Litz Wire

The term "Litz wire" is derived from the German word "litzendraht" meaning woven wire. They are constructed of individually insulated magnet wires either twisted or braided into a uniform pattern. Litz wire construction is designed to minimize the power losses exhibited in solid conductors due to "skin effect." Skin effect is the tendency of radio frequency current to be concentrated at the surface of the conductor. Litz constructions counteract this effect by increasing the amount of surface area without significantly increasing the size of the conductor. Generally speaking, constructions composed of many strands of finer wires are best for the higher frequency applications.

When choosing a Litz wire for a given application, there are a number of important specifications to consider which will greatly affect the performance of the wire.  These specifications include the number of wire strands wound into the wire, the frequency range of the wire, the size of the strands (generally expressed in AWG – American Wire Gauge), the resistance of the wire, its weight, and its shape (generally, either round, rectangular or braided).

Litz wire may be served or unserved. Served simply means that the entire Litz construction is wrapped with a nylon textile, polyurethane, or yarn for added strength and protection.  Unserved wires have no wrapping or insulation.  In either case, additional tapes or insulations may be used to help secure the Litz wire and protect against electrical interference.

Typical applications for Litz wire conductors include high-frequency inductors and transformers, motors, relays, inverters, power supplies, DC/DC converters, communications equipment, ultra-sonic equipment, sonar equipment, television equipment, and heat induction equipment.

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Part Numbers for Litz Wire