Copper Coating to Increase its Performance

Though copper wire is very useful across various domains, it is also coated to enhance its functionality. Copper wire coating enhances solderability, reduces the oxidation and improves the electrical properties.

Three very common metals used for coating copper wire are- tin, nickel and silver. Tin functions as the most widely used coating material. The conductors that are coated using tin are known to be tin plated or tinned conductors. Tin copper wire can avert oxidation at various temperatures that is up to 150°C.

At much higher temperature silver can lower down the oxidation. Despite its high price this metal is used increasingly in coating the wire. Silver Copper Wire is used for high frequency applications. Here the silver’s very high electrical conductivity and skin effect properties functions to reduce the impedance as well as attenuation. At temperatures more than 250°C silver copper wire is replaced with nickel coated ones. Though nickel is a poor conductor it provides good protection from oxidation.

Hence copper is coated further and thus is used to make products that are used across various electrical and electronic domains.