NS Series (Nickel silver)｜Copper & Copper Alloy Business Unit, MITSUBISHI MATERIALS

The nickel silver has a silver-white copper alloy with a beautiful color tone.Thanks to its excellence in the mechanical properties and discoloration resistance, it has been used for a variety of items such as decoration, tableware, and musical instruments from the past.

Now, it is used for electronic components such as quartz oscillator cases, switch for measuring instruments, and connectors.

Since nickel silver may become more preferable material with its excellence in characteristics in the future, as platingless copper alloy products prevails in line with the rise of social issues like environmental problems.

We manufactures the nickel silver products by hot rolling process so that we guarantee high quality of our products.

Main features

It shows a silver-white color and thus gloss is very beautiful
It shows a soft color tone unique to the copper alloy unlike the stainless steel. The silver whiteness is increased as the nickel content is increased.
Good spreadability and excellent deep drawability
Excellent in corrosion resistance and discoloration resistance
Excellent in strength and fatigue resistance.
Nonmagnetic.

Main application

Quartz oscillator case, transistor cap, sliding piece for volume
Clock dial, accessories, architectural, musical instruments, medical equipment, western tableware
Switches, connectors, relays, and the like for electronic/ communication/ information/ electric/ measuring instruments
Plating-less article (substitutes such as brass, phosphor bronze + Ni, Cr, and Sn plating)

Chemical composition

Types and representative compositions of the nickel silver are as follows.

Chemical composition

(Weight %)

Alloy	Cu	Ni	Zn
NS2	64	17.5	Rem.
NS3	62	14	Rem.
NS4	65	10	Rem.
NS5	69	12	Rem.
NS7	65	15	Rem.
NSS	56	17.5	Rem.
NSL	70	6	Rem.

* Including inevitable impurities and trace additive elements

Physical properties

There are no big differences in the density and other physical properties of the nickel silver alloy.
The modulus of longitudinal elasticity of the nickel silver alloy is superior to C2600 (105 kN / mm2), which is very advantageous in terms of mechanical properties.

Physical properties
Property	NS2	NS3	NS4	NS5	NS7	NSS	NSL
Specific Gravity(293K)	8.7	8.7	8.7	8.7	8.7	8.7	8.6
Melting Point（℃）	1110	1040	1020	1070	1075	1055	1000
Electrical Conductivity (%IACS:293K)	6	8	9	8	7	6	12.5
Thermal Conductivity (W/(m･k)：297K)	93	105	128	105	105	93	163
Coefficient of liner expansion （×10^-6/K : 293～573K)	16.2	16.2	16.4	16.2	16.2	16.2	17
Modulus of Elasticity （kN/mm^２：293K）	130	126	123	125	127	130	121

Mechanical properties (Sampling direction: L.D. )

The tensile strength of NS 7 is higher about 80 N/mm²than that of C2600.

The mechanical properties of NS 7 (Representative value)
Temper	G.S. µm	Tensile Strength N/mm²	Yield strength N/mm²	Elongation ％	Hardness HV1	Erichsen Value mm
O	10	440	230	34.0	115	11.0
	20	420	175	40.0	105	12.0
	35	385	140	43.0	85	12.5
1/4H	12	450	230	33.0	120	11.0
1/2H	-	500	450	14.0	160	-
H	-	570	550	6.0	175	-
EH	-	610	600	2.0	195	-

Stress relaxation resistance

The criteria of CES are determined based on that cracking does not occur with exposure for 72 hours.
The stress corrosion cracking resistance of various types of nickel silver sufficiently satisiesy the criteria of CES and is further superior to C2600.

Bending workability

NS 7 shows good bending characteristics, 180°of tight bending is performed with half H material, and the cracking does not occur with W bending of R/t =0.5 with H material.

Bending workability of NS 7
Temper	good way			bad way
Temper	adhension	t/2	t	adhension	t/2	t
O	○	○	○	○	○	○
	○	○	○	○	○	○
	○	○	○	○	○	○
1/4H	○	○	○	○	○	○
1/2H	○	○	○	○	○	○
H	△	○	○	△	○	○
EH	△	○	○	×	○	○

Copper & Copper Alloy Business

Copper & Copper Alloy Business

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