended
Spot WeldNot Recommended
Seam WeldNot Recommended
Joining TechniqueSuitability
Butt Weld
Fair
Capacity for Being Cold Worked
Excellent
Capacity for Being Hot Formed
Good
Forgeability Rating
80
Machinability Rating
20
Solution Annealing Temperature
1000°C
Aging Heat Treatment Temp
425-500°C

Mechanical Properties

Typical Room Temperature 20°C

Temper
Section Size
Typical or Minimum
Tensile Strength
Yield Strength
(0.5% ext. under load)
Elongation
Rockwell Hardness
Vickers Hardness
(approx*)
mm
MPa
MPa
%
B
Wire
TL04
12.7
TYP
469
455
15
73
132
TL02
17.8
TYP
469
338
15
76
140
Rod
TL06
12.7
TYP
586
579
16
82
156
TL04
19.1
TYP
545
517
16
78
146
Wire
TL04
15.2
TYP
469
434
20
74
135
Rod
TX00
25.4
MIN
448
379
13
75
138
TL06
15.9
TYP
565
538
14
82
156
TL04
12.3
TYP
558
545
14
82
156
Wire
TL02
15.2
TYP
469
400
19
75
138

* Vickers Hardness is approximate – interpolated using ASTM E 140

Physical Properties

Property
Metric Units
Imperial Units
Melting Point (Liquidus)
1080°C
1976°F
Melting Point (Solidus)
1070°C
1958°F
Density
8.89 gm/cm³ @ 20°C
0.321 lb/in³ @ 68°F
Specific Gravity
8.89
8.89
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
16.45 x 10 -6 / °C (20-300°C)
9.5 x 10 -6 / °F (68-392°F)
Themal Conductivity
323.9 W/m. °K @ 20°C
187.0 BTU/ft²/ft/hr/°F @ 68°F
Electrical Conductivity
0.464 MegaSiemens/cm @ 20°C
80% IACS@ 68°F
Modulus of Elasticity (tension)
117,200 MPa
17,000ksi

Typical Uses

Consumer – Pencil-type & Light Soldering Guns: Tips, Rod Extensions

Electrical – Resistance Welding Electrodes

Industrial – Welding Electrodes, Welding Wheels, Tips and Rod Extensions

Typical Hardness

Temperature curves for pure copper and selected RWMA alloys

Copper Alloys Chromium Zirconium Copper UNS-C18150 HardnessCopper Alloys Chromium Zirconium Copper welding

RWMA (Resistance Welder Manufacturers Association)

Electrode Material Standards

The mechanical and physical properties required of electrodes vary according to the application. The materials being used for electrodes fall into three groups:

• Group A — Copper Base Alloys.

• Group B — Refractory Metals and Refractory Metal Composites.

• Group C — Specialty Materials.

These groups are further subdivided as follows:

GROUP A. Copper Base Alloys

RWMA Class 1. Specifically recommended, because of its high electrical and thermal conductivity for spot welding aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, some coated materials, brass and bronze.

RWMA Class 2. Class 2 material has slightly lower conductivity and higher mechanical properties than Class 1. Class 2 are general purpose resistance welding electrode materials for production spot and seam welding of most materials. They are suitable for spot welding electrodes, projection welding electrodes, seam welding electrodes, shafts and bearings, flash welding electrodes and current-carrying structural members, and are also available as high strength and high electrical conductivity castings for use as welding platens and secondary circuit structural members. Class 2 material should be used in the heat-treated condition.

These materials are stronger than Class I materials, but have slightly lower conductivity. They are used for the spot and seam welding of cold and hot-rolled steel, stainless steel and low conductivity brass and bronze. They are also used as flash welding dies and as electrodes for the welding of galvanized steel and other coated materials.

RWMA Class 3. Class 3 material has lower conductivity and higher mechanical properties than Class 2. It is recommended for projection welding electrodes, flash and upset welding electrodes, current-carrying shafts and bushings. As castings, Class 3 material is recommended for highly stressed welding structural current-carrying members and heavy-duty offset electrode shanks and holders. It is recommended for spot welding and seam welding steels having high electrical resistance, such as stainless steels, and it should be used in the heat-treated condition.

C18150 Extruded Rod

Available from Austral Wright Metals

SpecificationsHardnessElectrical ConductivityTensile StrengthMinimum Yield StrengthElongation
% IACSMPaMPa%
RWMA Class 2 Group A
79-86 HRB
80 – 88
480 – 540
420
18 – 30
ASTM C18150
ISO A2/2
145 – 166 HB
DIN – 17666

 

The technical advice and recommendations made in this Product Data Sheet should not be relied or acted upon without conducting your own further investigations, including corrosion exposure tests where needed. Please consult current editions of standards for design properties. Austral Wright Metals assumes no liability in connection with the information in this Product Data Sheet. Austral Wright Metals supplies a comprehensive range of stainless steels, copper alloys, nickel alloys and other high performance metals for challenging service conditions. Our engineers and metallurgists will be pleased to provide further data and applications advice.

 

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