ASTM B596 Gold-Copper Electrical Contact Alloy
ASTM B596 Au-Cu is a precious metal alloy formulated for use in electrical contacts. It has a moderately high density among the precious metal electrical contact alloys in the database.
The properties of ASTM B596 Au-Cu include two common variations. This page shows summary ranges across both of them. For more specific values, follow the links immediately below. The graph bars on the material properties cards further below compare ASTM B596 Au-Cu 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
100 GPa 15 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
4.3 to 17 %
Poisson's Ratio
0.41
Shear Modulus
36 GPa 5.2 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
280 to 360 MPa 40 to 52 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
450 to 620 MPa 65 to 89 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
77 J/g
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
1060 °C 1950 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
930 °C 1710 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
150 J/kg-K 0.037 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Expansion
14 µm/m-K
Other Material Properties
Density
18 g/cm3 1140 lb/ft3
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
14 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
6.7 % IACS
Common Calculations
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
3.1 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
8.5 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
6.8 to 9.4 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
7.1 to 8.8 points
Thermal Shock Resistance
22 to 30 points
Alloy Composition
| Au | 89 to 91 | |
| Cu | 9.0 to 11 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.4 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
ASTM B596: Standard Specification for Gold-Copper Alloy Electrical Contact Material