Materials and properties
Select copper by finished-part duty, not by conductivity alone
Pure copper, CuCrZr, CuCr1Zr, GRCop and other copper alloys solve different combinations of conductivity, strength, temperature, corrosion and qualification. A material decision is incomplete until the final heat treatment, machining and test state are defined.
Evidence library version 2026-07-16. Public values remain source-specific references, not universal part guarantees.
- Material systems
- 23
- Process fundamentals
- 15
- Testing and standards
- 11
- Defect mechanisms
- 10
Selection map
Five material families and their decision boundaries
| Material family | Common designations | Choose when | Evidence to lock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pure copper and high-conductivity copper | Cu-OF / OFHC, Cu-ETP, commercially pure copper, system-specific grades such as CuCP | Thermal or electrical conductivity dominates and structural loads can be controlled. | Oxygen content, final density, annealed strength, sealing surfaces, and conductivity after all finishing. |
| CuCrZr / CuCr1Zr | CuCrZr, CuCr1Zr, C18150, CW106C | Threads, clamp loads, pressure boundaries, thermal cycling, or softening resistance matter. | Composition range, solution and ageing route, machining sequence, and the final strength-conductivity state. |
| GRCop-42 and GRCop-84 | NASA-developed Cu-Cr-Nb alloy families | High-temperature, high-heat-flux propulsion hardware justifies a specialized qualification route. | Powder specification, alloy-specific process data, heat treatment, bimetallic interfaces, NDE, and hot-fire evidence. |
| CuNi and marine copper alloys | CuNi30 / 70-30 CuNi and application-specific marine grades | Seawater corrosion resistance and replacement of long-lead castings matter more than maximum conductivity. | Grade approval, corrosion qualification, NDE, repair boundaries, and the difference between cold spray, DED, and LPBF. |
| Other functional copper alloys | CuNi2SiCr, CuSn10, brass and application-specific copper alloys | Wear, strength, corrosion, casting replacement, or another functional requirement controls the choice. | Do not substitute a generic copper label for the exact alloy, state, standard, or qualification basis. |
Property evidence
A number needs its full test context
Density, IACS, thermal conductivity and tensile properties cannot be compared safely when material identity, orientation, temperature, post-processing or test method differ.
Identity
Grade, chemistry, powder or wire lot, oxygen and reused-feedstock proportion.
Build state
Machine/configuration, direction, layer condition, location, support and witness coupon.
Final state
Stress relief, solution/ageing, HIP, machining, polishing, plating and cleaning.
Test state
Method, temperature, direction, specimen geometry, sampling and uncertainty.
Evidence coverage
What the 78-record technical base covers
The technical dataset is used as an evidence layer, not a universal parameter recipe. Open the source index to inspect the underlying standard, paper or official data page before using a value in a project specification.
- Material systems
- 23
- Process fundamentals
- 15
- Testing and standards
- 11
- Defect mechanisms
- 10
- Process parameters
- 7
- Feedstock and powder
- 6
- Post-processing
- 6
Apply the evidence to a real part
Send the drawing and acceptance needs
A quotation is based on the actual geometry, material state, quantity, operating duty, finishing and inspection scope.