Copper Alloy Wires

Wires made from copper alloys can provide very good mechanical properties and are easily cold worked. Depending on the degree of cold working, they offer high tensile strength (especially for heat-treated beryllium copper), as well as: high resistance to cor­rosive environments, high thermal and electrical conductivities, good machineability and non-magnetic properties and ease of polishing and plating. They have lower elastic moduli than ferrous materials, which is particularly advan­tageous in spring applications where a large deflection under a small load is desirable. Reductions, heat treatment and drawing speeds vary widely due to the differing properties of the many alloys used. High copper alloys are wrought products with designated copper contents less than 99.3% but more than 96%, which do not fall into any other copper alloy group.