Different Types Of Materials Used For Industrial Cables

Any wire or cable has a conductor in the middle. Due to metal's strong conductivity, they are generally composed of metal. Certain metals, on the other hand, are more percent conductive than others. The major materials you'll find at the heart of your wire and cable are aluminium, copper, and high-strength alloys. However, because each of these has unique qualities, it's critical to understand how they might affect your future application.

To construct a good industrial cable wire, a good conductor should have the following characteristics:

●      The electrical conductivity is high.

●      It must have a high tensile strength to withstand mechanical loads.

●      a lower cost without sacrificing many other characteristics

●      fewer kilograms per cubic metre

 

A cable conductor must have a low resistivity to convey electrical current with as few losses as possible (or high conductivity). Copper and aluminium are the most often utilised cable conductor materials due to their low resistivity qualities and low cost. Silver has better resistivity qualities than these, but it is far too expensive as a precious metal.

 

The metals listed below are suitable for use as conductors:]

 

1. Copper:

 

Copper is more conductive and has a higher tensile strength than steel. As a result, copper in hard-drawn stranded form is a great choice for overhead wires. Copper has a high current density, meaning it can carry more current per unit cross-sectional area. As a result, copper conductors have a smaller cross-sectional area. Copper is also a durable metal with a high scrap value. Due to its increased cost and scarcity, copper is rarely used for overhead power lines.

 

2. Aluminium:

 

An aluminium wire rod has a diameter of 1.26 times that of a copper conductor with the same resistance, giving it 60% of copper's conductivity. On the other hand, an aluminium conductor is almost half the weight of a copper conductor. It has low tensile strength in comparison to copper. In terms of cost, conductivity, tensile strength, weight, and other factors, aluminium trumps copper. As a reason, overhead wires are frequently made of this metal.

  

3. Cadmium-copper alloys:

 

Cadmium-copper alloys contain 98 to 99 percent copper and up to 1.5 percent cadmium. When 1 per cent cadmium is added to copper, it boosts its tensile strength by 50% while lowering its conductivity by 15%. As a result, conductors made of cadmium copper can be used across exceptionally long distances. But, cadmium is very high in cost which is why it can be uneconomical for longer distances. 

 

 4. High Strength Alloys:  

 

Copper alloy conductors are preferred over copper-covered steel wires because they are significantly lighter in weight which is important in computer and aircraft cable and wire applications. They give great breaking strength and longer flex life with only a slight increase in DC resistance.

 

5. Other Metals:

 

A variety of other metals and alloys can conduct electricity. Even though silver is more conductive than copper, it is not practical in most situations due to its high cost. Galvanized steel can also be used as a conductor. Steel conductors, despite their high tensile strength, are not suitable for efficiently transferring electricity due to their poor conductivity and high resistance. In extreme cases, high-strength alloys like phosphor-bronze may be required.

 

These were a few materials used as conductors for industrial cable wiring. Cabcon India is one of the top cable manufacturers in India. Cabcon has established cutting-edge infrastructure that includes in-house facilities as well as high-speed, improved plants and machinery to help run and manage the entire team as well as manufacture and sell items in a timely and effective manner. To discover more about their products and services, go to their official website.