Temper Designations for Cu and Cu Alloys -- Wrought and Cast

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Introduction to Copper Temper Designations

Standard ASTM B601 defines the terminology in general use for indicating the temper of copper and copper alloy products. It describes the processes that produce various tempers and the observable changes in the product resulting from these processes. Additionally, it establishes an alphanumeric code system for designating product tempers.

In the following sections, tempers are classified according to terminology used by U.S. manufacturers of copper and copper alloy products and are arranged in a systematic order with their designated code letters.

Primary Temper Classifications

The main temper classifications for copper and copper alloys include:

• Annealed Tempers, O
• Annealed Tempers, OS
• Manufactured Tempers, M
• Cold-Worked Tempers, H
• Heat-Treated Tempers, T
• Tempers of Welded Tubes, W

1. Annealed Tempers, O

Tempers produced by annealing to meet mechanical properties requirements.

O10	Cast and annealed (homogenized)
O11	As-cast and precipitation heat treated
O20	Hot forged and annealed
O25	Hot rolled and annealed
O30	Hot extruded and annealed
O31	Extruded and precipitation heat treated
O40	Hot pierced and annealed
O50	Light annealed
O60	Soft annealed
O61	Annealed
O65	Drawing annealed
O68	Deep-drawing annealed
O70	Dead-soft annealed
O80	Annealed to temper,1/8 hard
O81	Annealed to temper,1/4 hard
O82	Annealed to temper,1/2 hard

2. Annealed Tempers, OS

Tempers produced by annealing to meet standard or special grain size requirements.

OS005	Average grain size, 0,005mm
OS010	Average grain size, 0,010mm
OS015	Average grain size, 0,015mm
OS025	Average grain size, 0,025mm
OS035	Average grain size, 0,035mm
OS050	Average grain size, 0,050mm
OS060	Average grain size, 0,060mm
OS070	Average grain size, 0,070mm
OS100	Average grain size, 0,100mm
OS120	Average grain size, 0,120mm
OS150	Average grain size, 0,150mm
OS200	Average grain size, 0,200mm

3. Manufactured Tempers, M

Tempers produced in the product by the primary manufacturing operations of casting and hot working and controlled by the methods employed in the operations.

M01	As-sand cast
M02	As-centrifugal cast
M03	As-plaster cast
M04	As-pressure die cast
M05	As-permanent mold cast
M06	As-investment cast
M07	As-continuous cast
M10	As-hot forged and air coole
M11	As-forged and quenched
M20	As-hot rolled
M30	As-hot extruded
M40	As-hot pierced
M45	As-hot pierced and rerolled

4. Cold-Worked Tempers, H

Tempers produced by controlled amounts of cold work, Cold-Worked (Drawn), Stress-Relieved Tempers, HR-Tempers produced by controlled amounts of cold work followed by stress relief and Order-Strengthening Tempers, HT-Tempers produced by controlled amounts of cold work followed by a thermal treatment to produce order strengthening.

H00	1/8 hard
H01	1/4 hard
H02	1/2 hard
H03	3/4 hard
H04	Hard
H06	Extra hard
H08	Spring
H10	Extra spring
H12	Special spring
H13	Ultra spring
H14	Super spring
H50	Extruded and drawn
H52	Pierced and drawn
H55	Light drawn;light cold rolled
H58	Drawn general purpose
H60	Cold heading; forming
H63	Rivet
H64	Screw
H66	Bold
H70	Bending
H80	Hard drawn
H85	Medium-hard-drawn electrical wire
H86	Hard-drawn electrical wire
H90	As-finned
HR01	H01and stress relieved
HR02	H02 and stress relieved
HR04	H04and stress relieved
HR08	H08 and stress relieved
HR10	H10and stress relieved
HR20	As-finned
HR50	Drawn and stress relieved
HT04	H04 and order heat treated
HT08	H08 and order heat treated

5. Heat-Treated Tempers, T

Tempers that are based on heat treatments followed by rapid cooling

5.1 Quench-Hardened Tempers, TQ

Tempers produced by quench hardening treatments.

TQ00	Quench hardened
TQ50	Quench hardened and temper annealed
TQ55	Quench hardened and temper annealed cold drawn and stress relieved
TQ75	Interrupted quench hardened

5.2 Solution Heat-Treated Temper, TB

Tempers produced by solution heat treating precipitation hardenable or spinodal hardenable alloys.

TB00	Solution heat treated

5.3 Solution Heat-Treated and Cold-Worked Tempers, TD

Tempers produced by controlled amounts of cold work of solution heat-treated precipitation hardenable or spinodal hardenable alloys.

D00	TB00 cold worked to 1/8 hard
D01	TB00 cold worked to 1/4 hard
D02	TB00 cold worked to 1/2 hard
D03	TB00 cold worked to 3/4 hard
D04	TB00 cold worked to full hard

5.4 Precipitation Heat-Treated Temper, TF

Tempers produced by precipitation heat treatment of precipitation-hardenable alloys.

F00	TB00 and precipitation hardened

5.5 Spinodal Heat Treated Temper, TX

Tempers produced by spinodal heat treatment of spinodal hardenable alloys.

TX00	Spinodal hardened

5.6 Cold-Worked and Precipitation Heat-Treated Tempers, TH

Tempers produced in alloys that have been solution heat treated, cold worked, and precipitation heat treated.

TH01	TD01 and precipitation hardened
TH02	TD02 and precipitation hardened
TH03	TD03 and precipitation hardened
TH04	TD04 and precipitation

5.7 Cold Worked and Spinodal Heat Treated Tempers, TS

Tempers produced in alloys that have been solution heat treated, cold worked and spinodal heat treated.

TS00	1/8 Hard and Spinodal Hardened (1/8 TS)
TS01	1/4 Hard and Spinodal Hardened (1/4 TS)
TS02	1/2 Hard and Spinodal Hardened (1/2 TS)
TS03	3/4 Hard and Spinodal Hardened (3/4 TS)
TS04	Hard and Spinodal Hardened
TS06	Exstra Hard and Spinodal Hardened
TS08	Spring and Spinodal Hardened
TS10	Exstra Spring and Spinodal Hardened
TS12	Special Spring and Spinodal Hardened
TS13	Ultra Spring and Spinodal Hardened
TS14	Super Spring and Spinodal Hardened

5.8 Mill-Hardened Tempers, TM

Tempers of heat-treated materials as supplied by the mill resulting from combinations of cold work and precipitation heat treatment or spinodal heat treatment.

TM00	AM
TM01	1/4 HM
TM02	1/2 HM
TM04	HM
TM06	XHM
TM08	XHMS

5.9 Precipitation Heat-Treated or Spinodal Heat-Treated and Cold- Worked Tempers, TL

Tempers produced by cold working the precipitation heat-treated or spinodal heat-treated alloys.

TL00	TF00 cold worked to 1/8 hard
TL01	TF00 cold worked to 1/4 hard
TL02	TF00 cold worked to 1/2 hard
TL04	TF00 cold worked to full hard
TL08	TF00 cold worked to spring
TL10	TF00 cold worked to extra spring

5.10 Precipitation Heat-Treated or Spinodal Heat-Treated, Cold-Worked, and Thermal Stress-Relieved Tempers, TR

Tempers produced in the cold-worked precipiation heattreated or spinodal heat-treated alloys by thermal stress relief.

TR01	TL01 and stress relieved
TR02	TL02 and stress relieved
TR04	TL04 and stress relieved

6. Tempers of Welded Tubes, W

(Welded tubes are produced from strip of various tempers and essentially have the temper of the strip except in the heat-affected zone.)

6.1 Tube, As-Welded Tempers, WM

Tempers that result from forming and welding when producing tube.

WM00	As welded from H00(1/8-hard) strip
WM01	As welded from H01(1/4-hard) strip
WM02	As welded from H02(1/2-hard) strip
WM03	As welded from H03(3/4-hard) strip
WM04	As welded from H04(full-hard) strip
WM06	As welded from H06(extra-hard) strip
WM08	As welded from H08(spring) strip
WM10	As welded from H010(extra-spring) strip
WM15	WM50 and stress relieved
WM20	WM00 and stress relieved
WM21	WM01 and stress relieved
WM22	WM02 and stress relieved
WM50	As welded from annealed strip

6.2. Tube, Welded and Annealed Temper, WO

Temper that results from forming, welding, and annealing when producing tube.

WO50	Welded and light annealed

6.3 Tube, Welded and Cold-Worked Tempers, WH

Tempers that result from forming, welding, and cold working when producing tube.

WH00	Welded and drawn to 1/8 hard
WH01	Welded and drawn to 1/4 hard
WH02	Welded and drawn to 1/2 hard
WH03	Welded and drawn to 3/4 hard
WH04	Welded and drawn to fuul hard
WH06	Welded and drawn to extra hard

6.4 Tube, Welded, Cold-Worked and Stress Relieved Tempers, WR

Tempers that result from forming, welding, cold working, and stress relieving when producing tube.

WR00	WM00; drawn and stress relieved
WR01	WM01; drawn and stress relieved
WR02	WM02; drawn and stress relieved
WR03	WM03; drawn and stress relieved
WR04	WM04; drawn and stress relieved
WR06	WM06; drawn and stress relieved

6.5 Tube, Welded, and Fully Finished Tempers, O, OS,H

Tempers that result from both annealing a welded and cold worked tube, or cold working, a welded cold worked and annealed tube. With these treatments, the weld area has been transformed into a wrought structure, and the usual temper designations apply.

Conclusion

This comprehensive classification system for copper and copper alloy tempers provides manufacturers, engineers, and metallurgists with standardized terminology for precise specification of material conditions. By understanding the alphanumeric codes and corresponding processes, industry professionals can ensure proper material selection and processing to achieve desired properties in copper and copper alloy products.