Why Use Tinned Copper Wire?

There are types of copper wire, the most common bare copper wire and tinned copper wire, of which bare copper wire is ordinary copper wire, also known as environmentally friendly copper wire. The two copper wires for many people are not clear, especially do not know whether bare copper wire or tinned copper wire is good, that tinned copper wire is better than ordinary copper wire?

Why Use Tinned Copper Wire

Tinned copper wire vs. bare copper wire

tinned copper wire vs bare copper wire

What is the tinned copper wire?

Tinned copper wire is copper with a metallic tin coating on its surface. Tin plating prevented the copper from being exposed to air and oxidized to form a copper green film whose conductivity increases resistance. Although tin is not an inert metal and is more active than copper in nature, tin is stable in air at room temperature, as the surface of tin produces a tight oxide film that prevents the continued oxidation of tin. Therefore, tin plating on copper surfaces can improve the oxidation resistance of copper to a certain extent.

tinned copper wire

What is the bare copper wire?

Bare copper wire is a pure copper rod drawn from copper wire. The material is single, and the table is copper metal, the appearance of the past the yellow, and because of the purity of copper make, the color has dark and light. Bare copper in the industry refers to pure copper conductors, that is, a copper surface without any plating processing, under normal circumstances, oxygen-free copper in the copper content of > 99.97%, low oxygen copper copper copper content of > 99.95%.

bare copper wire

Bare copper wire is a pure copper conductor for processing commonly used wire, strong conductive wire, signal transmission stability is very strong, bare copper shielding is the best conductor in addition to gold shielding. It is cheap, easy to oxidize, better than tin, and more inexpensive.

The difference between the tinned copper wire and bare copper wire

Differences in performance

1. physically, bare copper wire is soft and has excellent electrical conductivity

2. Tinned copper wire, which is a softer material with good electrical conductivity

Compared to bare copper wire, it is more resistant to corrosion and oxidation, which can greatly extend the service life of weak cables. The main reason for tinning copper wire is to prevent the copper from being exposed to air and oxidized to form a film – copper green. The copper green is poorly conductive and will increase resistance. It can increase heat dissipation, improve conductivity, and improve the performance of the wire.

In addition, copper wire tinned can also prevent the insulation rubber from sticky, black core brittle and improve its solderable properties.

Tinned copper wire is mainly used for rubber-insulated mining cables, flexible cables, and marine cables as conductive cores, as well as the outer shield braid layer of the cable and brush wire. 

Tinned copper wire is good but expensive. Of course, it is good to have a coating coated with a silver-tin mixture based on the physical and chemical properties of the coating; the main function is twofold.

(1) The conductivity of the surface layer is higher than that of the copper inside, which facilitates the skin effect of high-frequency communication; 

(2) As silver and tin are less chemically active than copper, they are less susceptible to oxidation and rusting, especially when used in hot and humid environments, and are considerably more expensive. As for domestic use, this wire is generally suitable for high-power high-frequency current transmission, in 220v50Hz occasions belong to the big material and small use. 

Tinned copper has good stability, conductivity, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and electromagnetic shielding and has good prospects for application. It’s good on the tin, and the price is relatively low, but the temperature resistance is general, usually only up to 150 ℃, in the conductor diameter greater than 0.38 can reach 200 ℃.

Bare Copper Tinned Copper
Resistant to oxidation Easy to oxidise Good to oxidise
Tinned Better Good
Price Cheap Cheap
Temperature resistance Fair Fair

Different processes

Bare copper wire is made of pure copper wire, the material is single; tinned copper wire process is slightly more complex than bare copper wire, is pure copper wire drawn into wire, and then hot tin plating process on the surface of the copper wire coated with a thin layer of tin on the tinned copper wire.

Is tinned copper wire better than ordinary copper wire?

Due to its excellent properties and low price, copper is widely used in electronic information, lubrication, catalysis, and metallurgy. However, copper is highly susceptible to oxidation in air, and the more refined the particle size, the more severe the oxidation. To improve the oxidation resistance of copper, copper can be coated with an inert metal.

The inert metal layer significantly improves copper’s oxidation resistance and maintains its electrical conductivity. Although tin is not an inert metal and is more active than copper, tin is very stable in air at room temperature, as the surface of tin produces a thick oxide film that prevents the continued oxidation of tin. Therefore, copper surface tin plating can improve the oxidation resistance of copper to a certain extent. The stability, electrical conductivity, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and electromagnetic shielding of tin-plated copper are good and have good application prospects.

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