Choose a copper, brass or bronze family based on application, conductivity, corrosion resistance, strength, machinability, wear and fabrication requirements.
Enter your requirements and click Select Copper Alloys.
Recommendations will appear here.
| Grade / Family | Family | Main Characteristics | Typical Applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| C11000 | Pure copper | Very high electrical and thermal conductivity | Busbars, conductors, heat transfer |
| C10100 | Oxygen-free copper | Very high conductivity and low oxygen content | Electrical and vacuum applications |
| C26000 | Cartridge brass | Excellent forming and good corrosion resistance | Sheet, fittings, formed components |
| C36000 | Free-cutting brass | Excellent machinability | Precision turned fittings and components |
| C46400 | Naval brass | Good strength and marine corrosion resistance | Marine fittings, valves, hardware |
| C51000 | Phosphor bronze | Good spring properties and wear resistance | Contacts, springs, bushings |
| C54400 | Phosphor bronze | Good machinability and wear characteristics | Machined components, bushings |
| C93200 | Aluminum bronze / bearing bronze family | Good bearing and wear properties | Bushings, bearings, machine parts |
| C95400 | Aluminum bronze | High strength, wear and corrosion resistance | Valves, pumps, marine components |
| C70600 | 90-10 copper-nickel | Excellent seawater corrosion resistance | Marine systems, heat exchangers |
| C71500 | 70-30 copper-nickel | Very good marine corrosion resistance | Marine piping and heat exchangers |
What is the difference between copper, brass and bronze? Copper is the base metal. Brass is primarily a copper-zinc family, while bronze describes several copper-based alloy families, commonly including copper-tin and copper-aluminum alloys.
Which copper alloy has the highest conductivity? High-purity copper such as C10100 and C11000 provides very high electrical conductivity. Alloying generally reduces conductivity.
Which brass is easiest to machine? C36000 is widely recognized for excellent machinability and is commonly used for precision-machined fittings and components.
Which copper alloy is good for bearings? Phosphor bronzes and bearing-bronze families can provide useful combinations of wear resistance, strength and bearing performance.
Which copper alloy is good for seawater? Copper-nickel alloys such as C70600 and C71500 are widely used in marine service. Selected aluminum bronzes can also provide strong marine corrosion resistance.
Which copper alloy is best for electrical applications? Pure copper grades such as C11000 are common where maximum conductivity is important. Specialized copper alloys can be used when strength or contact performance is more important.
Which brass is good for forming? C26000 is a common choice where excellent cold-forming characteristics are required.
Which copper alloy is strongest? Some aluminum bronzes and other highly alloyed copper alloys can provide substantially higher strength than pure copper or common brasses. Exact strength depends on grade and condition.
Why does alloying reduce copper conductivity? Alloying elements disturb the copper crystal lattice and increase electrical resistance, although they can provide improvements in strength, wear resistance and corrosion resistance.
Can this selector guarantee the correct alloy? No. It is a preliminary selection tool. Final selection should be based on the applicable specification and actual operating conditions.