Conductor Materials

 Conductor Materials

• • Aluminum

  • Copper

  • Steel

  • High-Strength Metal Alloys

Aluminum:

Lightweight, affordable, and versatile, aluminum conductors are suitable for various applications. However, they are less conductive than copper or metal alloys.

Copper:

Copper conductors offer excellent conductivity, affordability, and versatility. Bare copper is commonly used, but tinned or silver-coated conductors enhance performance.

Steel:

Steel conductors are less common but provide exceptional mechanical strength. Copper-clad steel is often used for grounding or applications requiring high durability.

High-Strength Metal Alloys:

Made from multiple metallic elements, high-strength alloys combine strength and conductivity. They are typically silver-plated or nickel-plated for enhanced performance.

Conductor Coatings

Conductors can be coated with other metals to improve electrical properties and durability:

 Silver-Plated Conductors

Silver, the most conductive metal, is rarely used for entire conductors due to its high cost.

Silver-plating enhances conductivity and widens the operating temperature range (-65°C to 200°C), making it ideal for aerospace applications.

 Nickel-Plated Conductors

Nickel coating increases corrosion resistance and expands the operating temperature range (up to 750°C).

Nickel-plating also adds mechanical toughness for cables exposed to extreme conditions.

Tinned Conductors

Tinning improves water resistance, conductivity, and solderability.

Tinned conductors are more expensive but last longer than non-tinned conductors.

Different tinning types meet specific application requirements, including:

•     Tinned: Individual strands coated with tin
•     Heavy Tinned: Thick tin coating for high-frequency induction heaters
•     Prefused or Pre-bond: Twisted strands fused with heavy tin coating
•     Overcoat: Tinned strands covered with an overall tin coating
•     Topcoat: Bare strands twisted and coated with overall tin