About Copper Wire (Milberry)
Copper is considered a ductile metal with a high thermal and electrical conductivity. Copper is used as a conductor for heat and electricity. Copper is also used as a building material and in the production of various metal alloys.
A copper wire is a single electrical conductor made of copper. It can be insulated or uninsulated. A copper cable is a group of two or more copper wires bundled together in a single sheath or jacket. Copper wire and cable is used in power generation, power transmission, power distribution, telecommunications, electronics circuitry, and countless types of electrical equipment. It has been useful ever since telegraphs and electromagnets were invented. Copper is the most widely used conductor in many kinds of electrical wiring. Copper has the lowest resistance to the flow of electricity of all non-precious metals. Electrical wiring in buildings is the most important market for the copper industry. About half of all copper mined is used to make electrical wire and cable conductors.
Properties of copper useful for the copper wire Electrical conductivity Tensile strength Ductility Strength and ductility combination Creep resistance - the copper does not change a lot because of heat Corrosion resistance Coefficient of thermal expansion Thermal conductivity Solderability Ease of installation
Copper has been used in electrical wiring since the invention of the electromagnet and the telegraph in the 1820s. The invention of the telephone in 1876 created further demand for copper wire as an electrical conductor.
Copper is the electrical conductor in many categories of electrical wiring. Copper wire is used in power generation, power transmission, power distribution, telecommunications, electronics circuitry, and countless types of electrical equipment. Copper and its alloys are also used to make electrical contacts. Electrical wiring in buildings is the most important market for the copper industry.Roughly half of all copper mined is used to manufacture electrical wire and cable conductors.
Atomic Symbol: Cu Atomic Number: 29
A copper cable consists of two or more copper wires running side by side and bonded, twisted or braided together to form a single assembly. Electrical cables may be made more flexible by stranding the wires.
Copper wires in a cable may be bare or they may be plated to reduce oxidation with a thin layer of another metal, most often tin but sometimes gold or silver. Plating may lengthen wire life and makes soldering easier. Twisted pair and coaxial cables are designed to inhibit electromagnetic interference, prevent radiation of signals, and to provide transmission lines with defined characteristics. Shielded cables are encased in foil or wire mesh.
Electrolytic-tough pitch (ETP) copper, a high-purity copper that contains oxygen as an alloying agent, represents the bulk of electrical conductor applications because of its high electrical conductivity and improved annealability. ETP copper is used for power transmission, power distribution, and telecommunications. Common applications include building wire, motor windings, electrical cables, and busbars. Oxygen-free coppers are used to resist hydrogen embrittlement when extensive amounts of cold work is needed, and for applications requiring higher ductility (e.g., telecommunications cable). When hydrogen embrittlement is a concern and low electrical resistivity is not required, phosphorus may be added to copper.