Precious Metal Silver 999 · temper · default condition
Precious Metal Silver 999-O
Properties of the O condition, compared with the other Silver 999 tempers.
Default stock condition for jewellery sheet/wire, deep forming, chasing, bezel work and electrical contacts requiring maximum conductivity and ductility.
What is Silver 999-O?
Silver 999-O is Silver 999 in the O temper — default stock condition for jewellery sheet/wire, deep forming, chasing, bezel work and electrical contacts requiring maximum conductivity and ductility. Silver 999-O has a yield strength of 55 MPa (7.98 ksi) and a tensile strength of 140 MPa (20.3 ksi) — weaker than 95% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 48% and the elastic modulus is 76 GPa (11 Msi). Silver 999-O has a density of 10.49 g/cm³ (0.379 lb/in³), heavier than 56% of precious metal grades. It melts at 962°C (1,763 °F).
Advantages
- Ductile — tolerates forming and impact — 48%, better than 100% of precious metal grades
- Conducts heat well — 429 W/m·K (247.9 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 100% of precious metal grades
- High electrical conductivity — 106 % IACS, better than 100% of precious metal grades
- Polishes to a fine finish — 98/100, better than 98% of precious metal grades
- Forms and bends easily — 98/100, better than 97% of precious metal grades
Limitations
- Low stiffness — 76 GPa (11 Msi), worse than 96% of precious metal grades
- Low strength — 55 MPa (7.98 ksi), worse than 95% of precious metal grades
Silver 999-O properties
Typical room-temperature values for Silver 999-O — 12 properties are specific to this condition; the rest are grade-level values shared by every Silver 999 temper. Each bar shows where the value sits among the precious metal grades in FabDigit's library — further right is higher.
Physical3
Silver 999-O has a density of 10.49 g/cm³ (0.379 lb/in³), heavier than 56% of precious metal grades. It melts at 962°C (1,763 °F).
Mechanical12
Silver 999-O has a yield strength of 55 MPa (7.98 ksi) and a tensile strength of 140 MPa (20.3 ksi) — weaker than 95% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 48% and the elastic modulus is 76 GPa (11 Msi).
Thermal6
Silver 999-O is rated for continuous service to 250°C (482 °F). It conducts heat at 429 W/m·K (247.9 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 100% of precious metal grades. Thermal expansion is 19.6 µm/m·K (10.9 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Silver 999-O conducts electricity at 106 % IACS, better than 100% of precious metal grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is very good (80/100), better than 50% of precious metal grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Silver 999-O takes about 1,550 MJ of energy and emits 96 kg of CO₂ — more than 56% of precious metal grades. Typical recycled content is 30%.
Manufacturability8
Silver 999-O's machinability is fair (40/100, worse than 60% of precious metal grades); weldability good (60/100); formability excellent (98/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Other Silver 999 tempers and conditions
Silver 999 is also supplied in 6 other conditions. The full side-by-side table is on the Silver 999 overview.
- ODefaultDefault stock condition for jewellery sheet/wire, deep forming, chasing, bezel work and electrical contacts requiring maximum conductivity and ductility.55 MPa yield · 25 HB
- H08Heavily drawn fine-silver wire/strip for springy contacts; near-zero remaining ductility, must be formed with generous radii.265 MPa yield · 85 HB
- H04Hard-drawn wire and hard strip for springy findings, contact wire and applications needing maximum strength without alloying.220 MPa yield · 75 HB
- H02Most common non-soft jewellery/technical temper: keeps shape in rings, findings and stampings while still bending without cracking.170 MPa yield · 62 HB
- H01Light cold work when soft sheet is too floppy but bending and raising must still be easy.130 MPa yield · 50 HB
- H00Fine silver (99.9 % Ag) lightly cold-worked to roughly 1/8-hard temper — slightly stiffer than annealed strip while retaining near-full ductility and >100 % IACS conductivity for contacts and formed parts.95 MPa yield · 38 HB
Working with Silver 999-O
Is Silver 999 easy to machine?
Very gummy and prone to smearing — use sharp polished high-rake carbide/HSS tools, high speed, light positive-rake cuts and generous lubrication; collect all chips for refining.
Can Silver 999 be welded?
Best joined by laser or resistance welding, or by silver brazing/soldering; the extreme thermal conductivity makes conventional arc welding wasteful and oxygen pickup causes porosity.
Can Silver 999 be formed, bent or molded?
Outstanding cold formability — deep drawing, raising, rolling to foil and drawing to fine wire; interanneal at 550–650 °C (quench or air cool) to restore dead-soft temper.
What surface finishes work on Silver 999?
Polishes to a mirror finish easily; protect against H2S tarnish with lacquer, anti-tarnish coatings or rhodium plating, and avoid pickling in sulfur-bearing media.
Silver 999 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cuprincipal residual | ≤ 0.08 | 0.03 |
| Pb | ≤ 0.03 | — |
| Fe | ≤ 0 | — |
| Bi | ≤ 0 | — |
| Se+Te | ≤ 0 | — |
| total impuritiesper ASTM B413 / GB/T 4135 grade IC-Ag99.90 | ≤ 0.1 | 0.05 |
| Ag999 fineness minimum; 99.99 (4N) grades also traded | ≥ 99.9 (balance) | — |
Silver 999-O — frequently asked
What is Silver 999-O used for?
Silver 999-O is typically used for electrical contacts and contact rivets, solar cell busbars and contacts, bullion bars, brazing filler and conductive paste feedstock, RF plating and waveguide liners and thermal interface and bonding foil. In short: pure fine silver.
What is the yield strength of Silver 999-O?
Silver 999-O has a typical yield strength of 55 MPa (7.98 ksi) and a tensile strength of 140 MPa (20.3 ksi) — weaker than 95% of precious metal grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 7 listed tempers.
Is Silver 999-O easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated fair (40/100, worse than 60% of precious metal grades). Very gummy and prone to smearing — use sharp polished high-rake carbide/HSS tools, high speed, light positive-rake cuts and generous lubrication; collect all chips for refining.
Can Silver 999-O be welded?
Yes — weldability is rated good (60/100). Best joined by laser or resistance welding, or by silver brazing/soldering; the extreme thermal conductivity makes conventional arc welding wasteful and oxygen pickup causes porosity.
What surface finishes work on Silver 999-O?
Polishes to a mirror finish easily; protect against H2S tarnish with lacquer, anti-tarnish coatings or rhodium plating, and avoid pickling in sulfur-bearing media.
Can Silver 999-O be formed, bent or molded?
Outstanding cold formability — deep drawing, raising, rolling to foil and drawing to fine wire; interanneal at 550–650 °C (quench or air cool) to restore dead-soft temper.
What is the maximum service temperature of Silver 999-O?
Silver 999-O is rated for continuous use to about 250°C (482 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
What is the difference between Silver 999-O and Silver 999-H08?
O is the default condition — default stock condition for jewellery sheet/wire, deep forming, chasing, bezel work and electrical contacts requiring maximum conductivity and ductility. H08: heavily drawn fine-silver wire/strip for springy contacts; near-zero remaining ductility, must be formed with generous radii. Yield strength is 55 MPa in O versus 265 MPa in H08.
Can FabDigit make parts in Silver 999-O?
Yes — Silver 999-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
- ASTM B413 — Standard Specification for Refined Silver — ASTM International (2019)
- GB/T 4135 — (Silver ingot) — SAC / (2016)
- ASTM B601 — Temper designations for copper and copper alloy wrought products (temper code convention) — ASTM International (2019)
- ASM Handbook Vol. 2 — Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials (pure silver) — ASM International (1990)
- ASM Specialty Handbook — Precious Metals and Their Alloys section — ASM International (1998)
- CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics — physical properties of silver — CRC Press (2020)
- Fine silver (999) sheet, wire and grain technical data — precious-metal fabricators (e.g. Hoover & Strong / Umicore) (2023)
- (SMM) / LBMA silver price — SMM / LBMA (2026)
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.