Metal Glossary

Temper

A term used to describe the degree of work hardening in a cold worked, usually rolled, material. The range is from “fully annealed” to “fully hard”. For Alpha Brasses the intermediate quarter hard or half hard tempers are usually achieved by temper annealing fully hard material. Copper sheet and strip can be given the correct temper by temper rolling, starting with fully annealed material.

Related terms: Annealing

Tough Pitch Copper

An obsolete term for Copper that has been cast with a deliberate Oxygen addition (typically 0.01 % - 0.05%) to improve electrical conductivity. The metal may have first been either the electrolytically or fire refined.