Nonferrous Metal Designations
with an average carbon content of 1.00 percent (last
three digits).
Nonferrous metals are generally grouped
Navy blueprints and the drawings of equipment
according to their alloying elements. Examples of
furnished in the manufacturers' technical manuals
these groups are brass, bronze, copper-nickel, and
usually specify materials by federal or military
nickel-copper. Specific designations of an alloy are
specification numbers. For example, the coupling on
described by the amounts and chemical symbols of
a particular oil burner is identified as cast steel, class
the alloying elements. For example, a copper-nickel
B, MIL-S-15083. This particular cast steel does not
alloy might be described as copper-nickel, 70
h a v e a designation under any other metal
Cu-30 Ni. The 70 Cu represents the percentage
identification systems because there are no
of copper, and the 30 Ni represents the percentage
chemically similar castings. On the other hand, a
of nickel.
valve stem designated MIL-S-862, class 410 (a
The following list contains common alloying
chromium stainless steel) may be cross referenced to
several other systems. Some of the chemically
elements and their symbols:
similar designations for MIL-S-862, class 410 are as
Aluminum . . . . . . . . . Al
follows:
Carbon . . . . . . . . . . . C
SAE = J405 (51410)
Chromium . . . . . . . . . Cr
Federal Spec. = QQ-S-763(410)
Cobalt . . . . . . . . . . . Co
Copper . . . . . . . . . . . Cu
AISI = 410
Iron. . . . . . . . . . . . . Fe
ASTM = A176(410)
Lead . . . . . . . . . . . . Pb
ASM = 5504
Manganese . . . . . . . . . Mn
ASME = SA194
Molybdenum . . . . . . . . Mo
Nickel . . . . . . . . . . . Ni
is a very useful book to use when cross referencing
Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . P
numbers.
Silicon . . . . . . . . . . . Si
Sulphur . . . . . . . . . . . S
Table 3-2.--Aluminum and Aluminum Alloy Classifications
Tin . . . . . . . . . . . . Sn
Percent of Aluminum
Numbers
Titanium . . . . . . . . . . Ti
Alloy
Aluminum
99.00 percent pure
1xxx
Tungsten . . . . . . . . . . W
2xxx
Vanadium . . . . . . . . . V
Copper
Zinc . . . . . . . . . . . . Zn
3xxx
Silicon
In addition to the designations previously
4xxx
described, a trade name (such as Monel or Inconel) is
Magnesium
5xxx
sometimes used to designate certain alloys.
Magnesium and
6xxx
The Aluminum Association uses a four-digit
Silicon
designation system similar to the SAE/AISI system
Zinc
7xxx
described for steels. The numerals assigned, with
their meaning for the first digits of this system, are
Other
8xxx
listed in table 3-2.
Unused
9xxx
The first digit identifies the major alloying
element, and the second digit indicates alloy
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