Common Uses of Copper Wires

From common households to the telecommunication and automobile sector, copper wires find extensive usage across the industry. Classified as a transition metal, copper is a reddish-brown element with atomic number 29 and symbol Cu. The metal exhibits a wide range of properties that make it the preferred choice for making electrical wires. As a matter of fact, it has been estimated that almost 60% of mined copper is used for manufacturing wires.

Copper is highly ductile which means it can be easily drawn into thin wires without breaking or losing strength. It also has high thermal and electrical conductivity, along with remarkable corrosion resistance. For this reason, copper is preferred over a lot of other conductive materials in electrical settings. 

In this brief post, we will dwell upon major uses of copper wires across different verticals. 

So, let’s dive in.

Electricity Supply

Copper wires are extensively used for supplying electricity to households. The metal has several properties that make it ideal for electrical connections. Electrical copper wires are highly ductile; they can be easily bent with no loss of strength. Plus, copper is an immensely cost-effective option in comparison to metals such as silver or gold.

Telecommunication

Before optic fibers came into being, bunched copper wires were widely used in the telecommunication industry for making telephone wires. Even today, there are places where copper wire is the preferred material. Twisted copper wires find use in ADSL and HDSL wiring for LAN cables. In addition, interface devices such as modems and routers are dependent on copper.

Automobile Industry

With ever-increasing usage of electronic components in automobiles (e.g. anti-lock braking systems, heated seats and onboard navigation systems), the demand for copper in this segment has surged. In fact, the demand of copper in the industry is increasing by 5% each year. The increased penetration of hybrid and electric vehicles will only bring up the demand.

In a car, copper wires are used in glass defrost systems, windows, and mirror controls. They also find application in overhead contact wires for trams and trolleys. In an airplane, approx. 2% of the weight can be attributed to copper wires alone. As copper wires have a high melting point, they can be used in places where temperature fluctuations are common.

Jewelry

Copper is also used for making junk jewelry. As the metal is resistant to corrosion, the articles made out of it look new for a long time. In fact, silver copper is slowly replacing sterling silver in ornaments.

Other Uses

In addition to the aforementioned uses, copper wire find extensive application in deep water fishing, PVC insulated cables used for underground transport system, etc.

Are you aware of any other uses of copper wires? If so, let us know in the comment section. Thanks for reading.