SIST EN 3960:2002

Overview

SIST EN 3960:2002 is a European standard developed by CEN that specifies the requirements for the aerospace series gold base alloy AU-B40001 (AuNi18). This standard focuses on filler metals used for brazing in powder or paste form, primarily intended for aerospace applications. The gold base filler metal is highly specialized to meet strict aerospace manufacturing needs, ensuring high-quality and reliable joining of critical components.

This standard is part of a broader series of EN metallic material standards tailored for aerospace applications and aligns with established practices as outlined in EN 4258 and EN 4500-6. EN 3960 ensures consistent production, quality control, and performance characteristics of the AuNi18 brazing filler alloy across European aerospace industries.

Key Topics

• Material Composition & Designation: Defines the chemical composition of gold base alloy AU-B40001 (AuNi18) with Nickel (Ni) content ranging from 17.5% to 18.5%, along with other key elements and impurities.
• Forms & Production Methods: Filler metals are available in powder or paste format. Powders are produced through water or inert gas atomization and sieving. Pastes are water or inert gas atomized powders mixed with a binder.
• Melting Methods: The alloy can be melted using air, inert gas, or vacuum environments to maintain quality and purity.
• Technical and Delivery Specifications: Details on delivery condition (as manufactured or mixed with binder), heat treatments, and product form dimensions.
• Mechanical Properties & Testing: Addresses performance parameters such as proof stress, strength, elongation, hardness, shear strength, and bending. Thermal analysis (eutectic temperature of 950°C) and fusion tests ensure material consistency.
• Quality Assurance: Incorporates external defect inspection, batch uniformity checks, marking, dimensional inspection, and sieve analysis for particle size.
• Product Qualification: Qualification programs following EN 2043 require agreement between manufacturers and purchasers to guarantee material suitability for aerospace brazing applications.
• Application Focus: Specifically designed for joining nickel base heat resistant alloys critical in aerospace structures and components.

Applications

EN 3960-compliant gold base alloy AU-B40001 filler metals are engineered for high-performance brazing in the aerospace industry where:

• Reliable joining of materials such as nickel base heat resistant alloys is critical for engine components, turbine blades, and structural aerospace assemblies.
• High-temperature resistance and corrosion resistance are essential due to extreme operational environments.
• Precise, defect-free joints are mandatory to ensure aircraft safety, durability, and performance.
• Powder and paste forms provide versatile options for different brazing methods including controlled atmosphere brazing and vacuum brazing processes.

Manufacturers and aerospace engineers use this standard to source filler metals that guarantee consistent chemical and physical characteristics important for aerospace-grade reliability and material integrity.

Related Standards

SIST EN 3960:2002 operates in conjunction with several related aerospace and metallic materials standards to provide a comprehensive framework:

• EN 2043: Covers general requirements for semi-finished metallic products excluding forgings and castings.
• EN 3875: Defines technical specifications for filler metals used in brazing, including quality and performance tests.
• EN 4258: Describes the organization and linkage of various metallic material standards for aerospace materials.
• EN 4500-6: Provides general rules for drafting and presenting filler metal standards, offering consistency in aerospace material documentation.

Together, these standards enable the aerospace industry to maintain uniformity, quality, and compliance across materials and joining processes used in aircraft manufacturing and maintenance.

Keywords: SIST EN 3960:2002, gold base alloy AU-B40001, AuNi18, aerospace filler metal, brazing alloy, powder filler metal, paste filler metal, nickel base heat resistant alloys, aerospace brazing standards, CEN aerospace standards, aerospace materials certification, high-temperature brazing alloy.