ASTM B617 Coin Silver Electrical Contact Alloy
ASTM B617 coin silver is a precious metal alloy formulated for use in electrical contacts. It has a moderately high electrical conductivity among the precious metal electrical contact alloys in the database.
The properties of ASTM B617 coin silver include seven common variations. This page shows summary ranges across all of them. For more specific values, follow the links immediately below. The graph bars on the material properties cards further below compare ASTM B617 coin silver to: precious metal electrical contact alloys (top), all alloys in the same category (middle), and the entire database (bottom). A full bar means this is the highest value in the relevant set. A half-full bar means it's 50% of the highest, and so on.
Mechanical Properties
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
75 GPa 11 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
1.1 to 22 %
Poisson's Ratio
0.37
Shear Modulus
28 GPa 4.0 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
180 to 290 MPa 26 to 42 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
290 to 520 MPa 41 to 75 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
120 J/g
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
870 °C 1600 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
780 °C 1430 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
250 J/kg-K 0.060 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Expansion
19 µm/m-K
Other Material Properties
Density
10 g/cm3 650 lb/ft3
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
83 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
72 % IACS
Common Calculations
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
4.1 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
14 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
7.7 to 14 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
9.3 to 14 points
Thermal Shock Resistance
14 to 25 points
Alloy Composition
| Ag | 89.6 to 91 | |
| Cu | 9.0 to 10.4 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.060 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.050 | |
| Cd | 0 to 0.050 | |
| Pb | 0 to 0.030 | |
| P | 0 to 0.020 | |
| Ni | 0 to 0.010 | |
| Al | 0 to 0.0050 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.060 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
ASTM B617: Standard Specification for Coin Silver Electrical Contact Alloy