UNS C76200 (CW405J) Nickel Silver
C76200 nickel silver is a copper-nickel alloy formulated for primary forming into wrought products. CW405J is the EN numeric designation for this material. C76200 is the UNS number. Additionally, the EN chemical designation is CuNi12Zn29. And the common industry name is 59-12 Nickel Silver. Older literature may refer to this material as ASTM Nickel Silver 8, but this is now discouraged.
The properties of C76200 nickel 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 C76200 nickel silver to: wrought copper-nickels (top), all copper alloys (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
120 GPa 17 x 106 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.31
Rockwell B Hardness
28 to 99
Rockwell Superficial 30T Hardness
66 to 91
Shear Modulus
44 GPa 6.4 x 106 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
390 to 790 MPa 57 to 110 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
190 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
170 °C 330 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
1030 °C 1880 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
980 °C 1800 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
390 J/kg-K 0.094 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
45 W/m-K 26 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
19 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
9.0 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
9.8 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
29 % relative
Density
8.2 g/cm3 520 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
3.6 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
57 MJ/kg 25 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
310 L/kg 37 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
7.8 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
20 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
13 to 27 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
14 to 23 points
Thermal Diffusivity
14 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
13 to 26 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought copper alloys, the composition of C76200 nickel silver is notable for including manganese (Mn) and nickel (Ni). Manganese is used to improve strength without a proportional reduction in ductility. Nickel is used to improve strength (particularly at elevated temperatures) and corrosion resistance.
| Cu | 57 to 61 | |
| Zn | 24.2 to 32 | |
| Ni | 11 to 13.5 | |
| Mn | 0 to 0.5 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.25 | |
| Pb | 0 to 0.1 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.5 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
ASTM B122: Standard Specification for Copper-Nickel-Tin Alloy, Copper-Nickel-Zinc Alloy (Nickel Silver), and Copper-Nickel Alloy Plate, Sheet, Strip, and Rolled Bar
Copper: Its Trade, Manufacture, Use, and Environmental Status, Gunter Joseph, 2001
Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials, ASM Handbook vol. 2, ASM International, 1993