Ampco: Good material for water block?

[satanicoo]

With so many threads of copper vs alu, gonna ask here this one:

Is ampco a good material for watercooling?
http://www.ampcometal.com/

AFAICS, Copper is still better, Ampco is harder and softer to machinise, and other advantages, but overall i think Copper is better for WC block construction.

What do you think?

[Huckleberry]

To which Ampco alloy are you referring?

[satanicoo]

http://www.ampcometal.com/en/index.php?page=a940ext

[bobo5195]

much lower thermal conductivity than copper seems like a good reason for me.

It is the same as the AL trade off without the goop problems; for want of a better word. Easier machining vs better thermal conductivity and hence performance. I would think on a modern block solid thermal conductivity is important enough to warrant the use of copper.

A copper alloy is unlikily to be as thermally conductive as pure copper.

[bigben2k]

It's already mostly copper, with 2.5% (by weight? by volume?) nickel.

Seems fine to me. The only problem I foresee is the price.

[Susquehannock]

Originally Posted by bigben2k

It's already mostly copper, with 2.5% (by weight? by volume?) nickel.

Seems fine to me. The only problem I foresee is the price.

Metallurgy is not as simple as that. Even a fractional amount of alloy can change
the properties of the metal entirely. That goes for thermal efficiency too.

With that said ... Ampcoloy 940 is advertised to have a thermal efficiency rating a
bit higher than Aluminum.

[Eddy_EK]

Copper has 380 W/m K conductivity, and your referring material has 208 W/m K.

[Susquehannock]

Originally Posted by Eddy_EK

Copper has 380 W/m K conductivity, and your referring material has 208 W/m K.

That would put the referring material just above Aluminum = 205W/m K. Thanks for the confirmation Eddy.

So I guess the real decision to use copper or not depends on how critical the machinability & other
advantages of Ampco are critical to your design.

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by Susquehannock

That would put the referring material just above Aluminum = 205W/m K. Thanks for the confirmation Eddy.

So I guess the real decision to use copper or not depends on how critical the machinability & other
advantages of Ampco are critical to your design.

Price to. If the added cost in machining copper over "Ampco" is less than the added cost of "Ampco" over copper then you just aswell use copper.