C954 Aluminum Bronze
Also: C95400, CDA 954, UNS C95400, Alloy 954, aluminum bronze, aluminium bronze, iron aluminum bronze, cast aluminum bronze, QQ-C-390 C954, CuAl10Fe2-C / CC331G (closest EN cast grade), C95410 (nickel-bearing variant), C95500 and C95800 (nickel aluminum bronze neighbours)
C954 is cast aluminum bronze: 11% aluminum, 4% iron, about 585 MPa (85 ksi) as cast. Heavy-duty bushings, gears, wear plates and marine parts. As cast.
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At a glance
| Density | 7.45 g/cm³ (0.269 lb/in³) |
|---|---|
| Tensile strength | 585 MPa (85 ksi) typical as cast; about 725 MPa (105 ksi) heat treated (TQ50) |
| Yield strength | 240 MPa (35 ksi) typical as cast at 0.5% extension; about 370 MPa (54 ksi) TQ50 |
| Hardness | 170 HB (3000 kg) typical as cast; about 195 HB TQ50 |
| Elongation | 12-18% as cast; about 6-10% TQ50 |
| Modulus of elasticity | 107 GPa (15.5 Msi) |
| Thermal | Melts at 1025-1040 °C (1880-1900 °F); thermal conductivity ~59 W/m·K; electrical conductivity about 13% IACS; expansion ~16 um/m·K |
| Composition | 83% min Cu, 10.0-11.5% Al, 3.0-5.0% Fe, up to 1.5% Ni, up to 0.5% Mn |
Typical values, As cast (M07 continuous cast, ASTM B505); sand castings (M01, ASTM B148) run somewhat lower; heat-treated TQ50 figures as noted. Confirm against the mill certificate and the purchase spec.
- MachinabilityGood
- About 60% of C360: hard and abrasive but short-chipping. Carbide tooling, rigid setups, positive rake and flood coolant; keep the feed up so the tool cuts instead of rubbing and glazing the surface. TQ50 material is slower and harder on tools than as-cast bar.
- WeldabilityGood
- One of the more weldable copper alloys: TIG and MIG with ERCuAl-A2 filler are routine for casting repair and wear build-up. Heavy sections can crack, so follow a qualified procedure for preheat and interpass temperature. Soldering is impractical because of the aluminum oxide film, and brazing needs special fluxes.
- FormabilityPoor
- A cast alloy: shapes come from the casting and the lathe. Its elongation allows press fits and light staking, not bending. Wrought nickel aluminum bronze C63000 is the forgeable, bar-drawn relative.
- Corrosion resistanceGood
- Very good in atmosphere, fresh water and seawater, with strong resistance to erosion, cavitation and dilute sulfuric and other non-oxidizing acids. As-cast C954 can dealuminify in long seawater immersion or slow-cooled heavy sections; specify C95800 nickel aluminum bronze for seawater-wetted parts. Attacked by ammonia and oxidizing acids.
C954 is copper with 10-11.5% aluminum and 3-5% iron, and no tin or lead. It is cast into continuous-cast solid and cored bar, rectangles and tube, and into sand and centrifugal castings. It is the strongest bearing bronze commonly stocked as bar: about twice the tensile strength of C932 and nearly three times its hardness (170 HB against 65 HB). Heavy-duty bushings and bearings, worm wheels and gears, valve seats and guides, pump wear rings, wear plates, gibs and slides, and forming-die inserts that run against stainless sheet without galling are made from it.
Unlike tin and leaded bronzes it responds to heat treatment much like a steel: a solution treatment and water quench followed by a temper gives the TQ50 condition, about 725 MPa (105 ksi) and 195 HB. It machines at about 60% of C360, with short chips but abrasive wear on the tool, and it welds well with aluminum-bronze filler, so repairing and building up castings is routine. A tough aluminum oxide film gives it good resistance to seawater, erosion, cavitation and dilute non-oxidizing acids, which puts it in marine hardware and pickling fixtures.
As a bearing it is strong but unforgiving. It has little of the embeddability and conformability of leaded bronze, so it wants a hardened shaft, clean lubrication and good alignment; used that way it carries heavy, slow and shock loads that would flatten C932. Heavy sections that cool slowly from casting can form a brittle, corrosion-prone phase, and as-cast C954 can dealuminify in long seawater immersion; nickel aluminum bronze C95800 is the usual choice for seawater pump, valve and propeller parts. C955 is the stronger nickel-bearing grade, and C172 beryllium copper the step up in strength when a wrought alloy will do.
Heat treatment
Hardenable, unlike tin and leaded bronzes. Solution treat at 870-900 °C (1600-1650 °F) for about 2 hours and water quench, then temper at 595-650 °C (1100-1200 °F) for about 2 hours and air cool: the TQ50 condition, about 725 MPa (105 ksi) and 195 HB. The quench-and-temper also breaks up the brittle, corrosion-prone phase that slow cooling leaves in heavy as-cast sections. Rough machine before heat treatment and finish afterwards, because the quench moves the part.
Tempers and conditions
- As cast (M07 continuous cast)
- As cast (M01 sand cast)
- As cast (M02 centrifugal cast)
- TQ50 (quench hardened and temper annealed)
Stock forms
- Continuous-cast solid round bar
- Continuous-cast cored (hollow) bar and tube
- Continuous-cast rectangles and plate
- Sand castings
- Centrifugal castings (sleeves and rings)
- Stock bushings, wear plates and wear strips
Relative cost
Tier 4 of 5. Continuous-cast bar costs roughly the same per pound as C932 bearing bronze and several times alloy steel; at 7.45 g/cm3 against 8.9 for C932, a pound buys about 20% more bar. Nickel aluminum bronzes C955 and C958 cost more.
Typical applications
- Heavy-duty bushings and bearings for slow, shock-loaded equipment (construction, mining, steel mills)
- Worm wheels, gears and gear blanks
- Valve seats, guides and stems; pump wear rings and impellers
- Wear plates, gibs, slides and press wear strips
- Forming and drawing die inserts that run against stainless sheet without galling
- Marine fittings and pump and valve bodies
- Pickling hooks, fixtures and acid-handling hardware
- Spark-resistant tools and fixtures
Process compatibility
How C954 takes each process, and what to specify. Each process links to its own guide and to the shops that do it.
| Process | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CNC Machining | GoodGood | Machines at about 60% of C360 with carbide and flood coolant; short chips, but the tool wears faster than in leaded bronze. |
| CNC Turning | GoodGood | Bushings and sleeves from cored bar; buy the core just under the finished bore and finish bore after any press fit. |
| Sand Casting | ExcellentExcellent | Pours readily into gears, housings, valve bodies and wear parts; specify ASTM B148 and the condition, as cast or TQ50. |
| Investment Casting | GoodGood | Smaller detailed marine and pump parts; the foundry must manage the aluminum oxide skin with good gating. |
| CNC Grinding | GoodGood | Grinds far more cleanly than leaded bronze; used for precision bores and wear faces, especially on TQ50 parts. |
| Wire EDM | GoodGood | Cuts gear teeth, keyways and die inserts accurately in heat-treated material with no cutting forces. |
| Heat Treating | GoodGood | Quench and temper to TQ50 for about 25% more strength and 195 HB; allow finish stock, because the water quench moves the part. |
| Welding | GoodGood | Casting repair and wear build-up are routine with ERCuAl-A2 filler; follow a qualified procedure on heavy sections. |
| TIG Welding | GoodGood | AC or DCEN with ERCuAl-A2 filler for repair of bores and faces; clean the oxide film first. |
| Nondestructive Testing (NDT) | GoodGood | Penetrant and radiography find shrinkage and porosity in sand castings; specify the acceptance level for pressure-containing parts. |
| Plating | FairFair | Rarely plated: the aluminum oxide film needs special activation. Bearing and wear surfaces are left bare. |
| Forging | Not recommendedNot recommended | A casting composition. Forged aluminum bronze parts use wrought C63000 nickel aluminum bronze. |
| Press Brake Forming | Not recommendedNot recommended | A cast alloy with no sheet form and limited ductility; shapes come from the casting and the lathe. |
Design and sourcing tips
- Specify "C95400 per ASTM B505, continuous cast" for bar-machined parts, or ASTM B148 for sand castings, and state the condition: as cast or TQ50. "Aluminum bronze" alone could mean C952, C954, C955 or C958.
- Run C954 bushings against a hardened, ground steel shaft (roughly 40 HRC or harder, 0.4 um Ra or finer) with clean oil or grease; it does not embed dirt or forgive misalignment the way C932 does.
- Use C954 where the load is heavy, slow or shock-type; for high speed with marginal lubrication, a leaded bronze or a bimetal bearing runs cooler.
- For parts wetted by seawater for years (pump, valve and propeller-shaft parts), specify C95800 nickel aluminum bronze instead.
- On TQ50 parts, rough machine before heat treatment and finish machine or grind afterwards.
- Use C954 wear strips, gibs and die inserts where stainless or aluminum sheet slides on the tool; the pair resists galling far better than steel on steel.
Frequently asked questions
- What is C954 aluminum bronze used for?
- Parts that need more strength, hardness and wear resistance than tin bronze: heavy-duty bushings and bearings for slow, shock-loaded equipment, worm wheels and gears, valve seats and guides, pump wear rings, wear plates and slides, and die inserts that run against stainless sheet without galling. It also serves in marine and acid-handling hardware.
- Can C954 aluminum bronze be heat treated?
- Yes, unlike tin and leaded bronzes. A solution treatment at 870-900 °C (1600-1650 °F) with a water quench, then a temper at 595-650 °C (1100-1200 °F), gives the TQ50 condition: about 725 MPa (105 ksi) tensile and 195 HB against 585 MPa (85 ksi) and 170 HB as cast. Finish machine after heat treatment, because the quench moves the part.
- Can aluminum bronze be welded?
- Yes. C954 is one of the more weldable copper alloys: TIG and MIG with ERCuAl-A2 filler are used routinely to repair castings and to build up worn surfaces. Heavy sections can crack, so use a qualified procedure for preheat and interpass temperature. It does not solder well because of its tough aluminum oxide film.
- What is the difference between C954, C955 and C958 aluminum bronze?
- All three are cast aluminum bronzes. C954 (about 11% aluminum, 4% iron) is the general-purpose grade stocked as bar. C955 adds 3-5.5% nickel for more strength and hardness, for heavier-duty gears and bushings. C958 is nickel aluminum bronze with less aluminum (8.5-9.5%) and 4-5% nickel: somewhat weaker, but the best of the three in seawater, which is why pump, valve and propeller parts use it.
Processes that commonly use it
Related materials
Where to verify these values
- ASTM B505, ASTM B148 and ASTM B271
- Copper Development Association (CDA) alloy data for C95400 and its aluminum bronze publications
- ASM Handbook, Volume 2: Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials
- Continuous-cast bronze producer data sheets (National Bronze, Concast Metal Products, Ampco Metal)
