Copper Alloy C55283
UNS C55283
C55283 is a copper-phosphorus brazing filler with about 6 % silver, giving improved flow, ductility and joint strength compared with lower-silver phos-copper grades.
Reference datasheet — C55283 is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Values for the AB condition
C55283 tempers and conditions
C55283 is supplied in one standard condition, AB. AB is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Supply forms, finishes and certifications
Ways C55283 is supplied — form, process route, surface or paperwork — without a datasheet of their own. The property values above apply.
| Option | What it is | Type |
|---|---|---|
FC | Flux-coated rod | Supply form |
PREFORM | Stamped rings, washers and shims | Supply form |
PWD | Atomised powder / brazing paste | Supply form |
ROD | Bare drawn/extruded rod or wire | Supply form |
What is C55283?
C55283 is a copper-phosphorus brazing filler with about 6 % silver, giving improved flow, ductility and joint strength compared with lower-silver phos-copper grades. It is used for copper piping and electrical work and is supplied as bare rod, flux-coated rod, stamped preforms and atomised powder; as-brazed values are about 150 MPa yield strength, 250 MPa tensile strength, 6 % elongation, 95 HB, 10 % IACS and service to 200 °C. It remains a phos-copper and must not be used on steel, stainless steel or nickel alloys, and cold bend ductility is limited. C55280 is the lower-silver, lower-cost alternative. C55283 has a density of 8.06 g/cm³ (0.291 lb/in³), lighter than 87% of copper alloy grades. It melts at 643°C (1,189 °F). C55283 has a yield strength of 150 MPa (21.8 ksi) and a tensile strength of 250 MPa (36.3 ksi) — weaker than 69% of copper alloy grades. Elongation at break is 6% and the elastic modulus is 110 GPa (16 Msi).
What is C55283 used for?
- copper piping and tubing
- refrigeration and air-conditioning brazing
- electrical bus connections
Limitations
- High embodied carbon — 9.5 kg CO₂/kg, worse than 99% of copper alloy grades
- Difficult to weld — 10/100, worse than 98% of copper alloy grades
- Hard to polish — 55/100, worse than 97% of copper alloy grades
- Needs corrosion protection — 50/100, worse than 95% of copper alloy grades
- Limited ductility — 6%, worse than 89% of copper alloy grades
C55283 properties
Typical room-temperature values for C55283-AB; bars are the position among copper alloy grades.
Physical3
C55283 has a density of 8.06 g/cm³ (0.291 lb/in³), lighter than 87% of copper alloy grades. It melts at 643°C (1,189 °F).
Mechanical9
C55283 has a yield strength of 150 MPa (21.8 ksi) and a tensile strength of 250 MPa (36.3 ksi) — weaker than 69% of copper alloy grades. Elongation at break is 6% and the elastic modulus is 110 GPa (16 Msi).
Thermal5
C55283 is rated for continuous service to 200°C (392 °F). It conducts heat at 60 W/m·K (34.7 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 59% of copper alloy grades. Thermal expansion is 18 µm/m·K (10 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
C55283 conducts electricity at 10 % IACS, worse than 74% of copper alloy grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is fair (50/100), worse than 95% of copper alloy grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of C55283 takes about 130 MJ of energy and emits 9.5 kg of CO₂ — more than 99% of copper alloy grades. Typical recycled content is 30%.
Manufacturability6
C55283's machinability is poor (25/100, worse than 86% of copper alloy grades); weldability not recommended (10/100); formability fair (40/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the copper alloy family
Yield strength against density for every copper alloy grade FabDigit runs. C55283 is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with C55283
Is C55283 easy to machine?
Not a structural machining stock; the cast fillet is hard and brittle — remove excess by grinding rather than cutting.
Can C55283 be welded?
Filler metal only; never use on steel, stainless or nickel alloys because iron/nickel phosphides embrittle the joint.
Can C55283 be formed, bent or molded?
Supplied extruded/drawn as rod, wire, strip, stamped preforms or atomised powder; limited cold bend ductility.
C55283 chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| AgAWS A5.8 BCuP-4 | 5.75 – 6.25 | 6 |
| P | 6.8 – 7.2 | 7 |
| Other (total)residual elements, total | ≤ 0.15 | |
| Cu | balance |
What surface finishes work on C55283?
Self-fluxing on copper leaves a clean fillet; residues from flux-coated forms must be washed off to avoid corrosion, and joints take normal copper plating/passivation.
Surface treatments FabDigit runs on copper alloy parts — pick them in the quote configurator or call them out on the drawing. Each links to its datasheet in the surface-finish library (thickness, specs, call-out, material verdicts).
How much does C55283 cost?
C55283 is a high-cost copper alloy ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
C55283 — frequently asked
What is C55283 used for?
C55283 is typically used for copper piping and tubing, refrigeration and air-conditioning brazing and electrical bus connections. In short: 6 % silver phos-copper; best flow of the Cu-P grades; service to 200 °C.
What is the yield strength of C55283?
C55283 has a typical yield strength of 150 MPa (21.8 ksi) and a tensile strength of 250 MPa (36.3 ksi) — weaker than 69% of copper alloy grades.
Is C55283 easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated poor (25/100, worse than 86% of copper alloy grades). Not a structural machining stock; the cast fillet is hard and brittle — remove excess by grinding rather than cutting.
Can C55283 be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated not recommended (10/100). Filler metal only; never use on steel, stainless or nickel alloys because iron/nickel phosphides embrittle the joint.
What surface finishes work on C55283?
Self-fluxing on copper leaves a clean fillet; residues from flux-coated forms must be washed off to avoid corrosion, and joints take normal copper plating/passivation.
Can C55283 be formed, bent or molded?
Supplied extruded/drawn as rod, wire, strip, stamped preforms or atomised powder; limited cold bend ductility.
What is the maximum service temperature of C55283?
C55283 is rated for continuous use to about 200°C (392 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does C55283 cost?
C55283 is a high-cost copper alloy ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- AWS A5.8/A5.8M Specification for Filler Metals for Brazing and Braze Welding — American Welding Society (2019)
- ASTM B32 / UNS C55283 copper-phosphorus-silver filler metal classification — ASTM / CDA (2020)
- ASM Handbook Vol. 6 — Welding, Brazing and Soldering (brazing filler metals) — ASM International (1993)
- Copper-phosphorus-silver brazing alloy technical data (Sil-Fos type, 6% Ag) — Lucas-Milhaupt / Harris Products (2022)
- GB/T 6418 — SAC (2008)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.