Precious Metal Pt950 · supply condition
Precious Metal Pt950 Cold Worked
Properties of the Cold Worked condition, compared with the other Pt950 tempers.
Choose the hard temper from roughly 40–60 % cold reduction for spring wire, prongs, electrode wire and fine tubing needing 560 MPa yield and wear resistance; elongation falls to 3 %.
What is Pt950 Cold Worked?
Pt950 Cold Worked is Pt950 supplied in the Cold Worked condition — choose the hard temper from roughly 40–60 % cold reduction for spring wire, prongs, electrode wire and fine tubing needing 560 MPa yield and wear resistance; elongation falls to 3 %. Pt950 Cold Worked has a yield strength of 560 MPa (81.2 ksi) and a tensile strength of 650 MPa (94.3 ksi) — stronger than 97% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 3% and the elastic modulus is 172 GPa (24.9 Msi). Pt950 Cold Worked has a density of 20.1 g/cm³ (0.726 lb/in³), heavier than 94% of precious metal grades. It melts at 1,755°C (3,191 °F). O is the default condition FabDigit quotes; Cold Worked is available on request or by drawing note.
Advantages
- Good corrosion resistance — 100/100, better than 98% of precious metal grades
- High strength — 560 MPa (81.2 ksi), better than 97% of precious metal grades
- Readily welded — 85/100, better than 93% of precious metal grades
- Stiff — 172 GPa (24.9 Msi), better than 89% of precious metal grades
- Polishes to a fine finish — 95/100, better than 86% of precious metal grades
Limitations
- Limited ductility — 3%, worse than 96% of precious metal grades
- High embodied carbon — 16,000 kg CO₂/kg, worse than 96% of precious metal grades
- Limited formability — 25/100, worse than 95% of precious metal grades
- Heavy — 20.1 g/cm³ (0.726 lb/in³), worse than 94% of precious metal grades
- Low electrical conductivity — 7.2 % IACS, worse than 88% of precious metal grades
Pt950 Cold Worked properties
Typical room-temperature values for Pt950 Cold Worked — 10 properties are specific to this condition; the rest are grade-level values shared by every Pt950 temper. Each bar shows where the value sits among the precious metal grades in FabDigit's library — further right is higher.
Physical3
Pt950 Cold Worked has a density of 20.1 g/cm³ (0.726 lb/in³), heavier than 94% of precious metal grades. It melts at 1,755°C (3,191 °F).
Mechanical11
Pt950 Cold Worked has a yield strength of 560 MPa (81.2 ksi) and a tensile strength of 650 MPa (94.3 ksi) — stronger than 97% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 3% and the elastic modulus is 172 GPa (24.9 Msi).
Thermal6
Pt950 Cold Worked is rated for continuous service to 400°C (752 °F). It conducts heat at 40 W/m·K (23.1 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 86% of precious metal grades. Thermal expansion is 9 µm/m·K (5 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Pt950 Cold Worked conducts electricity at 7.2 % IACS, worse than 88% of precious metal grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is excellent (100/100), better than 98% of precious metal grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Pt950 Cold Worked takes about 250,000 MJ of energy and emits 16,000 kg of CO₂ — more than 95% of precious metal grades. Typical recycled content is 35%.
Manufacturability8
Pt950 Cold Worked's machinability is fair (45/100, better than 59% of precious metal grades); weldability excellent (85/100); formability poor (25/100).
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Other Pt950 tempers and conditions
Pt950 is also supplied in 4 other conditions. The full side-by-side table is on the Pt950 overview.
- ODefaultPick the annealed, recrystallized temper as standard stock for sheet, strip, wire and tube: 35 % elongation suits stamping, drawing, stone setting and further cold forming, at the lowest strength.130 MPa yield · 105 HB
- Cold WorkedChoose the hard temper from roughly 40–60 % cold reduction for spring wire, prongs, electrode wire and fine tubing needing 560 MPa yield and wear resistance; elongation falls to 3 %.560 MPa yield · 235 HB
- As PrintedPick laser powder-bed fusion as-printed for openwork or bionic jewellery and small medical parts; fine grain raises hardness, but residual stress and micro-porosity call for stress relief plus HIP.240 MPa yield · 140 HV
Working with Pt950 Cold Worked
Is Pt950 easy to machine?
Highly prone to sticking and built-up edge: use sharp positive-rake carbide or diamond tools at high speed and low feed with generous lubrication. Recover all chips and grinding dust for refining.
Can Pt950 be welded?
Laser spot welding, pulsed TIG and oxy-hydrogen torch welding all perform well and can be run autogenously without flux. Avoid Pb, Bi, S and Si contamination and contact with silicon-bearing refractories, which cause high-temperature embrittlement.
Can Pt950 be formed, bent or molded?
Cold formability in the annealed temper is excellent, above 90 % deformation, with interstage anneals at 900–1000 °C. Casting requires vacuum or centrifugal equipment, zirconia or yttria shells and a pouring temperature of about 1850–1900 °C.
What surface finishes work on Pt950?
Takes a mirror polish directly and needs no plating; sandblasting, brushing and laser engraving are all practical. Use dust extraction during polishing to recover precious metal fines.
Pt950 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 |
|---|---|---|
| RuPt950Ru: most common wrought/cast jewellery variant | 0 – 5 | 5 |
| IrPt950Ir (Pt-Ir 950): best ductility; wire, electrodes, medical | 0 – 5 | — |
| CoPt950Co: best casting flow, high as-cast hardness, weakly magnetic | 0 – 5 | — |
| CuPt950Cu: lower cost, medium hardness, common in EU/Asia jewellery | 0 – 5 | — |
| PdPt950Pd: soft, easily worked; used for prongs and solder joints | 0 – 5 | — |
| WPt950W: high-hardness wrought variant | 0 – 5 | — |
| other (total)Fe, Si, Pb, Bi limited; Pb/Bi cause high-temp embrittlement | 0 – 0.15 | — |
| PtPt950 / 950 hallmark requires at least 95.0 wt% platinum | ≥ 95 (balance) | — |
Pt950 Cold Worked — frequently asked
What is Pt950 Cold Worked used for?
Pt950 Cold Worked is typically used for bridal jewelry and wedding bands, watch cases and bezels, laboratory crucibles and dishes, electrodes, thermocouple sheaths and medical implant components. In short: premium platinum jewelry alloy.
What is the yield strength of Pt950 Cold Worked?
Pt950 Cold Worked has a typical yield strength of 560 MPa (81.2 ksi) and a tensile strength of 650 MPa (94.3 ksi) — stronger than 97% of precious metal grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 5 listed tempers.
Is Pt950 Cold Worked easy to machine?
Reasonably — machinability is rated fair (45/100, better than 59% of precious metal grades). Highly prone to sticking and built-up edge: use sharp positive-rake carbide or diamond tools at high speed and low feed with generous lubrication. Recover all chips and grinding dust for refining.
Can Pt950 Cold Worked be welded?
Yes — weldability is rated excellent (85/100). Laser spot welding, pulsed TIG and oxy-hydrogen torch welding all perform well and can be run autogenously without flux. Avoid Pb, Bi, S and Si contamination and contact with silicon-bearing refractories, which cause high-temperature embrittlement.
What surface finishes work on Pt950 Cold Worked?
Takes a mirror polish directly and needs no plating; sandblasting, brushing and laser engraving are all practical. Use dust extraction during polishing to recover precious metal fines.
Can Pt950 Cold Worked be formed, bent or molded?
Cold formability in the annealed temper is excellent, above 90 % deformation, with interstage anneals at 900–1000 °C. Casting requires vacuum or centrifugal equipment, zirconia or yttria shells and a pouring temperature of about 1850–1900 °C.
What is the maximum service temperature of Pt950 Cold Worked?
Pt950 Cold Worked is rated for continuous use to about 400°C (752 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
Can FabDigit make parts in Pt950 Cold Worked?
Yes — Pt950 Cold Worked is available for CNC machining and sheet metal with instant online pricing. Upload a STEP file to get a price and a DFM check.
Sources
- ASM Handbook Vol.2: Properties and Selection — Nonferrous Alloys (Precious Metals) — ASM International (1990)
- ASM Handbook Vol.13B: Corrosion — Materials (Platinum Group Metals) — ASM International (2005)
- Platinum jewellery alloy data (Pt950Ru / Pt950Ir / Pt950Co) — Johnson Matthey / PGM refiners (2021)
- ASTM B684 / B561 — Platinum and platinum alloy products — ASTM (2019)
- Precious metal LCA / embodied energy datasets — Granta / ecoinvent (2022)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.