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UNS C52100 (CW453K) Phosphor Bronze

C52100 bronze is a bronze formulated for primary forming into wrought products. CW453K is the EN numeric designation for this material. C52100 is the UNS number. Additionally, the EN chemical designation is CuSn8. And the British Standard (BS) designation is PB104. Older literature may refer to this material as ASTM Phosphor Bronze C, but this is now discouraged.

It has a moderately low heat capacity among wrought bronzes. In addition, it has a fairly high base cost and a moderately high embodied energy.

The properties of C52100 bronze include eight 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 C52100 bronze to: wrought bronzes (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

110 GPa 16 x 106 psi

Poisson's Ratio

0.34

Rockwell B Hardness

45 to 100

Rockwell Superficial 30T Hardness

48 to 82

Shear Modulus

41 GPa 6.0 x 106 psi

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)

380 to 800 MPa 55 to 120 x 103 psi

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion

200 J/g

Maximum Temperature: Mechanical

180 °C 350 °F

Melting Completion (Liquidus)

1030 °C 1880 °F

Melting Onset (Solidus)

880 °C 1620 °F

Specific Heat Capacity

370 J/kg-K 0.089 BTU/lb-°F

Thermal Conductivity

62 W/m-K 36 BTU/h-ft-°F

Thermal Expansion

18 µm/m-K

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume

13 % IACS

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)

13 % IACS

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price

34 % relative

Density

8.8 g/cm3 550 lb/ft3

Embodied Carbon

3.4 kg CO2/kg material

Embodied Energy

55 MJ/kg 24 x 103 BTU/lb

Embodied Water

370 L/kg 44 gal/lb

Common Calculations

Stiffness to Weight: Axial

7.0 points

Stiffness to Weight: Bending

18 points

Strength to Weight: Axial

12 to 25 points

Strength to Weight: Bending

13 to 22 points

Thermal Diffusivity

19 mm2/s

Thermal Shock Resistance

14 to 28 points

Alloy Composition

Among wrought copper alloys, the composition of C52100 bronze is notable for including phosphorus (P) and tin (Sn). Phosphorus is used as an alloy deoxidizer, and to reduce vulnerability to dezincification. Tin is used to improve strength, bearing properties, and corrosion resistance against certain types of media.

Copper (Cu)Cu 89.8 to 93
Tin (Sn)Sn 7.0 to 9.0
Phosphorus (P)P 0.030 to 0.35
Zinc (Zn)Zn 0 to 0.2
Iron (Fe)Fe 0 to 0.1
Lead (Pb)Pb 0 to 0.050
Residualsres. 0 to 0.5

All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.

Followup Questions

Similar Alloys

Further Reading

ASTM B139: Standard Specification for Phosphor Bronze Rod, Bar, and Shapes

ASTM B103: Standard Specification for Phosphor Bronze 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