ISO 197-5:1980

ISO 197-5:1980 - Overview

ISO 197-5:1980 is an international vocabulary standard from ISO/TC 26 (Copper and copper alloys) that defines terms related to methods of processing and heat treatment for copper and copper alloys. Published in 1980 as Part 5 of ISO 197, the document provides clear, standardized definitions for commonly used processing and treatment operations - helping ensure consistent communication across industry, testing laboratories, procurement and documentation.

Key topics and definitions

This part of ISO 197 covers terminology for mechanical and thermal processing. Important terms defined (paraphrased from the standard) include:

• Hot working - plastic deformation carried out at temperatures where strain hardening does not occur.
• Cold working - plastic deformation at temperatures that produce strain hardening.
• Strain hardening - the increase in strength and hardness resulting from cold working.
• Annealing - thermal treatment to soften metal by removing strain hardening through recrystallization or precipitate coalescence.
• Partial annealing - thermal treatment to reduce strength properties of a cold-worked product to a controlled level.
• Temper - a specified state after mechanical/thermal processing that yields characteristic properties.
• Homogenizing - heating to high temperature to reduce chemical segregation by diffusion.
• Solution heat treatment - heating to dissolve soluble constituents into a supersaturated solid solution, often followed by quenching.
• Natural ageing - spontaneous room-temperature precipitation strengthening of a supersaturated solution.
• Artificial ageing (precipitation heat treatment) - thermal ageing above room temperature to produce strengthening by precipitation.
• Quenching - rapid cooling from elevated temperature to retain soluble constituents in solid solution; also used for fast cooling after annealing or hot working.
• Stress relieving - treatment to reduce residual stresses without causing recrystallization or dimensional change.

Practical applications

ISO 197-5:1980 is a vocabulary and reference tool used to:

• Standardize terminology in technical specifications, material data sheets and test reports for copper products.
• Guide design, production and QA engineers in metalworking and heat-treatment operations.
• Support procurement, inspection and certification by ensuring consistent term usage across suppliers and clients.
• Assist educators, standards writers and translators working with copper metallurgy documentation.

Who should use it

• Metallurgists and materials engineers
• Heat-treating and fabrication shops
• Quality assurance and inspection personnel
• Standards developers and technical writers
• Purchasing and specification authors

Related standards

ISO 197-5 is one part of the ISO 197 vocabulary series for copper and copper alloys and was prepared by ISO/TC 26. Use this part together with other parts of ISO 197 and relevant product or test standards for full technical and specification context.

Keywords: ISO 197-5:1980, copper, copper alloys, processing, heat treatment, hot working, cold working, annealing, quenching, strain hardening, solution heat treatment.