Verified by Rachel Mayfield, Supply Chain Analyst - August 2026
Copper (C101/CW004A high-conductivity copper): typical engineering properties at room temperature. These are representative handbook and datasheet values - composition, temper and product form move real figures, so for design work use the supplier's certified datasheet. For quick sizing, comparison and sanity checks, the table below is what you need.
Copper properties
| Property | Typical value | Unit |
|---|
| Density | 8,960 | kg/m3 |
| Melting range | 1,083-1,085 C | |
| Thermal conductivity | 390-400 | W/m K |
| Thermal expansion | 16.5-17 | x10-6 /K |
| Specific heat | 385 | J/kg K |
| Elastic modulus (E) | 117-130 | GPa |
| Tensile strength | 200-250 MPa annealed, up to 400 hard-drawn | |
Where copper is used
Typical applications: busbars, heat exchangers, earthing, plumbing tube and anywhere conductivity is the point.
What to know before specifying it
Copper's thermal conductivity is eight times mild steel's and its electrical conductivity sets the standard everything else is measured against (IACS). Structurally it is soft and heavy - specify it for what it conducts, not what it carries.