ASTM B738-98

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
Designation: B 738 – 98
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MATERIALS
100 Barr Harbor Dr., West Conshohocken, PA 19428
Reprinted from the Annual Book of ASTM Standards. Copyright ASTM
Standard Specification for
Fine-Wire Bunch-Stranded and Rope-Lay Bunch-Stranded
1
Copper Conductors for Use as Electrical Conductors
This standard is issued under the fixed designation B 738; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 3.1.2 Class:
3.1.2.1 Class R—Stranded conductors using wire 42 AWG
1.1 This specification covers bare bunch-stranded and rope-
(0.0025).
lay bunch-stranded conductors made from round copper wires
3.1.2.2 Class S—Stranded conductors using wire 44 AWG
finer than No. 40 AWG with diameters less than 0.0031 in.
(0.0020).
(.078 mm), either coated or uncoated with tin or silver, for use
3.1.2.3 Class T—Stranded conductors using wire 46 AWG
as electrical conductors. (Explanatory Note 1).
(0.00157).
1.2 The values (SI units) for density and temperature are
3.1.2.4 Class U—Stranded conductors using wire 48 AWG
regarded as the standard. For all other properties the inchpound
(0.00124).
values are to be regarded as standard, and the SI units may be
3.1.2.5 Class V—Stranded conductors using wire 50 AWG
approximate.
(0.00099).
2. Referenced Documents 3.2 Detailed information on Type B Conductors is found in
Table 1 and Table 2. Detailed information on Type R Conduc-
2.1 ASTM Standards:
tors is found in Table 3 and Table 2.
B 33 Specification for Tinned Soft or Annealed Copper
2
Wire for Electrical Purposes
4. Ordering Information
B 49 Specification for Copper Redraw Rod for Electrical
4.1 Orders for materials under this specification shall in-
Purposes
clude the following information:
B 172 Specification for Rope-Lay Stranded Copper Con-
4.1.1 Quantity of each size, class, and type,
ductors Having Bunch-Stranded Members, for Electrical
2 4.1.2 Conductor size—circular-mil area, d-c resistance (7.1)
Conductors
or AWG (5.2.1),
B 174 Specification for Bunch-Stranded Copper Conduc-
2 4.1.3 Class and type (Section 3),
tors for Electrical Conductors
4.1.4 Whether coated or uncoated; if coated, designate type
B 193 Test Method for Resistivity of Electrical Conductor
2 of coating (6.1); if silver coated, the minimum thickness of
Materials
silver (6.1.2), and whether tarnish protection is desired (11.3),
B 258 Specification for Standard Nominal Diameters and
4.1.5 Maximum length of lay (5.2.4), if required,
Cross-Sectional Areas of AWG Sizes of Solid Round Wires
2
4.1.6 Temper (6.2),
Used as Electrical Conductors
4.1.7 Separators, if required (5.2.2),
B 298 Specification for Silver-Coated Soft or Annealed
2
4.1.8 Package size (11.1),
Copper Wire
4.1.9 Special package marking, if required (Section 10), and
B 354 Terminology Relating to Uninsulated Metallic Elec-
2
4.1.10 Place of inspection (Section 9).
trical Conductors
4.2 In addition, Supplementary Requirements shall apply
3. Classification
only when specified by the purchaser in the inquiry, contract, or
purchase order for direct procurement by agencies of the U.S.
3.1 For the purposes of this specification, the following
Government.
classifications have been assigned (Explanatory Note 2):
3.1.1 Type:
5. Materials and Manufacture
3.1.1.1 Type B—Bunch-stranded conductors.
5.1 The material shall be copper of such quality and purity
3.1.1.2 Type R—Rope-lay bunch-stranded conductors.
that the finished product shall have the properties and charac-
teristics described in this specification. Material meeting the
1
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee B-1 on
requirements of Specification B 49 is such a material.
Electrical Conductors and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee B01.04 on
5.2 Construction:
Conductors of Copper and Copper Alloys.
Current edition approved March 10, 1998. Published September 1998. Originally
5.2.1 Cross-Sectional Area—The cross-sectional area, num-
published as B 738 – 84. Last previous edition B 738 – 93.
ber, and diameter of wires for a variety of strand constructions
2
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 02.03.
1

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NOTICE:¬This¬standard¬has¬either¬been¬superceded¬and¬replaced¬by¬a¬new¬version¬or¬discontinued.¬
Contact¬ASTM¬International¬(www.astm.org)¬for¬the¬latest¬information.¬
B 738
TABLE 1 Classification of Type B Bunch-Stranded Conductors NOTE 1—The term unannealed as used in this specification means
A cold-worked conductor as produced on commercial wire-drawing ma-
Class Wire Diameter, in. Conductor Sizes, AWG
chines.
R 0.0025 (No. 42 AWG) 24,26,28,30
...