Metal Glossary

Designed to be a quick reference guide for customers, the Cashmores glossary provides definitions of the latest metal industry terms.

Metal Glossary

Designed to be a quick reference guide for customers, the Cashmores glossary provides definitions of the latest metal industry terms.
  • Half Hard
    Material in the Half Hard Condition, sometimes refetrred to as H02 is at an intermediate strength and hardness netween Soft and Full Hard
  • HDHC
    Hard-Drawn High-Conductivity Copper CW004A/C101
  • Heat Treatable Alloy
    The description applied specifically to a Copper Alloy whose mechanical properties can be increased by heat treatment, typically solution treatment and age hardening e.g. for Beryllium Copper.
  • Heat Treatment of Copper and its Alloys
    A range of heat treatment processes are applied to copper and it alloys including:
    • Homogenising
    • Annealing
    • Stress Relieving
    • Solution Treatment and Ageing
    • Quench and Temper Hardening
    It is important to recognise that not all processes are appropriate for all alloys. Homogenising in which prolonged soaking at elevated temperature is used to reduce solidification chemical segregation in castings particularly in Phosphor Bronzes, Copper Nickels and Silicon Bronzes that have long freezing ranges. Annealing is used to soften and increase ductility and toughness in wrought alloys. Stress relieving is used to relieve internal stresses without significantly affecting mechanical properties. Solution Treatment and Ageing is used on Beryllium Copper, Copper/ Chromium, Copper /Zirconium and Copper/Nickel/Silicon/Chromium alloys to increase mechanical properties. Quench and Temper Hardening is applied to certain Aluminium Bronzes, Nickel Aluminium Bronzes and some cast Manganese Bronzes to increase their mechanical properties.
  • High Speed Machining
    Free Cutting, Free Machining
    Terms that are used interchangeably to describe materials that can be turned, drilled or otherwise machined using high cutting speeds and feeds to leave a good surface finish with low tool wear and no appreciable build-up of swarf around the cutting tool. The addition of Lead to Copper alloys usually improves machinability. The brass CW614N (CZ121 Pb3) has one of the fastest rates of metal removal, but ductility is compromised. This brass sets the machinability standard against which the machinability of all other alloys are measured.
  • High Tensile Brasses
    Terms that are used interchangeably to describe materials that can be turned, drilled or otherwise machined using high cutting speeds and feeds to leave a good surface finish with low tool wear and no appreciable build-up of swarf around the cutting tool. The addition of Lead to Copper alloys usually improves machinability. The brass CW614N (CZ121 Pb3) has one of the fastest rates of metal removal, but ductility is compromised. This brass sets the machinability standard against which the machinability of all other alloys are measured.
  • Hot Stamping Brass
    Stamping Brass
    CW617N / CZ122 Brass formulated to be most suitable for hot stamping.