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Designation: B 63 – 90 (Reapproved 1995)e1 An American National Standard
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MATERIALS
100 Barr Harbor Dr., West Conshohocken, PA 19428
Reprinted from the Annual Book of ASTM Standards. Copyright ASTM

Standard Test Method for

Resistivity of Metallically Conducting Resistance and
Contact Materials 1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation B 63; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of original
adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A superscript
epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

e1 NOTE—Section 14 was added editorially in June 1995.

1. Scope section and length will have a required resistance. It serves as

1.1 This test method covers the determination, to a precision one basis for the selection of materials for specific applications
of 2 %, of the electrical resistivity of materials used in and its measurement is a necessary acceptance test for
resistors, heating elements, and electrical contacts, as well as resistance materials.
products of powder metallurgy processes which are used for 4.2 In the case of materials for electrical contacts, the
other purposes. measurement of resistivity can serve as a test for uniformity of
materials of nominally the same composition and structure.
NOTE 1—For determining the resistivity of electrical conductors, see
Test Method B 193. 5. Apparatus
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the 5.1 Means for applying current and voltage terminals to the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the specimen are specified in Section 9. An optional suitable
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- specimen holder for nonductile materials is shown in Fig. 1.
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- 5.2 A suitable bridge, potentiometer, digital ohmmeter, or
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. equivalent, with necessary accessories for making resistance
measurements with a limit of error of less than 0.5 %.
2. Referenced Documents 5.3 Means for measuring the dimensions of the specimen,
2.1 ASTM Standards: adequate to determine its length and its mean area of cross
B 193 Test Method for Resistivity of Electrical Conductor section, each within 0.5 %.
Materials2
6. Test Specimen
3. Terminology 6.1 Ductile Materials—The test specimen for ductile
3.1 Definitions: materials, including those used for contacts, shall be in the
3.1.1 resistivity—that property of a material which deter- form of a wire or a strip. In order to determine the resistivity
mines its resistance to the flow of an electric current, expressed with a precision of 2 %, it is necessary that the resistance,
as: cross-sectional area, and length shall be measured with a limit
r 5 RA/L (1) of error within 0.5 %. To ensure this limit of error each test
specimen shall conform to the following:
where R is the resistance in ohms of a specimen of the 6.1.1 It shall have a length of at least 30 cm (1 ft),
material of uniform cross section A and of a length L. In 6.1.2 It shall have a resistance of at least 0.001 V,
reporting values of resistivity under this test A shall be 6.1.3 If the cross section is to be determined by direct
expressed in square centimetres and L in centimetres. measurement, the diameter of a wire specimen or the thickness
4. Significance and Use of a strip specimen shall not be less than the limits defined by
the 0.5 % criteria of 6.1, and this dimension throughout the
4.1 In the case of materials for resistors and heating length of the specimen shall not vary by more than 3 %, and
elements, a knowledge of resistivity is important in 6.1.4 It shall show no surface cracks or other defects
determining whether wire or strip of a specified area of cross observable with normal vision, and shall be free from surface
oxide.
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee B-4 on Metallic 6.2 Nonductile Materials—The test specimen for nonductile
Materials for Thermostats and for Electrical Resistance, Heating, and Contacts and materials shall be made in accordance with Fig. 2 if the
is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee B04.01 on Electrical Heating and material is readily machinable. For materials which are not
Resistance.
Current edition approved May 25, 1990. Published July 1990. Originally
readily machinable, such as those containing graphite, a flat
published as B 63 – 26 T. Last previous edition B 63 – 81. strip may be used as a test specimen. In order to determine the
2
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 02.03. resistivity with a precision of 2 %, each specimen shall

1
 B 63

Description Dimensions, in. (mm) Material Number

Item
Required
1 Base block ⁄ by 3 by 4 (12.7 by 76.2 by 101.6)
12 micarta 1
2 Clamp block ⁄ by 1 by 1 (19.0 by 25.4 by 25.4)
34 copper 2
3 Current lead clamp screw, knurled head 10⁄32 by 3⁄16 brass 2
4 Specimen clamp screw, knurled head 1⁄4 in. by 40 by 1 in. brass 2
5 Pivot bracket 1⁄2 by 15⁄16 by 17⁄16 (12.7 by 23.8 by 36.5) steel 2
6 Pivot ... steel 2
7 Pivot block 1⁄2 by 23⁄32by 3 (12.7 by 53.2 by 76.2) micarta 1
8 Potential knife-edge ... steel 2 sets
9 Specimen being tested ... ... ...

NOTE 1—Contact surfaces must be clean and free of visible oxide.

FIG. 1 Specimen Holder for Nonductile Materials

conform to the following:

6.2.1 The diameter of a specimen (Fig. 2), or the thickness
and width of a strip specimen, shall be uniform within 1 %, and
6.2.2 It shall show no surface cracks or other defects
observable with normal vision, and shall be free from surface
oxide.
7. Length Measurements
7.1 The length may be measured by any scale which will
give an accuracy of 0.5 % in the length measured. In case NOTE—Metric equivalents are as follows.
potential leads are used, the length shall be taken between the
potential contacts. In the direction of the length of specimen, in. mm in. mm
the dimension of each potential contact, including soldering
0.010 0.25 0.438 11.12
surface or clamp contact area, shall not be more than 0.5 % of 0.012 0.30 2.000 50.80
the distance between the potential contacts. In the case of the 0.187 4.75 2.375 60.32
specimen holder for nonductile materials shown in Fig. 1, the 0.188 4.78 3.250 82.55
0.237 6.01
distance between the potential contacts may be found by
measuring from the outside flat of one potential knife edge to FIG. 2 Resistivity Test Specimen for Machinable Nonductile
Materials
the outside flat of the other. A micrometer shall be used for

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 B 63
measuring this length. provided with both current and potential leads. The minimum
distance between each potential contact and the adjacent
8. Cross-Sectional Area Measurements
current lead shall be at least three times the diameter of the
8.1 In general, the diameter of a specimen of circular cross wire or the width of the strip. Current shall be introduced into
section, or the thickness and width of a strip specimen, shall be the specimen with current leads amply large to minimize
determined by micrometer measurements, and a sufficient heating of the specimen. Specimens with a resistance greater
number of measurements shall be made to obtain the mean than 10 V do not require potential leads, though they may be
cross section to within 0.5 %. used, if desired.
8.2 In case the diameter of the cylinder or the thickness of
the strip cannot be measured to give the above accuracy with 10. Resistance Measurements
the micrometer available, determine the cross section from the 10.1 Resistance of specimens provided with potential leads
weight, density, and length of specimen. shall be measured with a Kelvin bridge, potentiometer, digital
8.3 When the density is unknown, it may be determined as ohmmeter, or equivalent capable of measuring the resistance
follows: between the potential contacts with a limit of error within
8.3.1 For nonporous materials first weigh a sample of at 0.5 %. Specimens with a resistance of more than 1 V may be
least 10 g in air and then in water. The density in grams per measured with a limit of error within 0.5 % by means of a
cubic centimetre is equivalent to the weight in air divided by suitable Wheatstone bridge.
the loss of weight due to submergence in water. The water shall
be at room temperature to avoid errors due to convection 11. Heating of Specimen
currents. For the accuracy required, no corrections are 11.1 In all resistance measurements, the measuring current
necessary for the temperature of the water or for the buoyancy raises the temperature of the specimen above that of the
of the air. However, exercise care to remove all air bubbles surrounding medium. If this is sufficient to change the
from the specimen when weighing it in water. To remove air resistance by 0.5 %, a correction shall be made. In general, the
bubbles from a specimen of fine wire, dip the wire, in the form smallest current that will give the sensitivity necessary to
of a loosely wound coil, in alcohol and rinse in water before measure to 0.5 % of the resistance shall be used. A convenient
immersing it in the water to be used in weighing. Then test to determine whether a correction should be applied is to
calculate the density from the following equation: increase the current to 1.4 times the value it had when the
D 5 B/~B 2 E! (2) measurement was made (Note 2) and then to measure the
resulting change in resistance. If this change is as large as
where: 0.5 % of the measured value, a correction should be made. For
D 5 density, g/cm3, a material which has a positive temperature coefficient of
B 5 weight of specimen in air, g, and resistance, the resistance at the temperature of the surrounding
E 5 weight of specimen in water, g. medium shall be obtained by subtracting the measured change
The cross-sectional area, A, in square centimetres, may be from the resistance as measured with the smaller current. For
found from the equation: material with a negative temperature coefficient, this difference
A 5 ~B 2 E!/L (3) shall be added to the resistance obtained by measurements with
8.3.2 For porous materials such as products of powder the smaller current.
metallurgy, weigh a specimen of at least 10 g in air. Immerse NOTE 2—Increasing the current to 1.4 times the value it had when the
the specimen for at least 4 h in oil (viscosity of approximately measurement was made serves to very nearly double the heating effect,
200 SUS at 37.8°C (100°F), held at a temperature of 82.2 6 and, for small changes in temperature, the rise in temperature.
5.5°C (180 6 10°F). Then cool the specimen to room
12. Report
temperature by immersing it in oil at room temperature. After
removing excess oil from the specimen by means of a soft 12.1 Report the following information:
cloth, weigh the specimen in air and then in water. Calculate 12.1.1 Identification of test specimen,
the density from the equation: 12.1.2 Kind of material,
12.1.3 Temperature of surrounding medium,
D 5 B/~C 2 E! (4)
12.1.4 Length of specimen used,
where: 12.1.5 Method of obtaining cross-sectional area:
D 5 density, g/cm3, 12.1.5.1 If by micrometer, a record of all micrometer
B 5 weight of the unimpregnated specimen in air, g, readings, including average values and calculated cross-
C 5 weight of the specimen impregnated with oil (in air), sectional area,
g, and 12.1.5.2 If by weighing, a record of length, mass and density
E 5 weight of the impregnated specimen in water, g. determinations and calculated cross-sectional area,
The cross-sectional area, A, in square centimetres, may be 12.1.6 Method of measuring resistance,
found from the equation: 12.1.7 Value of resistance,
A 5 ~C 2 E!/L (5) 12.1.8 Calculated value of electrical resistivity, and
12.1.9 Previous mechanical and thermal treatments. (Since
9. Leads the resistivity of a material usually depends upon them, these
9.1 Specimens with a resistance of less than 10 V shall be shall be stated whenever the information is available.)

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 B 63
13. Precision and Bias 14. Keywords
13.1 The precision of this test method is within 2 %. 14.1 contact materials; electrical conductors; heating
13.2 The bias of this test method is less than 1 %. elements; resistivity; resistors; specific resistance

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