C110 is essentially pure copper — 99.9% — chosen for electrical and thermal conductivity rather than strength. It has the highest conductivity of any common machined metal (about 101% IACS) and it is genuinely unpleasant to machine: sticky, abrasive, and prone to long stringy chips that wrap around the tool and pack into fixtures.
| Tensile strength | 220 MPa |
|---|---|
| Yield strength | 70 MPa |
| Hardness | 45 HB |
| Density | 8.94 g/cm³ |
| Elongation | 45% |
| Thermal conductivity | 388 W/m·K |
| Series | Pure copper (99.9%) |
Typical values for the standard condition (Copper C110 (Electrolytic Tough Pitch)). Heat treatment, temper and product form move these numbers — confirm against the mill certificate for your order.
Highest electrical conductivity of the common machined metals (~101% IACS)
Excellent thermal conductivity (388 W/m·K)
Good corrosion resistance in clean atmospheres and fresh water
Excellent formability and solderability
Starting parameters for carbide tooling. These are the shop's working numbers, not brochure values — adjust for machine rigidity, tool geometry and workholding.
| Surface speed | 150–300 m/min |
|---|---|
| Feed per tooth | 0.05–0.15 mm/tooth |
| Tooling | Sharp carbide, high rake, polished flutes |
| Coolant | Flood with good lubricity |
Sticky and abrasive. Chip control is the whole game — peck and clear, and do not let stringy chips recirculate. High thermal conductivity pulls heat into the workpiece and fixture rather than the chip, so the part gets hot and grows.
Material is expensive and machining is slow with high scrap risk from chip control. The value is conductivity — if the design does not require it, aluminum or brass will be cheaper and easier.
For the full cost structure — material, programming, setup, cycle time, finishing and inspection — see CNC machining cost per hour, and for how price changes with quantity see machining by production volume.
It is soft and sticky, so it pressure-welds to the cutting edge and produces long stringy chips that wrap around the tool and pack into fixtures. It is also abrasive in a way that wears edges. Chip control — pecking, clearing, high-pressure coolant — is the single biggest factor in whether the job goes well.
Machining does not change the alloy, so bulk conductivity is unaffected. What can change is surface condition and the presence of work-hardened or contaminated layers, which matter for RF components and electrical contact surfaces. For those, specify the surface finish and cleaning rather than relying on the machining process alone.
No — anodizing is an aluminum (and titanium) process. Copper is usually plated (nickel, silver, tin) or given a bright dip. Copper also tarnishes quickly, so parts that must stay bright need a protective coating.
It can be welded but is difficult because of its thermal conductivity — heat is conducted away from the joint almost as fast as it is applied. Brazing and soldering are far more common for copper assemblies, and many copper parts are machined as one piece to avoid joining altogether.
Tell us the grade and temper, the quantity and what the part has to do. You get a line-item quote within 24 hours, with DFM feedback on anything that is raising the cost.