Copper and Copper Alloys - Some Equivalent Terms
Cost Effective Manufacturing : Copper and Copper Alloys Proposed CEN Designations And British Standard Equivalents
These tables cover some useful equivalents between the existing British Standards, the forthcoming CEN European standards, ISO andother standards using similar designations and some American UNS numbers.
As the CEN standards are published they will carry numbers prefixed by BSEN, and any comparable British Standard will be withdrawn. The materials available will be similar to those in the existing British Standards but have a different designation and a computer-friendly number. Compositions, properties and other requirements of the standards will be harmonised across Europe and elsewhere where European standards are preferred.
The CEN and ISO designations for alloys are based on a brief summary of the composition of the alloy. The cast materials are indicated by a suffix letter -C in the CEN standards and as a prefix G- in the old ISO standards. These composition designations are extremely useful because they are immediately comprehensible, but they suffer from the disadvantage of becoming very cumbersome when complex alloys are involved.
The CEN computer-friendly numbering system overcomes this problem because each alloy will be specified by a six-digit code which will define the alloy and whether it is wrought or cast. The first digit is the letter C which indicates a copper-based material. The second digit is W for wrought, C for cast or B for ingot. The next three numbers and final letter indicate the particular alloy.
CONTENTS
British Standards for Copper and Copper Alloys for general and electrical purposes
CEN Standards to be published for Copper and Copper Alloys for general and electrical purposes
COPPER DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION
Publication Number 105, issued November 1994
CEN numbering modified August 1995 to include proposed changes to numbers of casting alloys
Revised December 1995