Conductor Facts: Advantage Alloy

Copper, the traditional material for wire and cable conductors, has the highest electrical conductivity of any metal except silver. Copper also has one of the lowest tensile strengths when soft. When cold worked to a hard temper the mechanical strength of copper wire doubles, but softens readily when exposed to elevated processing or operating temperatures. As an electrical conductor copper is excellent. When mechanical properties are required, copper is found wanting. 

Copper alloys combine copper as the dominant element with other elements in lesser amounts resulting in an engineered set of properties. Copper alloys for electrical conductors are designed to balance several competing engineering attributes: tensile strength, electrical conductivity, elongation, thermal stability and mechanical processing. Currently available conductor alloys each possess specific properties suited to different conductor demands and applications.

Alloy Characteristics

• Percon 28
• Extra high strength, high conductivity, high elongation, and excellent resistance to thermal softening.
• Percon 24 or C18135
• High strength, high conductivity, high elongation, and excellent resistance to thermal softening.
• Percon 17 or Cadmium Copper C162 (Soft Temper)
• Good strength, good conductivity, good elongation and good resistance to thermal softening.
• Percon 19 or Cadmium Copper C162 (Hard Temper)
• High strength, good conductivity, low elongation and good resistance to thermal softening.
• Hard 40% Copper Clad Steel
• High strength, low conductivity, low elongation and good resistance to thermal softening.
• HS-95
• Ultra high strength, moderate conductivity, high elongation and good resistance to thermal softening.

Percon^® is a registered trademark of Fisk Alloy, Inc.

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