Precious Metal Pd60Ag40
Pd60Ag40 is a palladium–silver solid-solution alloy used for electrical contact points, thick-film resistor pastes and as a lower-cost substitute for pure palladium contacts.
Reference datasheet — Pd60Ag40 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 O condition
Pd60Ag40 tempers and conditions
Pd60Ag40 is supplied in 6 conditions, soft to hard. O is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Compare all 6 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
As fabricated | Melting stock for further working, paste/powder atomization or investment-cast dental and contact parts. | 150 | 350 | 20 | 71 HB | 4.1 % IACS |
ODefault Annealed | Standard stocked condition for stamping, deep drawing, contact rivet heading and wire drawing. | 180 | 415 | 30 | 80 HB | 4.1 % IACS |
Quarter hard | Light cold work when slightly higher stiffness is needed but forming is still required. | 380 | 520 | 15 | 114 HB | 4 % IACS |
Half hard | Balance of strength and residual formability for stamped contact blades. | 520 | 620 | 8 | 142 HB | 4 % IACS |
Full hard | Hard strip/wire for wear-resistant sliding contacts and stiff cantilever contacts with minimal forming. | 680 | 760 | 3 | 175 HB | 3.9 % IACS |
Extra hard | Maximum-strength spring temper for relay spring contacts and probe wire. | 780 | 830 | 2 | 197 HB | 3.9 % IACS |
What is Pd60Ag40?
Pd60Ag40 is a palladium–silver solid-solution alloy used for electrical contact points, thick-film resistor pastes and as a lower-cost substitute for pure palladium contacts. Annealed it gives 180 MPa yield, 415 MPa tensile and 30 % elongation with the highest formability in this family (score 90), so it heads, deep-draws and draws to fine wire; tempers run from O through H06 plus as-fabricated. It is sensitive to sulfur-bearing environments and to organic brown-powder films at low contact loads, and machinability is poor (score 35). PdCu is the alternative where higher hardness is needed. Pd60Ag40 has a density of 11.35 g/cm³ (0.41 lb/in³), heavier than 61% of precious metal grades. It melts at 1,290°C (2,354 °F). Pd60Ag40 has a yield strength of 180 MPa (26.1 ksi) and a tensile strength of 415 MPa (60.2 ksi) — weaker than 59% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 30% and the elastic modulus is 110 GPa (16 Msi).
What is Pd60Ag40 used for?
- Electrical contacts
- Thick-film resistor pastes
- Relay contacts
Advantages
- High service temperature — 500°C (932 °F), better than 79% of precious metal grades
- Readily welded — 75/100, better than 78% of precious metal grades
- Stiff — 110 GPa (16 Msi), better than 76% of precious metal grades
Limitations
- Poor heat conductor — 20 W/m·K (11.6 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 100% of precious metal grades
- Low electrical conductivity — 4.1 % IACS, worse than 99% of precious metal grades
Pd60Ag40 properties
Typical room-temperature values for Pd60Ag40-O; bars are the position among precious metal grades.
Physical3
Pd60Ag40 has a density of 11.35 g/cm³ (0.41 lb/in³), heavier than 61% of precious metal grades. It melts at 1,290°C (2,354 °F).
Mechanical14
Pd60Ag40 has a yield strength of 180 MPa (26.1 ksi) and a tensile strength of 415 MPa (60.2 ksi) — weaker than 59% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 30% and the elastic modulus is 110 GPa (16 Msi).
Thermal6
Pd60Ag40 is rated for continuous service to 500°C (932 °F). It conducts heat at 20 W/m·K (11.6 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 100% of precious metal grades. Thermal expansion is 14.5 µm/m·K (8.06 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Pd60Ag40 conducts electricity at 4.1 % IACS, worse than 99% of precious metal grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is excellent (92/100), better than 73% of precious metal grades.
Sustainability3
Producing a kilogram of Pd60Ag40 takes about 44,000 MJ of energy and emits 2,400 kg of CO₂ — more than 61% of precious metal grades. Typical recycled content is 60%.
Manufacturability8
Pd60Ag40's machinability is fair (35/100, worse than 73% of precious metal grades); weldability very good (75/100); formability excellent (90/100).
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 precious metal family
Yield strength against density for every precious metal grade FabDigit runs. Pd60Ag40 is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with Pd60Ag40
Is Pd60Ag40 easy to machine?
Soft and gummy — use sharp, high-rake carbide or HSS tools, light feeds, flood lubrication, and collect all swarf for refining.
Can Pd60Ag40 be welded?
Resistance, laser and micro-TIG welding of contact rivets and blades work well; avoid sulfur- or halide-bearing fluxes.
Can Pd60Ag40 be formed, bent or molded?
Excellent cold formability in the annealed state (deep drawing, heading, fine wire drawing); interanneal at 700–850 °C in inert or reducing atmosphere between heavy reductions.
Pd60Ag40 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pdprincipal noble constituent | 59 – 61 | 60 |
| Other (Cu, Ni, Pt, Au, Fe, Pb total)residual impurities, refiner-dependent | ≤ 0.15 | 0.05 |
| Ag | ≥ 39 (balance) |
What surface finishes work on Pd60Ag40?
Takes a mirror polish; usually used bare, sometimes gold, rhodium or ruthenium flash-plated to reduce organic-film (brown powder) build-up on low-level contacts. Not anodizable.
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Precious Metal Pd60Ag40 in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- Also called
- PdAg40
How much does Pd60Ag40 cost?
Pd60Ag40 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.
Pd60Ag40 — frequently asked
What is Pd60Ag40 used for?
Pd60Ag40 is typically used for electrical contacts, thick-film resistor pastes and relay contacts. In short: most formable Pd alloy; lower-cost palladium contact; deep-drawable contact metal.
What is the yield strength of Pd60Ag40?
Pd60Ag40 has a typical yield strength of 180 MPa (26.1 ksi) and a tensile strength of 415 MPa (60.2 ksi) — weaker than 59% of precious metal grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 6 listed tempers.
Is Pd60Ag40 easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated fair (35/100, worse than 73% of precious metal grades). Soft and gummy — use sharp, high-rake carbide or HSS tools, light feeds, flood lubrication, and collect all swarf for refining.
Can Pd60Ag40 be welded?
Yes — weldability is rated very good (75/100). Resistance, laser and micro-TIG welding of contact rivets and blades work well; avoid sulfur- or halide-bearing fluxes.
What surface finishes work on Pd60Ag40?
Takes a mirror polish; usually used bare, sometimes gold, rhodium or ruthenium flash-plated to reduce organic-film (brown powder) build-up on low-level contacts. Not anodizable.
Can Pd60Ag40 be formed, bent or molded?
Excellent cold formability in the annealed state (deep drawing, heading, fine wire drawing); interanneal at 700–850 °C in inert or reducing atmosphere between heavy reductions.
What is the maximum service temperature of Pd60Ag40?
Pd60Ag40 is rated for continuous use to about 500°C (932 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
What is the difference between Pd60Ag40-O and Pd60Ag40-H06?
O is the default condition — standard stocked condition for stamping, deep drawing, contact rivet heading and wire drawing. H06: maximum-strength spring temper for relay spring contacts and probe wire. Yield strength is 180 MPa in O versus 780 MPa in H06.
How much does Pd60Ag40 cost?
Pd60Ag40 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 (precious metals and electrical contact materials) — ASM International (1990)
- ASM Handbook Vol. 3 — Alloy Phase Diagrams (Ag-Pd system) — ASM International (1992)
- Smithells Metals Reference Book, 8th ed. — Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann (2004)
- Palladium-silver electrical contact alloy strip and wire data — Precious-metal contact fabricators (Deringer-Ney / Heraeus type data) (2022)
- Life-cycle inventories of 63 metals (Nuss & Eckelman, PLoS ONE) — Pd and Ag primary production — PLoS ONE (2014)
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.