UNS C17510 (CW110C) Nickel-Beryllium Copper
C17510 copper is a lightly alloyed grade of copper, formulated for primary forming into wrought products. CW110C is the EN numeric designation for this material. C17510 is the UNS number. Additionally, the EN chemical designation is CuNi2Be. Older literature may refer to this material as ASTM Alloy 3 or ASTM Alloy 14.
It has a moderately high base cost and a moderately high embodied energy among wrought coppers.
The properties of C17510 copper include four 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 C17510 copper to: wrought coppers (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
Elongation at Break
5.4 to 37 %
Poisson's Ratio
0.34
Rockwell B Hardness
44 to 99
Shear Modulus
44 GPa 6.4 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
210 to 500 MPa 30 to 73 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
310 to 860 MPa 45 to 130 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
120 to 750 MPa 18 to 110 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
220 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
220 °C 430 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
1070 °C 1950 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
1030 °C 1880 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
390 J/kg-K 0.092 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
210 W/m-K 120 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
17 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
22 to 54 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
23 to 54 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
49 % relative
Density
8.9 g/cm3 560 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
4.2 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
65 MJ/kg 28 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
310 L/kg 37 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
39 to 92 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
64 to 2410 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
7.4 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
18 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
9.7 to 27 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
11 to 23 points
Thermal Diffusivity
60 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
11 to 30 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought copper alloys, the composition of C17510 copper is notable for including beryllium (Be) and cobalt (Co). Beryllium is used to permit precipitation hardening (which increases strength) without much effect on electrical conductivity, but at the cost of substantial toxicity. Cobalt is used to improve strength.
| Cu | 95.9 to 98.4 | |
| Ni | 1.4 to 2.2 | |
| Be | 0.2 to 0.6 | |
| Co | 0 to 0.3 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.2 | |
| Al | 0 to 0.2 | |
| Fe | 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 B441: Standard Specification for Copper-Cobalt-Beryllium, Copper-Nickel-Beryllium, and Copper-Nickel-Lead-Beryllium Rod and Bar (UNS Nos. C17500, C17510, and C17465)
Copper Alloys: Preparation, Properties and Applications, Michael Naboka and Jennifer Giordano (editors), 2013
ASM Specialty Handbook: Copper and Copper Alloys, J. R. Davis (editor), 2001