Wire and cable bare conductors are constructed from conducting materials to carry electric current. They are available in two styles; solid conductor or several conductors twisted or braided together for added flexibility. Solid wire and cable bare conductors are formed from a single strand of solid metal that is drawn into a conductor. The drawn conductor shape may be of traditional circular shape, or in the form of a flexible flat conductor.
Wire and cable bare conductors may be drawn from a number of electrically conductive metals. The most commonly used metals are aluminum and copper, as well as alloys of each. All of these types offer specific advantages when used as wire and cable bare conductors. Aluminum and aluminum alloys are characterized by high resistance to corrosion, good electrical and thermal conductivity, and a density that is about one-third or less that of steel, copper, or nickel. Aluminum can be used as a power conductor or for wire and cable shielding.
Wire and cable bare conductors are constructed from conducting materials to carry electric current. They are available in two styles; solid conductor or several conductors twisted or braided together for added flexibility. Solid wire and cable bare conductors are formed from a single strand of solid metal that is drawn into a conductor. The drawn conductor shape may be of traditional circular shape, or in the form of a flexible flat conductor.
Wire and cable bare conductors may be drawn from a number of electrically conductive metals. The most commonly used metals are aluminum and copper, as well as alloys of each. All of these types offer specific advantages when used as wire and cable bare conductors. Aluminum and aluminum alloys are characterized by high resistance to corrosion, good electrical and thermal conductivity, and a density that is about one-third or less that of steel, copper, or nickel. Aluminum can be used as a power conductor or for wire and cable shielding.
Copper and copper alloys, on a volume basis, have the conductivity of common (non-precious) metals. Copper and copper alloys offer excellent corrosion resistance, high thermal conductivity, and ease of fabricating, joining and forming. The strength to weight ratio of copper is relatively low and it loses strength at elevated temperatures. Copper is the most widely used electrical conductor in wires and cable bare conductors.
Both aluminum and copper wire and cable bare conductors often consist of a central strand of steel encased within the primary metal. These bare conductors, referred to as either aluminum clad steel or copper clad steel, offer all of the advantages of the primary metal, plus the strength and durability of steel.
When wire and cable bare conductors are drawn, they are generally gauged to a specific standard. In North America, wire area is measured by the American Wire Gauge (AWG) to indicate conductor size. The AWG is used to measure certain conductors including copper. The higher the AWG number the thinner the wire. This is because AWG stems from a measurement that represented the number of times the copper wire was run through a wire machine, which reduced the diameter of the wire. Thus 24-gauge wire went through the machine 6 more times than 18-gauge wire. Outside North America, countries measure the size of wire and cable bare conductors by the size of the area of the wire, measured in mm2.
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