C17300 alloy is a premium, high-performance copper alloy engineered specifically for excellent machinability combined with the outstanding strength, hardness, fatigue resistance, and conductivity characteristic of beryllium coppers.
Rod size from Dia.1mm - Dia.75mm
Key Characteristics & Advantages:
1. Superior Machinability: Contains small additions of elements like lead (Pb) or tellurium (Te), which act as chip breakers and lubricants during machining. This allows for:
Faster cutting speeds and deeper cuts.
Reduced tool wear.
Improved surface finish.
Complex part production with tight tolerances.
Lower overall machining costs compared to standard beryllium copper grades.
2. Exceptional Strength & Hardness: Through a controlled precipitation hardening (age hardening) heat treatment process, BeCu rods achieve very high tensile strength (up to 1500 MPa / 220 ksi) and Rockwell hardness (up to C45), surpassing virtually all other copper alloys and rivaling many steels.
3. Excellent Electrical & Thermal Conductivity:While exceptionally strong, BeCu retains significant electrical conductivity (typically 22-28% IACS) and thermal conductivity, outperforming most high-strength materials. This makes it ideal for electrically critical components requiring structural integrity.
4. Superb Fatigue Resistance & Spring Properties: BeCu rods exhibit outstanding resistance to fatigue failure and possess excellent spring characteristics (high elastic limit, low stress relaxation). They maintain their shape and function under repeated cyclic stresses.
5. Outstanding Corrosion Resistance: Resistant to stress corrosion cracking, seawater corrosion, and a wide range of industrial chemicals and atmospheres, comparable to many corrosion-resistant copper alloys.
6. Non-Sparking & Non-Magnetic: BeCu is inherently non-sparking (safe for use in explosive environments) and non-magnetic, crucial for sensitive electronic and marine applications.
7. Good Formability & Machinability: In the solution annealed (soft) condition, BeCu rods can be readily formed and machined. Subsequent heat treatment achieves peak strength/hardness.
8. Excellent Wear Resistance: The hardened alloy offers superior resistance to galling and wear.
| Chemical composition (wt,%): | ||||||
| Be | Ni+Co | Ni+Co+Fe | Pb | Al | Si | Cu |
| 1.8-2.0 | 0.2 | <0.6 | 0.2-0.6 | ＜0.2 | ＜0.2 | Rem. |
Core Applications:
BeCu rods are widely used as raw material for machining critical components in:
Complex, High-Precision Components: Bushings, bearings, valve seats, pump components, fluid system parts.
Non-Sparking Tools: Wrenches, screwdrivers, scrapers, hammers, picks for hazardous environments.
Electrical & Electronic Parts: Connectors, switchgear components, relay springs, contacts (where strength/machinability are critical).
Plastic Injection Molds: Cores, cavities, ejector pins (for high wear resistance and thermal management).
Aerospace & Defense Components: Landing gear bushings, actuator parts, guidance system components.
Automotive Components: Sensors, transmission parts, fuel system components.