ASTM B596-21

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation:B596 −21
Standard Specification for
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Gold-Copper Alloy Electrical Contact Material
This standard is issued under the fixed designation B596; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense.
1. Scope 3. Materials and Manufacture
1.1 This specification covers a wrought alloy containing 3.1 Raw materials shall be of such quality and purity that
gold and copper in the form of wire, rod, strip, and tubing for thefinishedproductwillhavethepropertiesandcharacteristics
electrical contacts. prescribed in this specification.
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded 3.2 The material shall be finished by such operations (cold
as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical working, heat treating, annealing, turning, grinding, pickling)
conversions to SI units that are provided for information only as are required to produce the prescribed properties.
and are not considered standard.
4. Chemical Composition
1.3 The following precautionary statement pertains to the
test method portion only, Section 7, of this standard: This
4.1 Materials produced under the specification shall meet
standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns,
the requirements of chemical composition shown in Table 1.
if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user
of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including
5. Mechanical Properties
those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for
5.1 The contract or order may specify ultimate tensile
this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to
strength, elongation, microhardness (Knoop or Vickers), hard-
establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental
ness (Rockwell or Rockwell Superficial), or a combination of
practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limi-
these mechanical properties as temper criterion. If the contract
tations prior to use.
or order does not specify a temper criterion, then the criterion
1.4 This international standard was developed in accor-
for temper designation will be ultimate tensile strength.
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
5.2 The material shall conform to the mechanical properties
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
shown in Table 2, Table 3, Table 4,or Table 5.
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
5.3 The stress corrosion test in accordance with 7.3 is
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
optional upon a mutual agreement between purchaser and
supplier.
2. Referenced Documents
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2.1 ASTM Standards:
6. General Requirements
B476Specification for General Requirements for Wrought
6.1 Specification B476 shall apply to all materials produced
Precious Metal Electrical Contact Materials
to this specification.
E8Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials
[Metric] E0008_E0008M
7. Test Methods
E384Test Method for Microindentation Hardness of Mate-
rials
7.1 Test methods shall be in accordance with Specification
B476.
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This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee B02 on
7.1.1 Knoop hardness tests shall be in accordance with Test
Nonferrous Metals and Alloys and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee
Method E384. Material 0.005 in. (0.13 mm) in thickness (or
B02.05 on Precious Metals and Electrical Contact Materials.
diameter)andlargershallbetestedusinga100-gindenterload.
Current edition approved Nov. 1, 2021. Published December 2021. Originally
A minimum of five hardness indentations shall be made on
approved in 1974. Last previous edition approved in 2017 as B596–89(2017).
DOI: 10.1520/B0596-21.
each specimen. The hardness value reported shall be the
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For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
average of the five indentations. Material less than 0.005 in. in
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
thickness (or diameter) shall be tested with a 50-g indenter
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
the ASTM website. load.
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B596−21
TABLE 1 Chemical Requirements TABLE 5 Mechanical Pr
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