Copper Alloy Properties

Reference data and engineering information about copper alloy properties for material properties applications.

copperalloypropertiesData Table

Overview

Engineering reference data for Copper Alloy Properties in material science and properties.

Key Formulas

Stress

$\sigma = \frac{F}{A}$

Force per unit area.

Strain

$\varepsilon = \frac{\Delta L}{L_0}$

Change in length per original length.

Hooke's Law

$\sigma = E \varepsilon$

Stress proportional to strain in elastic region.

Thermal Expansion

$\Delta L = \alpha L_0 \Delta T$

Length change due to temperature.

Variables

Symbol	Description	Unit
$\sigma$	Stress	Pa
$\varepsilon$	Strain	—
$E$	Young's modulus	Pa
$\alpha$	Thermal expansion coefficient	1/°C
$\Delta T$	Temperature change	°C

Mechanical Properties of Wrought and Cast Copper Alloys

The mechanical properties of copper vary significantly depending on the processing method. Annealed copper offers high ductility, while cold-worked copper provides greater strength at the expense of formability.

6 rows

Typical mechanical properties of wrought and cast copper alloys
Property	Annealed Copper	Cold Rolled or Drawn Copper	Cast Copper
Tensile Strength (psi)	30,000 – 40,000	32,000 – 60,000	20,000 – 30,000
Tensile Strength (MPa)	210 – 280	220 – 400	140 – 210
Elongation in 2 in.	25 – 30%	2 – 35%	25 – 45%
Reduction of Area	40 – 60%	2 – 4%	—
Rockwell F Hardness	max 65	54 – 100	—
Rockwell 30T Hardness	max 31	18 – 70	—

Source: copper.org

Key Observations

Annealed copper exhibits the highest elongation (25–30%) and reduction of area (40–60%), making it ideal for forming operations.
Cold worked copper significantly increases tensile strength (up to 400 MPa) but drastically reduces ductility and reduction of area.
Cast copper generally has the lowest strength range but maintains reasonable elongation values.

References

Original Source

Source: engineeringtoolbox.com