Precious Metal 950 Silver (Minerve)-H04
Supply condition
H04 = full hard
Pick for knife handles, tine ends and wear surfaces where dent resistance beats formability.
Values for the H04 condition
Other 950 Silver (Minerve) tempers and conditions
950 Silver (Minerve) is listed in 6 conditions; see the grade overview at 950 Silver (Minerve).
Compare all 6 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ODefault Annealed | Standard stocked condition for sheet, wire and blanks that will be raised, spun, chased or deep drawn. | 65 | 250 | 45 | 52 HB | 92 % IACS |
investment / sand cast | Pick for hollowware bodies, handles and cast figural silverware detail produced directly to shape. | 70 | 210 | 25 | 48 HB | 90 % IACS |
Quarter hard | Pick when a little stiffness is wanted but further bending, chasing or forming still follows. | 200 | 300 | 22 | 71 HB | 91 % IACS |
Half hard | Usual temper for flatware blanks, bezels and rims that must hold shape yet still take a final bend. | 280 | 350 | 12 | 85 HB | 90 % IACS |
H04This page Full hard | Pick for knife handles, tine ends and wear surfaces where dent resistance beats formability. | 360 | 420 | 5 | 104 HB | 89 % IACS |
Spring hard | Pick for spring clips, hinge pins and fine drawn wire needing maximum stiffness; essentially unformable. | 400 | 460 | 3 | 113 HB | 88 % IACS |
What is 950 Silver (Minerve)-H04?
950 Silver (Minerve)-H04 is 950 Silver (Minerve) supplied in the H04 condition — pick for knife handles, tine ends and wear surfaces where dent resistance beats formability. 950 Silver (Minerve)-H04 has a yield strength of 360 MPa (52.2 ksi) and a tensile strength of 420 MPa (60.9 ksi) — stronger than 95% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 5% and the elastic modulus is 76 GPa (11 Msi). 950 Silver (Minerve)-H04 has a density of 10.42 g/cm³ (0.376 lb/in³), heavier than 52% of precious metal grades. It melts at 875°C (1,607 °F). O is the default condition FabDigit quotes; H04 is available on request or by drawing note.
Advantages
- Easy to machine — 72/100, better than 101% of precious metal grades
- Polishes to a fine finish — 98/100, better than 98% of precious metal grades
- Conducts heat well — 380 W/m·K (219.6 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 96% of precious metal grades
- High strength — 360 MPa (52.2 ksi), better than 95% of precious metal grades
- High electrical conductivity — 89 % IACS, better than 95% of precious metal grades
Limitations
- Low stiffness — 76 GPa (11 Msi), worse than 96% of precious metal grades
- Limited ductility — 5%, worse than 93% of precious metal grades
- Limited formability — 35/100, worse than 92% of precious metal grades
- Limited service temperature — 200°C (392 °F), worse than 89% of precious metal grades
950 Silver (Minerve)-H04 properties
Typical room-temperature values for 950 Silver (Minerve)-H04; 10 are specific to this condition. Other listed values are 950 Silver (Minerve) reference data and may not represent this condition. Bars are the position among precious metal grades.
Physical3
950 Silver (Minerve)-H04 has a density of 10.42 g/cm³ (0.376 lb/in³), heavier than 52% of precious metal grades. It melts at 875°C (1,607 °F).
Mechanical11
950 Silver (Minerve)-H04 has a yield strength of 360 MPa (52.2 ksi) and a tensile strength of 420 MPa (60.9 ksi) — stronger than 95% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 5% and the elastic modulus is 76 GPa (11 Msi).
Thermal6
950 Silver (Minerve)-H04 is rated for continuous service to 200°C (392 °F). It conducts heat at 380 W/m·K (219.6 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 96% of precious metal grades. Thermal expansion is 19 µm/m·K (10.6 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
950 Silver (Minerve)-H04 conducts electricity at 89 % IACS, better than 95% of precious metal grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is very good (82/100), better than 53% of precious metal grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of 950 Silver (Minerve)-H04 takes about 1,500 MJ of energy and emits 105 kg of CO₂ — more than 51% of precious metal grades. Typical recycled content is 35%.
Manufacturability8
950 Silver (Minerve)-H04's machinability is very good (72/100, better than 101% of precious metal grades); weldability very good (70/100); formability fair (35/100).
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Confirm any required mill or lot documentation when quoting.
Working with 950 Silver (Minerve)-H04
Is 950 Silver (Minerve) easy to machine?
Very soft and gummy — use sharp, high-rake carbide or HSS tools, generous relief, light feeds and oil mist; collect all chips for refining.
Can 950 Silver (Minerve) be welded?
Rarely fusion welded; laser or PUK spot welding works with matching filler, otherwise join with 950-compatible hard silver solders (easy/medium/hard sequence).
Can 950 Silver (Minerve) be formed, bent or molded?
Excellent cold formability annealed — raise, spin, chase and deep draw with interstage anneals at 600–650 °C, quench or air cool; watch firescale from the copper.
What surface finishes work on 950 Silver (Minerve)?
Polishes to a bright mirror (tripoli then rouge); protect with lacquer, rhodium plate or anti-tarnish paper — never anodized.
950 Silver (Minerve) 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 |
|---|---|---|
| AgFrench first standard (950/1000), Minerve hallmark; no negative tolerance | 95 – 96 | 95 |
| Znoccasional deoxidiser/casting addition | ≤ 0.2 | — |
| Other (each)Si, Ge, B trace as anti-firescale additions in some modern melts | ≤ 0.1 | — |
| Cubalance, essentially all copper | ≥ 4 (balance) | — |
950 Silver (Minerve)-H04 — frequently asked
What is 950 Silver (Minerve)-H04 used for?
950 Silver (Minerve)-H04 is typically used for luxury French flatware, hollowware and hallmarked objets d'art. In short: higher fineness than sterling; near-maximum cold formability; hallmark-grade decorative silver.
What is the yield strength of 950 Silver (Minerve)-H04?
950 Silver (Minerve)-H04 has a typical yield strength of 360 MPa (52.2 ksi) and a tensile strength of 420 MPa (60.9 ksi) — stronger than 95% of precious metal grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 6 listed tempers.
Is 950 Silver (Minerve)-H04 easy to machine?
Yes — machinability is rated very good (72/100, better than 101% of precious metal grades). Very soft and gummy — use sharp, high-rake carbide or HSS tools, generous relief, light feeds and oil mist; collect all chips for refining.
Can 950 Silver (Minerve)-H04 be welded?
Yes — weldability is rated very good (70/100). Rarely fusion welded; laser or PUK spot welding works with matching filler, otherwise join with 950-compatible hard silver solders (easy/medium/hard sequence).
What surface finishes work on 950 Silver (Minerve)-H04?
Polishes to a bright mirror (tripoli then rouge); protect with lacquer, rhodium plate or anti-tarnish paper — never anodized.
Can 950 Silver (Minerve)-H04 be formed, bent or molded?
Excellent cold formability annealed — raise, spin, chase and deep draw with interstage anneals at 600–650 °C, quench or air cool; watch firescale from the copper.
What is the maximum service temperature of 950 Silver (Minerve)-H04?
950 Silver (Minerve)-H04 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.
What is the difference between 950 Silver (Minerve)-O and 950 Silver (Minerve)-H08?
O is the default condition — standard stocked condition for sheet, wire and blanks that will be raised, spun, chased or deep drawn. H08: pick for spring clips, hinge pins and fine drawn wire needing maximum stiffness; essentially unformable. Yield strength is 65 MPa in O versus 400 MPa in H08.
Sources
- ASM Handbook Vol.2: Properties and Selection — Nonferrous Alloys (precious metals) — ASM International (1990)
- NF EN ISO 9202 — Jewellery, fineness of precious metal alloys — AFNOR/ISO (2019)
- The Metallurgy of Silver and Its Alloys (silversmithing practice) — Santa Fe Symposium proceedings (2010)
- Ag-Cu binary phase diagram — ASM Alloy Phase Diagram Database (2016)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.