Electricity & Energy
Weight for weight, outside of precious metals, copper is the best conductor of electricity and heat, it is hardly surprising that about 60% of total copper use is for these purposes.
Copper is used in high, medium and low voltage power networks, and copper conductivity is considered to be the standard to which other conductors are compared. Blister copper is 96-99% pure, but there is a way to purify it further, through a technique called electrolysis. The unique combination of strength, ductility and resistance to creep and corrosion establishes this non-ferrous metal as the preferred and safest conductor for wiring in buildings. As an essential component of energy-efficient motors and transformers, it is used in a multiplicity of applications in manufacturing industries, all forms of transport and the domestic environment.
Wire & Cables
Aluminum cables are being replaced with copper ones, because copper conductivity is twice that of aluminum, making copper cables extremely energy efficient, thus helping reduce energy consumption on a global level.
Copper wire has long been the preferred conductor material in the majority of cables used for power and telecommunications. Having high conductivity combined with a ductility that makes it easy to draw down to close-tolerance diameters, it can also be readily soldered to make economic, durable connections. It is compatible with all modern insulation materials but its good oxidation resistance means that it can also be used without any surface protection.
Insulation can be of lacquer or enamel types used for winding wires or of polymers for energy cables. Lacquers permit close spacing of windings to give best efficiency in the coils of motors, transformers and chokes.
Busbars
Busbars are robust conductors that function as electrical manifolds to distribute power from a single source to several users. Because of its good conductivity, strength, ductility and resistance to oxidation, copper is the most obvious material to specify for the manufacture of busbars.
High conductivity copper billets are hot extruded into a regular cross section, followed by drawing down to the necessary finished size.
Transformer and motor windings
Copper used for the manufacture of transformer windings is in the form of wire for small products and strip for larger equipments.
For small products, such as magnet wire, the wire must be strong enough to be wound without breakage, yet flexible enough to give close-packed windings. Strip products must be of good surface quality so that insulating enamels do not break down under voltage. Good ductility is essential for the strip to be formed and packed while good strength is needed to withstand the high electro-mechanical stresses set up under occasional short-circuit conditions.
The properties needed for motor windings are similar to those needed for transformers, but with the additional requirement to withstand mechanical vibration and centrifugal forces at working temperatures.
Heat exchangers
With thermal conductivity allied to high electrical conductivity, copper is ideal for the manufacture of heat exchangers of all types. It is easily fabricated, easily joined and has excellent corrosion resistance. Typical applications include radiators, air coolers and air conditioning units in transport; heat sinks for electrical equipment; calorifiers for domestic and industrial water heating and refrigeration units.
Electronic equipment
While this sector is relatively small in terms of tonnage, copper plays a vital role in a number of small, high-tech applications.
Copper or copper-base alloys are used in Printed Circuit Boards, in electronic connectors and leadframes. In addition, it has long been used in the area of telecommunications, and is now increasingly used in IT, notably for the manufacture of microchips and in semi-conductor applications.
Copper heat sinks allow dispersion of heat from high-frequency microprocessor and logic devices.
Other electrical engineering uses
Copper is also used for manufacturing commutators, welding electrodes, contacts, contact springs, high vacuum and other electronic devices.
