ASTM B48-00(2011)

Standard Specification for Soft Rectangular and Square Bare Copper Wire for Electrical Conductors

ABSTRACT
This specification covers soft or annealed bare copper wire, rectangular or square in shape with rounded corners. For the purpose of this specification, the wire shall be classified as Type A and Type B. The wire shall be annealed after the last drawing or rolling to size and shape, and shall be processed as to produce a uniformly soft product with a clean surface. The finished wire shall not contain joints except such as have passed through drawing dies. Necessary joints in the wire and rods prior to final drawing shall be made in accordance with good commercial practice. Material dimensions, such as thickness and width, shall not vary from that specified by more than the amounts prescribed. The wire shall conform to the requirements for rounded corners and rounded edges. The material shall undergo physical tests, and shall conform to the elongation and bending requirements. For the purpose of this specification, all wire dimensions and properties shall be considered ac occurring at the internationally standardized reference temperature. Nominal cross-sectional areas shall be calculated by subtracting the area reductions due to rounded corners or rounded edges. Nominal mass/unit length and lengths shall be calculated from the nominal wire dimensions in accordance with the following equations and shall be rounded off in the final value only. Electrical resistivity shall be determined on representative samples by resistance measurements. Tests to determine conformance to electrical resistance requirements shall be made on the uninsulated conductor.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers soft or annealed bare copper wire, rectangular or square in shape with rounded corners (Explanatory Note 1).
1.2 For the purpose of this specification, the wire is classified as follows:
1.2.1 Type A—For all applications except those involving edgewise bending.
1.2.2 Type B—For applications involving edgewise bending. Type B wire of thickness less than 0.020 in. (0.51 mm) or with a ratio of width to thickness greater than 30 to 1 is not contemplated in this specification.
1.3 Unless otherwise specified by the purchaser, Type A material shall be furnished.
1.4 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard; except for Sections 12 and 13.

General Information

• Status: Historical
• Publication Date: 31-Mar-2011
• ICS: 29.060.10 - Wires
• Technical Committee: B01 - Electrical Conductors
• Drafting Committee: B01.04 - Conductors of Copper and Copper Alloys

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM B48-00(2005)e1 - Standard Specification for Soft Rectangular and Square Bare Copper Wire for Electrical Conductors
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2011

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:B48 −00(Reapproved 2011)
Standard Specification for
Soft Rectangular and Square Bare Copper Wire for
Electrical Conductors
This standard is issued under the fixed designation B48; 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.Asuperscript
epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 2.2 Other Documents:
NBS Handbook 100 Copper Wire Tables
1.1 This specification covers soft or annealed bare copper
wire, rectangular or square in shape with rounded corners
3. Ordering Information
(Explanatory Note 1).
3.1 Orders for material to this specification shall include the
1.2 For the purpose of this specification, the wire is classi-
following information:
fied as follows:
3.1.1 Quantity of each size;
1.2.1 Type A—For all applications except those involving
3.1.2 Type of wire (see 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3);
edgewise bending.
3.1.3 Wire size: thickness and width, in inches or millime-
1.2.2 Type B—Forapplicationsinvolvingedgewisebending.
tres (see 6.1);
Type B wire of thickness less than 0.020 in. (0.51 mm) or with
3.1.4 Type of copper, if special (see Section 4);
a ratio of width to thickness greater than 30 to 1 is not
3.1.5 Package size (see 16.1);
contemplated in this specification.
3.1.6 Special package marking, if required; and
3.1.7 Place of inspection. (see Section 15).
1.3 Unless otherwise specified by the purchaser, Type A
material shall be furnished.
4. Material
1.4 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded
4.1 The material shall be copper of such quality and purity
as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical
that the finished product shall have the properties and charac-
conversions to SI units that are provided for information only
teristics prescribed in this specification.
and are not considered standard; except for Sections 12 and 13.
4.2 Specification B49 defines the materials suitable for use.
2. Referenced Documents
5. Manufacture
2.1 ASTM Standards:
5.1 The wire shall be annealed after the last drawing or
B49 Specification for Copper Rod for Electrical Purposes
rolling to size and shape, and shall be so processed as to
B193 Test Method for Resistivity of Electrical Conductor
produce a uniformly soft product with a clean surface.
Materials
B279 Test Method for Stiffness of Bare Soft Square and 5.2 The finished wire shall not contain joints except such as
Rectangular Copper andAluminumWire for MagnetWire have passed through drawing dies. Necessary joints in the wire
Fabrication and rods prior to final drawing shall be made in accordance
E8 Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials
with good commercial practice.
E29 Practice for Using Significant Digits in Test Data to
Determine Conformance with Specifications 6. Dimensions and Permissible Variations
6.1 The dimensions shall be expressed in decimal fractions
of an inch or in millimetres. Unless otherwise specified, it will
be assumed that the dimensions are in inches. (Explanatory
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee B01 on
Electrical Conductorsand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee B01.04 on
Note 6, Explanatory Note 7, and Explanatory Note 8.)
Conductors of Copper and Copper Alloys.
6.2 The thickness shall not vary from that specified by more
Current edition approved April 1, 2011. Published September 2011. Originally
ε1
approved in 1968. Last previous edition approved in 2005 as B48 – 00(2005) .
than the amounts prescribed in Table 1.
DOI: 10.1520/B0048-00R11.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on Available from National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100
the ASTM website. Bureau Dr., Stop 3460, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-3460.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
B48−00 (2011)
TABLE 1 Variation in Thickness
Width
Specified Thickness
Over 1,000 1.000 in. (25.4 mm) Under
in. (25.4 mm) to 0.492 in. (12.5 mm) 0.492 in. (12.5 mm)
Permissible Variation in Thickness, max, plus and minus
in. mm
in % mm in. % mm in. % mm
0.501 and over 12.73 and over . 1 . . 1 . . . .
under to, incl under to, incl
0.501 0.280 12.73 7.11 . 1 . . 1 . 0.003 . 0.076
0.280 0.201 7.11 5.11 0.003 . 0.08 . 1 . . 1 .
0.201 0.098 5.11 2.49 0.0025 . 0.064 . 1 . . 1 .
0.098 0.051 2.49 1.30 0.002 . 0.051 0.001 . 0.03 0.001 . 0.03
0.051 . 1.30 . 0.0015 . 0.038 0.001 . 0.03 0.001 . 0.03
6.3 The width shall not vary from that specified by more of the wire is greater than 30 to 1, the scope of Type B wire is
than the amounts prescribed in Table 2. exceeded and the edgewise bending properties shall be as
agreed upon between the purchaser and the manufacturer
6.4 The wire shall have rounded corners or rounded edges
(Explanatory Note 3 and Explanatory Note 4).
as specified in Table 3 and as shown in Fig. 1. Where rounded
7.2.2 For Type A wire the bend test shall not be required.
corners are required, the corners of the wire shall be rounded
within the limits of radii, 25 % under and 25 % over (as 7.3 Low Stress Elongation (LSE):
determined by a radius gage) those radii values specified in 7.3.1 TypesAand B wire shall have a minimum LSE value
Table 3. of 1 % determined in accordance with Test Method B279.
(Explanatory Note 5).
6.5 From each shipping unit, approximately 12 ft (3.66 m)
shall be unwound and the wire gaged at six places between 7.4 Retests:
points 12 in. (30.5 cm) and 12 ft (3.66 m) from the end. The 7.4.1 If upon testing a sample from any coil or reel of wire,
shipping unit shall be rejected if the average of the measure- the results do not conform to the respective requirements of
ments obtained is not within the limits specified in 6.2 and 6.3. 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3, two additional samples shall be tested, each
of which shall conform to the prescribed requirements.
7. Physical Requirements
8. Standard Reference Temperature
7.1 Elongation:
7.1.1 Type A wire shall conform to the requirements for
8.1 Forthepurposeofthisspecification,allwiredimensions
elongation given in Table 4.
and properties shall be considered as occurring at the interna-
7.1.2 ForType B wire elongation tests shall not be required.
tionally standardized reference temperature of 20°C.
7.1.3 Elongation tests shall be made in accordance withTest
9. Standard Rules for Rounding Off
Methods E8 on representative samples.The elongation shall be
determined as the permanent increase in length, due to the
9.1 All calculations for the standard nominal dimensions
breaking of the wire in tension, measured between gage marks
andpropertiesofrectangularandsquarewiresshallberounded
placed originally 10 in. (250 mm) apart upon the test specimen
off in the final value only, in accordance with the rounding-off
(Explanatory Note 2). The fracture shall be in between gage
method of Practice E29.
marks and not closer than 1 in. (25 mm) to either gage mark.
10. Nominal Cross-Sectional Areas
7.2 Bending:
7.2.1 Both edges of Type B wire shall withstand bending 10.1 Nominal cross-sectional areas in square mils or square
edgewise through 180° around the mandrel indicated without millimetres shall be calculated by subtracting the area reduc-
cracking. The mandrel shall be one of the sizes shown in Table tions due to rounded corners or rounded edges (see Table 7 and
5 and shall be the size that is equal to or next larger than the Table 8) from the product of the specified nominal thickness
figure obtained by multiplying the width of the wire by the and width dimensions in mils (0.001 in.) or millimetres as
factor in Table 6, corresponding to the ratio of the width to the applicable. Values so derived shall be rounded off in accor-
thickness of the wire. In cases where the mandrel diameter dance with Section 9 to the same number of significant figures
desired is less than 0.156 in. (3.96 mm) or the thickness is less
as used in expressing the nominal dimensions, but in no case to
than 0.020 in. (0.51 mm) or the ratio of the width to thickness less than three significant figures.
TABLE 2 Variation in Width
Specified Width
Permissible Variation in Width,
max, plus and minus
in. mm
0.492 and over 12.5 and over 1 % but not to exceed 0.016 in. (0.406 mm)
Under 0.492 to 0.315, incl under 12.5 to 8.00, incl 0.003 in. (0.076 mm)
Under 0.315 to 0.098, incl under 8.00 to 2.49, incl 1 %
Under 0.098 under 2.49 0.001 in. (0.025 mm)
B48−00 (2011)
TABLE 3 Requirements for Rounded Corners and Rounded Edges
Specified Thickness Corner Radius for Specified Width
in. mm in. mm in. mm
under under
0.748 19.0
in. mm
0.748 to 19.0 to under under
and and
0.187, 4.75, 0.187 4.75
over over
incl incl
0.689 and over 17.50 and over 0.188 4.78 0.188 4.78 . .
under to, incl under to, incl
0.689 0.439 17.50 11.15 0.125 3.18 0.094 2.39 . .
0.439 0.280 11.15 7.10 0.094 2.39 0.039 1.00 . .
0.280 0.177 7.10 4.50 0.063 1.60 0.039 1.00 0.039 1.00
0.177 0.124 4.50 3.15 0.063 1.60 0.03 0.80 0.03 0.80
A B B
0.124 0.098 3.15 2.15 rounded edge 0.03 0.80 0.026 0.67
C C A B B
0.098 0.063 2.15 1.60 rounded edge 0.03 0.80 0.020 0.50
D D A E E
0.063 . 1.60 . rounded edge full rounded edge full rounded edge
A
A rounded edge is an edge produced by (1) rolling wire to the size specified either with or without edging rolls or (2) drawing through a die (see Fig. 1).
B
Rectangularwirewithathicknessunder0.124in.(3.15mm)to0.063in.(1.60mm)andawidthunder0.751in.(19.08mm)to0.189in.(4.80mm)maybemanufactured
with the corner radius specified for the same thickness and a width under 0.189 in. (4.80 mm).
C
Square wire 0.072 in. (1.83 mm) and under shall have a corner radius of 0.016 in. (0.41 mm) ±25 %.
D
Rectangular wire with a thickness under 0.063 in. (1.60 mm) to 0.03 in. (0.80 mm) may be manufactured with a corner radius of 0.016 in. (0.41 mm) ±25 %.
E
ExceptaspermittedbyFootnote B,rectangularwirelessthan0.751in.(19.08mm)widewithfullroundededgeshallhavearadiushalfthethicknessofthewire,±25 %.
NOTE 1—The arc is not necessarily tangent to the flats at points A. However, the wire shall be commercially free of sharp, rough, or projecting edges.
FIG. 1Sections of Wire with Rounded Edges and Rounded Corners
TABLE 4 Requirements for Elongation
Specified Thickness Elongation in 10
in. (250 mm);
in. mm
min, %
0.290 and over 7.37 and over 35
Under 0.290 to 0.051, incl under 7.37 to 1.30, incl 32
Under 0.051 to 0.021, incl under 1.30 to 0.53, incl 32
Under 0.021 to 0.011, incl under 0.53 to 0.28, incl 25
Under 0.011 under 0.28 20
TABLE 5 Standard Mandrel Sizes for Edgewise Bend Test TABLE 6 Factor for Determining Mandrel Size for Edgewise Bend
Test
Mandrel Diameters
Multiplying Factor
in. mm in. mm
Width to Thickness Ratio to Determine
0.156 3.96 0.625 15.9
Mandrel Size
0.188 4.78 0.750 19.0
30 to 20, incl 1.50
0.220 5.59 0.875 22.2
Under 20 to 10, incl 1.25
0.250 6.35 1.000 25.4
Under 10 to 5, incl 1.00
0.312 7.98 1.250 31.8
Under 5 to 2.5, incl 0.75
0.375 9.52 1.500 38.1
Under 2.5 0.50
0.438 11.1 1.750 44.4
A
0.500 12.7 2.000 50.8
A
The maximum mandrel diameter of 2 in. (50.8 mm) is based on the suggested
maximum width of strap, made from round copper wire, of 1.250 in. (31.8 mm),
established by the Copper Development Association.
significant figures as used in expressing the nominal
dimensions, but in no case to less than three significant figures:
11. Nominal Mass/Unit Length and Length
Mass/Unit Length, lb/1000 ft 5 3.8540 3 A 310
11.1 Nominal mass/unit length and lengths shall be calcu-
kg/km 5 8.89 3 A
lated from the nominal wire dimensions in accordance with the
Length, ft/lb 5 2.5947 310 /A
~ !
following equations and shall be rounded off in the final value
only, in accordance with Section 9, to the same number of m/kg 5 112.486/A
B48−00 (2011)
TABLE 7 Areas of Square Copper Wire
Calculated Area of
Nominal Corner
A
Nominal Size Perfect Calculated Departure Nominal Area Nominal Area Working Value
Radius
Square
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
in. mm mil mm in. mm mils mm mils mm mils mm
1 2 3 456 7 8 9 10 11 12
0.0508 1.290 2580.64 1.66493 0.016 0.41 219.75 0.14177 2360.89 1.52315 2.36 × 10 1.52
0.0571 1.450 3260.41 2.10349 0.016 0.41 219.75 0.14177 3040.66 1.96171 3.04 1.96
0.0641 1.628 4108.81 2.65038 0.016 0.41 219.75 0.14177 3889.06 2.50907 3.89 2.51
0.0720 1.829 5184.00 3.34451 0.016 0.41 219.75 0.14177 4964.25 3.20274 4.96 3.20
0.0808 2.052 6528.64 4.21202 0.020 0.51 343.36 0.22151 6185.28 3.99050 6.19 3.99
0.0907 2.304 8226.49 5.30740 0.020 0.51 343.36 0.22151 7883.13 5.08588 7.88 5.09
0.1019 2.588 10383.61 6.69909 0.026 0.66 580.28 0.37437 9803.33 6.32472 9.80 6.32
0.1144 2.906 13087.36 8.44344 0.026 0.66 580.28 0.37437 12507.08 8.06907 12.51 8.07
0.1285 3.264 16512.25 10.65304 0.032 0.81 879.00 0.56710 15633.25 10.08595 15.63 10.09
0.1443 3.665 20822.49 13.43384 0.032 0.81 879.00 0.56710 19943.49 12.86674 19.94 12.87
0.1620 4.115 26244.00 16.93158 0.032 0.81 879.00 0.56710 25365.00 16.36448 25.36† 16.36
0.1819 4.620 33087.61 21.34680 0.040 1.02 1373.44 0.88609 31714.17 20.46071 31.71 20.46
0.2043 5.189 41738.49 26.92800 0.040 1.02 1373.44 0.88609 40365.05 26.04192 40.37 26.04
0.2294 5.827 52624.36 33.95113 0.040 1.02 1373.44 0.88609 51250.92 33.06504 51.25 33.07
0.2576 6.543 66357.76 42.81137 0.040 1.02 1373.44 0.88609 64984.32 41.92528 64.98 41.93
0.2893 7.348 83694.49 53.99634 0.040 1.02 1373.44 0.88609 82321.05 53.11025 82.32 53.11
0.3249 8.252 105560.01 68.10310 0.040 1.02 1373.44 0.88609 104186.57 67.21701 104.2 67.22
0.3648 9.266 133097.04 85.86889 0.040 1.02 1373.44 0.88609 131723.60 84.98280 131.7 84.98
0.4096 10.404 167772.16 108.23989 0.040 1.02 1373.44 0.88609 166398.72 107.35380 166.4 107.4
0.4600 11.684 211600.00 136.51586 0.094 2.39 7584.82 4.89342 204015.18 131.62243 204.0 131.6
A
The reduction in area due to rounding the corners.
TABLE 8 Calculated Reduction in Area Due to Rounding of Corners of Rectangular Wire
Specified Width
in. mm in. mm in. mm
Specified Thickness under under
0.751 19.08 under under
0.751 to 19.08 to
and over and over 0.189 4.80
0.189, incl 4.80, incl
Calculated Reduction
in. mm
2 2 2 2 2 2
mils mm mils mm mils mm
0.689 and over 17.50 and over
30339.29 19.5732 30339.29 19.5737 . .
under to, incl under to, incl
0.689 0.439 17.50 11.15 13412.50 8.65321 7584.82 4.89342 . .
0.439 0.226 11.15 5.74 7584.82 4.89342 1373.44 0.88609 . .
0.2
...