Precious Metal AgWC60
AgWC60 is a powder-metallurgy electrical contact composite of silver with 60 % tungsten carbide, produced by press-and-sinter or by silver infiltration of a WC skeleton.
Reference datasheet — AgWC60 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 PS condition
AgWC60 tempers and conditions
AgWC60 is supplied in one standard condition, PS. PS is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Supply forms, finishes and certifications
Ways AgWC60 is supplied — form, process route, surface or paperwork — without a datasheet of their own. The property values above apply.
| Option | What it is | Type |
|---|---|---|
AGB | AgWC60 with sintered fine-silver backing layer | Surface finish |
CUB | AgWC60 with copper backing layer | Surface finish |
GrD | Finish-ground / machined contact tip | Surface finish |
INF | WC skeleton infiltrated with molten silver | Supply option |
What is AgWC60?
AgWC60 is a powder-metallurgy electrical contact composite of silver with 60 % tungsten carbide, produced by press-and-sinter or by silver infiltration of a WC skeleton. It is chosen where plain Ag-W is outmatched: 148 HB hardness, high arc-erosion and anti-weld performance in heavy switching, at 12.9 g/cm3 density and 125 W/m·K thermal conductivity. Typical forms are contact tips, discs and rivets on a sintered Ag or Cu backing layer. The limits are 31 % IACS conductivity, 1.5 % elongation, a 300 °C service ceiling and machinability of 22, so parts are pressed near net shape. Ag-Ni or Ag-CdO give lower contact resistance at lighter duty. AgWC60 has a density of 12.9 g/cm³ (0.466 lb/in³), heavier than 69% of precious metal grades. It melts at 961°C (1,762 °F). AgWC60 has a tensile strength of 240 MPa (34.8 ksi), weaker than 86% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 1.5% and the elastic modulus is 200 GPa (29 Msi).
What is AgWC60 used for?
- contactors
- circuit breakers
- high-current switchgear
- motor starters
Advantages
- Stiff — 200 GPa (29 Msi), better than 97% of precious metal grades
- Low embodied carbon — 50 kg CO₂/kg, better than 90% of precious metal grades
Limitations
- Limited ductility — 1.5%, worse than 99% of precious metal grades
- Limited formability — 8/100, worse than 99% of precious metal grades
- Difficult to machine — 22/100, worse than 98% of precious metal grades
- Hard to polish — 55/100, worse than 97% of precious metal grades
- Difficult to weld — 15/100, worse than 96% of precious metal grades
AgWC60 properties
Typical room-temperature values for AgWC60-PS; bars are the position among precious metal grades.
Physical3
AgWC60 has a density of 12.9 g/cm³ (0.466 lb/in³), heavier than 69% of precious metal grades. It melts at 961°C (1,762 °F).
Mechanical9
AgWC60 has a tensile strength of 240 MPa (34.8 ksi), weaker than 86% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 1.5% and the elastic modulus is 200 GPa (29 Msi).
Thermal5
AgWC60 is rated for continuous service to 300°C (572 °F). It conducts heat at 125 W/m·K (72.2 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 63% of precious metal grades. Thermal expansion is 11 µm/m·K (6.11 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
AgWC60 conducts electricity at 31 % IACS, better than 66% 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 AgWC60 takes about 750 MJ of energy and emits 50 kg of CO₂ — less than 87% of precious metal grades. Typical recycled content is 40%.
Manufacturability6
AgWC60's machinability is poor (22/100, worse than 98% of precious metal grades); weldability poor (15/100); formability not recommended (8/100).
Common Calculations4
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 precious metal family
Yield strength against density for every precious metal grade FabDigit runs. AgWC60 is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with AgWC60
Is AgWC60 easy to machine?
Abrasive and brittle — use diamond grinding, wire/sinker EDM or PCD tooling; avoid interrupted heavy cuts and keep parts near net shape from pressing.
Can AgWC60 be welded?
Not fusion weldable; attach through a sintered Ag or Cu backing layer by resistance welding or Ag-Cu-Zn brazing with active flux, keeping heat input short to protect the silver matrix.
Can AgWC60 be formed, bent or molded?
Formed by powder pressing plus sintering (optionally re-pressing) or by silver infiltration of a WC skeleton; essentially no cold formability after sintering.
AgWC60 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 |
|---|---|---|
| WCtungsten carbide phase, typical particle size 1–5 µm | 58 – 62 | 60 |
| Cooptional binder carried in from cemented-carbide powder / sintering aid | 0 – 0.6 | 0.3 |
| Nioptional wetting/sintering additive, producer-dependent | 0 – 0.5 | |
| Other impuritiestotal, incl. free C and O | ≤ 0.5 | |
| Agfine silver matrix, ≥99.95 % purity feedstock | ≥ 38 (balance) |
What surface finishes work on AgWC60?
Contact faces are surface-ground or lightly barrel-finished; electroplating is unnecessary, but backing surfaces may be silver-plated to aid brazing and prevent oxidation.
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Precious Metal AgWC60 in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- Also called
- Ag-WC
How much does AgWC60 cost?
AgWC60 is a high-cost precious metal ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
AgWC60 — frequently asked
What is AgWC60 used for?
AgWC60 is typically used for contactors, circuit breakers, high-current switchgear and motor starters. In short: harder than silver-tungsten; high arc-erosion resistance; anti-weld heavy-duty contacts.
What is the tensile strength of AgWC60?
AgWC60 has a typical tensile strength of 240 MPa (34.8 ksi) — weaker than 86% of precious metal grades.
Is AgWC60 easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated poor (22/100, worse than 98% of precious metal grades). Abrasive and brittle — use diamond grinding, wire/sinker EDM or PCD tooling; avoid interrupted heavy cuts and keep parts near net shape from pressing.
Can AgWC60 be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated poor (15/100). Not fusion weldable; attach through a sintered Ag or Cu backing layer by resistance welding or Ag-Cu-Zn brazing with active flux, keeping heat input short to protect the silver matrix.
What surface finishes work on AgWC60?
Contact faces are surface-ground or lightly barrel-finished; electroplating is unnecessary, but backing surfaces may be silver-plated to aid brazing and prevent oxidation.
Can AgWC60 be formed, bent or molded?
Formed by powder pressing plus sintering (optionally re-pressing) or by silver infiltration of a WC skeleton; essentially no cold formability after sintering.
What is the maximum service temperature of AgWC60?
AgWC60 is rated for continuous use to about 300°C (572 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does AgWC60 cost?
AgWC60 is a high-cost precious metal ($$$$), 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
- ASM Handbook Vol. 2 — Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials (Electrical Contact Materials) — ASM International (1990)
- Data Book of Electrical Contacts — Doduco / AMI Doduco (2012)
- Silver-refractory metal contact materials product data — Metalor Technologies (2022)
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.