Cable industry urgently calls for copper clad aluminum wire recycling technology

In recent years, due to the increase in copper prices, manufacturers of copper-clad aluminum conductors in the wire and cable industry have gradually increased. The technical obstacles to the popularization and application of copper-clad aluminum conductors in the wire and cable industry in China and the focus of the discussion has always been on the issue of recycling.

According to relevant media reports, the electrical conductivity and various parameters and indicators of copper-clad aluminum wire are the same as the equivalent pure copper wire. The density is smaller than that of pure copper wire and is only 37-40% of pure copper wire. The price is the same as the specification. Pure copper wire is about 15% lower; environmental protection and energy saving; saving copper resources; copper specification copper-clad aluminum wire saves 76.5% of copper than pure copper wire; overcoming aluminum conductors with large contact resistance, low strength, easy creep, corrosion, and easy The disadvantages of oxidation.

Some experts have warned that since the United States developed copper-clad aluminum wire since the 1930s, it has so far only been applied to high-frequency signal transmission cables. The practical application of copper-clad aluminum conductors that have not been popularized in the past 80 years deserves serious consideration.

However, there are also data that states that the reliability of GCgs in the U.S. for copper-clad aluminum connections has concluded that it can be connected to copper in the same way. UL has investigated the aluminum conductors of 10AWC and 12AWC due to poor connections, and copper clad aluminum does not have this problem. U.S. UL has also established copper-clad aluminum conductor standards (UL1561-2001).

The UK's BICCgs have been conducting studies on the loading of cables and connections for up to seven years. After 10 million hours of trial and error, the results show that copper clad aluminum can compete economically and technically with copper wires and prices are stable.

In the United States, the ASTM standard squadron copper clad aluminum conductor structure and characteristics of the detailed provisions; the United States, TI company also to copper ratio of 10% copper clad aluminum wire standards.

Japan Electric Wire Co., Ltd. has conducted extensive research and research on copper clad aluminum as a conductive material for wire and cable. The contents of the research and experiment include: copper-clad aluminum conductor structure (copper ratio of 10~15% and wire thickness thickness; physical and mechanical properties; surface characteristics, especially aluminum contact resistance is particularly large, and copper clad aluminum is As good as copper, it is also tested for its bending rigidity, repeated bending, and repeated winding.
Electric Wire Co., Ltd. also conducted a lot of studies on the connection of connectors and wiring fixtures (tests on contact resistance and energized thermal cycling tests) and connection studies with copper joints, including the use of selected size ranges, and secondary crimping. The effects and suitability for various connectors and connectors.

After several years of applicability research, Japan’s Electric Wire Co., Ltd. proved that copper clad aluminum has the advantages of easy connection, reliable connection, light weight, good winding, economical, etc., and is as safe and reliable as copper wire.

Whether copper-clad aluminum conductors are used for high-frequency signal transmission cables or power transmission cables, there are problems with the recycling of conductors. Since copper-clad aluminum conductors have been used for high-frequency transmission cables for many years, how are those conductors recycled?

At present, the technical barriers to the promotion of copper-clad aluminum conductors in China's wire and cable industry are undoubtedly the recycling of conductors. However, according to experts from copper and aluminum equipment research and development units in Dalian and Xi’an, copper-clad aluminum conductors can be completely recycled. If you can really achieve 100% recycling of copper-clad aluminum conductors, this will undoubtedly be a great contribution to the promotion and application of copper-clad aluminum conductors.