ASTM B541-01
(Specification)Standard Specification for Gold Electrical Contact Alloy
Standard Specification for Gold Electrical Contact Alloy
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers a gold-rich, age-hardenable alloy in rod, wire, and strip form applicable to electrical contacts.
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The SI units may be approximate.
1.3 The following precautionary statement pertains to the test method portion only, Section 7, of this specification. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
General Information
Relations
Standards Content (Sample)
NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.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 541 – 01
Standard Specification for
1
Gold Electrical Contact Alloy
This standard is issued under the fixed designation B 541; 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.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.
TABLE 1 Chemical Requirements
1. Scope
1.1 This specification covers a gold-rich, age-hardenable
Element Composition, Weight %
alloy in rod, wire, and strip form applicable to electrical
Nominal Range
contacts.
Gold 71.5 70.5–72.5
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded
Platinum 8.5 8.0–9.0
as the standard. The SI units may be approximate.
Silver 4.5 4.0–5.0
Copper 14.5 13.5–15.5
1.3 The following precautionary statement pertains to the
Zinc 1.0 0.7–1.3
test method portion only, Section 7, of this specification. This
Total base metal impurities . 0.2 max
standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns,
Total platinum group metal impurities . 0.2 max
if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user
of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health
practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limita- TABLE 2 Conditions and Forms
tions prior to use.
Process Form
Symbol
2. Referenced Documents
Wire Strip Rod
2.1 ASTM Standards:
Annealed A X X X
Stress relieved S-R X X
B 476 Specification for General Requirements for Wrought
Age hardened from solution HT-A XXX
2
Precious Metal Electrical Contact Materials
annealed condition
3
E 8 Test Methods ofTensionTesting of Metallic Materials
Age hardened from solution annealed HT-CW XXX
3
and cold-worked condition
E 384 Test Method for Microhardness of Materials
3. Materials and Manufacture
3.1 Raw materials shall be of such quality and purity that
6. Mechanical Properties
the finished product will have the properties and characteristics
6.1 Mechanical properties shall conform to Table 3 and
prescribed in this specification.
Table 4 as appropriate.
3.2 The material shall be finished by such operations (cold
6.2 The contract or order may specify ultimate tensile
working, annealing, turning, grinding, age hardening, etc.) as
strength, elongation, microhardness (Knoop or Vickers), hard-
are required to produce the prescribed properties.
ness (Rockwell or Rockwell Superficial), or a combination of
these mechanical properties as temper criterion. If the contract
4. Chemical Composition
or order does not specify a temper criterion, then the criterion
4.1 Materialproducedunderthisspecificationshallmeetthe
for temper designation will be ultimate tensile strength and
requirements of Table 1 for chemical composition.
elongation.
6.3 Mechanical properties of flattened wire, less than 0.012
5. Condition
in. (0.30 mm) thick shall conform to 6.1 (Table 5).
5.1 This specification covers the conditions and forms listed
in Table 2.
7. Test Methods
7.1 Test methods are in accordance with Specification
1 B 476.
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee B02 on
7.2 AlltensiontestsareinaccordancewithMethodsE 8and
Nonferrous Metals and Alloys and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee
B02.05 on Precious Metals and Electrical Contact Materials.
tensile specimens are full cross-section size when practical.
Current edition approved June 10, 2001. Published August 2001. Originally
7.3 Hardness is in accordance with Test Method E 384. Test
published as B 541 – 70. Last previous edition B 541 – 95.
2
material 0.005 in. (0.13 mm) in thickness (diameter) and larger
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 02.04.
3
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 03.01. using a 100-gf indenter load. Test material less than 0.005 in.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
1
---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
B 541
A
TABLE 3 Mechanical Properties of Wire (0.004 to 0.020-in. (0.12 to 0.5-mm) diameter)
Property Condition
A S-R HT-A HT-CW
Tensile strength, ksi 85–110 130–170 130–165 150–200
Tensile strength, MPa 590–760 900–1170 900–1140 1030–1380
Elongation, % in 5 in. or 125 mm 20 min 5–15 7–14 2–10
B
Hardness, Knoop, HK 180–240 270–340 280–350 310–380
100
B
Hardness, Vickers HV 180–250 270–340 285–360 290–370
100
A
See 6.2.
B
See 7.3.
A
TABLE 4 Mechanical Properties of Wire (0.021 to 0.080-in. (0.51 to 0.200-mm) diameter)
Property Condition
A S-R HT-A HT-CW
Tensile strength, ksi 80–110 130–170 130–160 145–195
Tensile strength, MPa 550–760 900–1170 900–1100 1000–1340
Elongation, % in 2 in. or 50 mm 16 min 4–14 5–14 2–10
B
Hardness, Knoop HK 180–240 270–340 2
...
Questions, Comments and Discussion
Ask us and Technical Secretary will try to provide an answer. You can facilitate discussion about the standard in here.