Understanding The Difference Between Bare Copper Wire & Tinned Wire

In today’s date, copper is widely used as a metal in wide varieties of applications. However, based on the nature of the application for which copper is used, the nature of the metal used will vary. In some cases, bare copper wire can serve the purpose of the application, while in some others it has to be tinned. Asking which one is good will not gives any specific guarantees regarding the performance. There are good bare coppers and bad tinned wires and vice versa. As mentioned, it will largely depend on the purpose of the application, as a whole.

Bare Versus Tinned:

 

There are several controversies and opinions regarding the nature of the copper wire for different applications. Well, it is true that fresh and new bare wire made of copper can perform excellent, but at the same time, it can even oxidize quickly than the tinned ones. This in turn leads to the degeneration of the electrical performance.

As the metal is thinner, the chances of oxidation are more, and this in turn will create an impact on the application. In such a situation, it is often thought that tinned copper wire is an easy and effective way of keeping the conductor wire from getting oxidized. When copper is oxidized, it turns green, which in turn becomes a semi-conductor. This is definitely bad for good conducting bare copper wire.

There are two ways of preventing the process of oxidation. Something might be put over the metal to prevent air from reaching the surface. After all, air contains moisture, and a slight amount of moisture is enough for oxidation. When there is no air, there is no oxide, and hence no corrosion. Soldering wire can often help in sealing the copper. On the other hand, another way to prevent copper from getting oxidized is putting a layer of tin on the copper. Consequently, even when the insulation is stripped off, air will have a lesser chance to enter and cause the formation of copper oxide.

Problem With Tinned Wire:

However, tin layered copper wire also shows problems in the course of time with the increase in the frequencies of the wire. When the entire conductor is used, the tin layer can protect it. However, as frequencies go high, the amount of conductor used is less. Consequently, the tinned layer becomes prominent and affects the performance of the conductor.

It is important to remember that tin has almost about seven times the resistant capacity of copper. Therefore, if any application at 1MHz or higher should not contain any tinned coating. On the contrary, bare copper wire is ideal for the situation. This implies that video cables, category data cables or digital audio cables should be made of bare copper without any tinned coating on it. This is because they are used for high frequency applications. The tinned copper wires are usually preferable for low frequency applications, and they will tend to last longer.

Hence, understanding the application frequency is crucial in selecting the type of wire.

Top 6 Reason that Makes Copper Wire Best Choice for Building Projects

The copper wirings because of its huge benefits are extensively used in electric wirings. It comes up as a popular choice for electric wiring for commercial as well as residential units. If you are planning to have any wiring done to any kind of property then make sure to have the copper wiring in your scheme of things. Let us take a look at the top reason that makes them the unanimous choice for building projects.

1. Best Conductor:

Among all the metals present copper emerges as one of the best conductor of electricity. It renders more power than any other metal. It is the principal reason that it is used in wiring needs starting from simple to complex ones. Braided and Stranded Copper Wires are two highest used varieties of copper wires.

2. Flexibility coupled with sturdiness: 

Flexibility is another remarkable characteristic of Stranded and Braided Copper Wires. Some of you might be thinking why wire needs to be flexible. The answer is simple, the wires need to bended at various places according to the construction. Sometimes the wires need to be passed from places where there is a very little space. Here, flexibility of wires is needed. The copper wires are not only flexible but they don’t lose their sturdiness. It is one of the remarkable features that make them standout.

3. High Melting Point:

Safety is always concern, especially when you are using it for home. It is a place where you live with your loved ones. With copper wires you don’t need to be worried about safety, these wires have high melting point, so if there is a power surge or overload then too it is not going to burn or melt. It significantly reduces probability of a fire break due to power problem.

4. Does Not Loosen:

Another remarkable feature of copper wires is that it doesn’t lose over a period of time. If you are using any other wire than from time-to-time you have to make sure that the wires have not loosened.  A loose wire may lead to serious accidents. The copper wires scores here as it doesn’t lose, means it is going to remain the way you fixed it, making it very safe.

5. Helps in Avoiding Incompatibility Problems:

Most of the electrical appliance manufacturers use copper in their products. They specially mention it. The reason is that the customer should not face a compatibility issue. If your home doesn’t have copper wiring and you brought up an appliance that has copper in it then it may result in galvanic action. It may even destroy your expensive electrical appliance. Hence, keeping the future in mind it is s good decision to go for copper wiring in home project.

6. Easy to Work With:

It is the personal favorite of electricians. Now you must be wondering what makes it there favorite when there are other options available. The answer is easy of working, it can be easily striped. Without much effort the electrician can pull it through tight spots. They don’t have to be concerned about surface oxides. These are the reason that makes it favorite of electricians all over the world.

Copper in Space Probe: NASA Impactor digs into the Comet surface for Research

In July 2005, NASA launched an ambitious project into space. The project was pegged on the performance of mankind’s oldest known metal- Copper. The NASA Project was designed to rip open a comet in the outer space and extract valuable cosmic compounds from its core and bring it back to Earth for studies. The probe deployed high quality copper wire modules and copper-topped body. The armoured probe vehicle blasted into the comet surface and examined the contents.

Do you know about the project and how important it is for mankind? How copper played a vital role in the project?

Let us find out.

Name of the probe:

The mission is carried forward by the barrel-shaped tinned copper body called Deep Imapactor. It is one of the most sophisticated space vehicles ever conceived, designed and built by NASA scientists. The core of the vehicle is run by electronic chips made of copper compounds and aluminium interconnects. The electrical are braided copper wires housed to nano-sized motors driving synchronously with the electronic circuitry. Fibre optic cables- Single mode, have also been extensively used along with bare copper wires in the transmitting signals.

Role of Copper:

Copper is used as the core element in the probe. It is the heavy metal base in the project that gives the Deep Impactor much of its weight. Weighing 816 pounds, Deep Impactor’s weight more or less is entirely contributed by copper and its wire frames. The alloyed copper wires and body plates gave it the aerodynamic suppleness and efficiency. Striking the comet at a speed of 6.6 miles per second, the probe dented a hole into the comet, the size of a big football field.

 Here are some of the salient features of the copper used in the probe mission.

•    Copper wires used in the electronic cluster used 3 percent beryllium for fortification.

•    Molecular structure of copper makes it one of the most prolific space materials. It resists corrosion and highly inflammable space conditions owing to its partial inertness against oxygen. Once it collided with the comet, the electrical parts remained intact. It did not get burned due to the huge amount of energy released from the collision. Success of the mission was majorly based on the quality and performance of the copper wire used.

•    Copper resisted the high temperatures and did not turn into vapours. The scientists in NASA could gather valuable information as the emissions did not interfere with the probe.

Name of the comet it is examining:

The Deep Impactor space probe followed the trail of the comet named, Tempel I. It chased the comet for 175 days before colliding with it on its course. The comet is travelling at a speed of 6.4 miles per second. NASA’s electronically guided navigation system directed the probe on the comet’s trail 2 hours before collision. The comet’s nucleus was the collision point, defined strategically by high-end navigation system. It collided on July 4, 2005.

Copper continues to feature in NASA’s space probe mission due to its resounding success in the past.