ASTM B296-03(2008)

This document is not an ASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of an ASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation:B296–96 Designation:B296–03 (Reapproved 2008)
Standard Practice for
Temper Designations of Magnesium Alloys, Cast and
Wrought
This standard is issued under the fixed designation B 296; 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
1.1 This practice covers a system for designating the tempers of magnesium alloys, cast and wrought. The designations used
inASTM specifications under the jurisdiction of Committee B-7B07 for magnesium alloy castings and wrought products,products
conform to this practice.
2. Basis of Codification
2.1 The designations for temper are used for all forms of magnesium and magnesium-alloy products except ingots and are based
on the sequence of basic treatments used to produce the various tempers.
2.2 The temper designation follows the alloy designation, the two being separated by a dash.
2.3 Basic temper designations consist of letters. Subdivisions of the basic tempers, where required, are indicated by a digit or
digits following the letter. These designate specific sequences of basic treatments, but only operations recognized as significantly
influencing the characteristics of the product are indicated. Should some other variation of the same sequence of basic operations
be applied to the same alloy, resulting in different characteristics, then additional digits are added to the designation.
NOTE 1—In material specifications containing reference to two or more tempers of the same alloy which result in identical mechanical properties, the
distinction between the tempers should be covered in suitable explanatory notes.
2.4 The temper designations and the subdivisions are fully defined and explained in Table 1.Abrief outline for quick reference
is given in Table 2.
This practice is under the jurisdiction of the ASTM Committee B-7B07 on Light Metals and Alloys and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee B07.04on
Magnesium Alloy Cast and Wrought Products.
Current edition approved April 10, 1996.March 1, 2008. Published June 1996.March 2008. Originally published as B296–54.approved in 1954. Last previous edition
B296–67(1990). approved in 2003 as B 296 – 03.
The designations used in ASTM Committee B-7B07 specifications for aluminum-alloy wrought and cast products conform to the American National Standard
H 35.1/H 35.1(M).
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
B296–03 (2008)
TABLE 1 Temper Designations
F As Fabricated—Applies to products that acquire some temper from shaping processes not having special control over the amount of strain-hardening or
thermal treatment.
O Annealed, Recrystallized—Applies to the softest temper of wrought products.
H Strain- Hardened (Wrought Products Only)—Applies to products that have their strength increased by strain-hardening with or without supplementary
thermal treatments to produce partial softening. The H is always followed by two or more digits.
H Strain Hardened (Wrought Products Only)—Applies to products that have their strength increased by strain-hardening with or without supplementary
thermal treatments to produce partial softening. The H is always followed by two or more digits.
Subdivisions of the 9H9 Temper:
H1 Strain Hardened Only—Applies to products that are strain-hardened to obtain the desired mechanical properties without supplementary thermal
treatment. The number following this designation indicates the final degree of strain-hardening.
H2 Strain Hardened and Then Partially Annealed—Applies to products that are strain hardened more than the desired final amount and then reduced in
strength to the desired final amount by partial annealing.
The number following this designation indicates the final degree of strain-hardening remaining after the product has been partially annealed.
H3 Strain Hardened and Then Stabilized—Applies to products that are strain hardened and then stabilized by a low temperature heating to slightly lower
their strength and increase ductility. This designation applies only to alloys which, unless stabilized, gradually age soften at room temperature.
The number following this designation indicates the degree of strain-hardening remaining after the product has been strain-hardened a specific
amount and then stabilized.
Subdivisions of the 9H1,99H2,9 and 9H39 Tempers:
The digit following the designations 9H1,99H2,9 and 9H39 indicates the final degree of strain- hardening. Tempers between 0 (annealed) and 8 (full hard)
The digit following the designations 9H1,99H2,9 and 9H39 indicates the final degree of strain hardening. Tempers between 0 (annealed) and 8 (full hard)
are designated by numerals 1 through 7. Material having a strength about midway between that of the 0 temper and that of the 8 temper is designated by the
numeral 4 (half hard); between 0 and 4 by the numeral 2 (quarter hard); between 4 and 8 by the numeral 6 (three-quarter hard); etc.
are designated by numerals 1 through 7. Material having a strength about midway between that of the 0 temper and that of the 8 temper is designated by the
numeral 4 (half hard); between 0 and 4 by the numeral 2 (quarter hard); between 4 and 8 by the numeral 6 (three-quarter hard); and so forth.
The third digit, when used, indicates a variation of a two-digit H temper. It is used when the degree of control of temper or the mechanical properties
are different from but close to those for the two-digit H temper to which it is added. Numerals 1 through 9 may be arbitrarily assigned for an alloy and product
to indicate a specific degree of control of temper or specified mechanical property li
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