C11000 vs C12200 vs C10200 (T2 / TP2 / TU1): How to Choose the Right Copper Tube Grade

Specify the wrong copper tube grade and you pay twice: once when a brazed joint cracks in the field, and again when the replacement order ships. The good news is that choosing between the three most common copper tube grades — C11000, C12200, and C10200 — comes down to just two questions:

1. Will the tube be brazed or welded?

2. Does the drawing genuinely call for oxygen-free purity?

As a factory-direct copper tube manufacturer, we help buyers work through these two questions every week. This guide gives you the short answer first, then the reasoning behind it.

The Short Answer of C11000 vs C12200 vs C10200

• Fluid lines that will be brazed, flared, or bent — air conditioning, refrigeration, plumbing, heat exchangers → C12200 (TP2)

• Electrical conductors and busbar with mechanical or soft-soldered joints → C11000 (T2)

• Vacuum, electronics, semiconductor, or any spec that says "oxygen-free" → C10200 (TU1)

C11000 (T2): When Conductivity Rules — and When It Bites

C11000, electrolytic tough pitch copper, delivers the full ≈100% IACS conductivity that electrical designs assume, which makes it the default for busbar tubes, connectors, and general electrical work.

Its weakness hides in the oxygen it contains. Heat C11000 above roughly 370 °C in a hydrogen-rich (reducing) flame — exactly what happens during torch brazing — and hydrogen diffuses into the metal, reacts with the internal copper oxide, and forms steam pockets that crack the tube from the inside. This is hydrogen embrittlement, and it is why experienced fabricators never specify C11000 for joints that will be brazed or welded.

Choose C11000 when the tube carries current rather than fluid, and every joint is mechanical or soft-soldered. For available sizes and tempers, see our C11000 copper tube.

C12200 (TP2): The Industry Workhorse for ACR and Plumbing

C12200 solves the embrittlement problem at the source: a trace of phosphorus (0.015–0.040%) removes the oxygen during melting. The price is conductivity — phosphorus pulls it down to roughly 80–90% IACS — but for tubes that carry water or refrigerant rather than electrons, that trade costs nothing.

This is why virtually every major tube standard for fluid service is built on C12200 / Cu-DHP: ASTM B280 for air-conditioning and refrigeration lines, ASTM B88 and EN 1057 for plumbing, EN 12735 for European ACR systems. If your pure copper tube will be flared, bent, brazed, or welded in the field, C12200 is almost always the right answer — and the grade we produce in the largest volume.

C10200 (TU1): Oxygen-Free Copper for Vacuum and High-Purity Work

C10200 removes oxygen without adding phosphorus, preserving both weldability and full conductivity. That combination — plus outgassing behavior clean enough for vacuum systems — makes it the specification for electronics, vacuum devices, particle equipment, and some medical and cryogenic applications.

The premium is real, so buy it only when the application demands it. A common and costly error is specifying oxygen-free copper for ordinary refrigeration lines "to be safe" — C12200 performs identically there at a lower price.

Quick Selection Matrix of Copper Tube Grade

TP2, Cu-DHP, C1220: Matching Grade Names Across Markets

The same alloy travels under different names depending on which standard your drawing follows:

FAQ of C11000 vs C12200 vs C10200

Can I substitute C11000 for C12200 in air-conditioning lines?

No. AC lines are brazed during installation, and C11000's oxygen content makes brazed joints vulnerable to hydrogen embrittlement. Every ACR tube standard specifies phosphorus-deoxidized copper (C12200 / TP2) for exactly this reason.

What is the difference between T2 and TP2 copper?

T2 (C11000) is tough pitch copper: full conductivity, but oxygen-bearing, so it must not be brazed or welded. TP2 (C12200) is phosphorus-deoxidized: slightly lower conductivity, but completely safe to braze. For any tube joined by flame, specify TP2.

Is C12200's lower conductivity ever a problem?

Only in electrical applications. For heat transfer, the practical difference between C11000 and C12200 is negligible — fluid-side conditions dominate the thermal performance of a heat exchanger.

Is there a price difference between the three grades?

C11000 and C12200 track each other closely against the LME copper price; C10200 carries a purity premium. In most quotations, volume, size, and temper move the price more than the choice between the first two grades.