Precious Metal Pt950 · temper · default condition
Precious Metal Pt950-O
Properties of the O condition, compared with the other Pt950 tempers.
Pick 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.
What is Pt950-O?
Pt950-O is Pt950 in the O temper — pick 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. Pt950-O has a yield strength of 130 MPa (18.9 ksi) and a tensile strength of 310 MPa (45 ksi) — weaker than 72% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 35% and the elastic modulus is 172 GPa (24.9 Msi). Pt950-O 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).
Advantages
- Good corrosion resistance — 100/100, better than 98% of precious metal grades
- High service temperature — 1,200°C (2,192 °F), 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
- High embodied carbon — 16,000 kg CO₂/kg, worse than 96% 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
- Difficult to machine — 30/100, worse than 87% of precious metal grades
- Poor heat conductor — 40 W/m·K (23.1 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 86% of precious metal grades
Pt950-O properties
Typical room-temperature values for Pt950-O — 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-O 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-O has a yield strength of 130 MPa (18.9 ksi) and a tensile strength of 310 MPa (45 ksi) — weaker than 72% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 35% and the elastic modulus is 172 GPa (24.9 Msi).
Thermal6
Pt950-O is rated for continuous service to 1,200°C (2,192 °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-O 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-O 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-O's machinability is poor (30/100, worse than 87% of precious metal grades); weldability excellent (85/100); formability excellent (90/100).
Common Calculations5
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-O
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-O — frequently asked
What is Pt950-O used for?
Pt950-O 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-O?
Pt950-O has a typical yield strength of 130 MPa (18.9 ksi) and a tensile strength of 310 MPa (45 ksi) — weaker than 72% of precious metal grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 5 listed tempers.
Is Pt950-O easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated poor (30/100, worse than 87% 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-O 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-O?
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-O 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-O?
Pt950-O is rated for continuous use to about 1,200°C (2,192 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
Can FabDigit make parts in Pt950-O?
Yes — Pt950-O 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.