CMW® 73 Copper Alloy

CMW® 73 material is a heat treatable copper base alloy having extremely high hardness and strength coupled with fair electrical and thermal conductivity. The extremely high hardness, strength and wear resistance is obtained in both cast and wrought material largely by means of heat treatment. It is generally useful where high stress is encountered or where high abrasion resistance is desired but where temperatures are not excessive. The annealing temperature is somewhat less than for other heat treatable high strength copper base alloys. The hardness of CMW® 73 material in the fully heat treated condition is sufficiently high to make machining somewhat difficult particularly in drilling and tapping of small holes. Where extensive machining or forming is to be done, CMW® 73 material can be supplied in the solution annealed (soft) condition and then hardened by a simple heat treatment following machining.CMW® 73 material is useful where extremely high hardness, strength and abrasion resistance is required. It may be advantageously used for certain flash and projection welding dies where high mechanical properties are required but where current density and heat are not excessive. Many of the steel strip flash welders in continuous steel strip mills are equipped with CMW® 73 die facings. The high hardness and abrasion resistance of CMW® 73 material makes it ideally suited for current carrying collets, chucks, bearings and shafts. Current carrying structural members of CMW® 73 material provide extremely high strength.Information provided by CMW Inc.