What is copper clad steel used for?

Bi-metallic product

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John Ferreol Monnot, metallurgist, the inventor of the first successful process for manufacturing copper-clad steel.

Copper-clad steel (CCS), also known as copper-covered steel or the trademarked name Copperweld is a bi-metallic product, mainly used in the wire industry that combines the high mechanical strength of steel with the conductivity and corrosion resistance of copper.

It is mainly used for grounding purposes, line tracing to locate underground utilities, drop wire of cables,[1] and inner conductor of coaxial cables, including thin hookup cables like RG-174 and CATV cable. It is also used in some antennas for RF conducting wires.

History

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The first recorded attempt to make copper clad steel wire took place in the early s.[2] Although for over 100 years people had been suggesting various ways of uniting copper and steel, it was not until the period mentioned that Farmer and Milliken tried wrapping a strip of copper about a steel wire. American engineers in and again in the s made attempts to produce a copper-steel wire, in one instance at least, by electroplating copper on steel.[1]

The Duplex Metals Co. traces its beginning to John Ferreol Monnot between and . He had been very interested in the work of Mr. Martin in Paris.

"After several years devoted to experimenting, [he] organized the Duplex Metals Company. Prior to his discovery of the process under which this company operates in producing its copper clad, probably almost every other possible way of welding copper and steel together had been tried by Mr. Monnot, but found useless for the purpose."[2][1]

Uses

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Copper-clad steel wire find applications in grounding, connection of ground rods to metallic structures, ground grid meshes, substations, power installations, and lightning arresters. This wire is also sometimes used for power transmission.

Copper coated welding wire has become common since wire welding equipment has become popular.

Copper-clad steel is occasionally used for making durable radio antennas, where its HF conductivity is nearly identical to a same-diameter solid copper conductor. It is most often used in antennas with long spans of unsupported wire, which need extra strength to withstand high tension which would cause solid copper or aluminum wire to break or stretch excessively.

Properties

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The main properties of these conductors include:

• Good corrosion resistance of copper
• High tensile strength of steel
• Resistance against material fatigue

Advantages of Copper Clad

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Since the outer conductor layer is low-impedance copper, and only the center is higher impedance steel, the skin effect gives RF transmission lines with heavy copper-cladding a low impedance at high frequencies, equivalent to that of a solid copper wire.

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Tensile strength of copper-clad steel conductors is greater than that of ordinary copper conductors permitting greater span lengths than with copper.

Another advantage is that smaller diameter copper-clad steel conductors may be used in coaxial cables, permitting higher impedance and smaller cable diameter than with copper conductors of similar strength.

Due to the inseparable union of the two metals and the low amount of the more costly one, it deters theft since copper recovery is impractical and thus has very little scrap value.

Installations with copper-clad steel conductors are generally accepted as fulfilling the legal specifications for a good electrical ground. For this reason its use is preferred by industrial companies and utilities when cost is a concern.

See also

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References

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When discussing the components in an electrical grounding system, we often hear the terms &#;copper-clad steel&#; and &#;copper-bonded steel&#; used interchangeably.Though it may seem inconsequential, each term represents a different copper plating process, in which the copper is composite on the steel core. In this post, we consider the question, what is the difference between copper-clad and copper-bonded steel?

What Do Copper-Bonded and Copper-Clad Steel Have In Common?

The reason the two terms are often used interchangeably is because, on a basic level, they appear the same. Both consist of a steel core and copper exterior.

For use in grounding, both products possess the high tensile strength of steel coupled with the corrosion resistance of copper.

Compared to pure copper, the conductivity of these bi-metallic conductors is lower. To match the current carrying capability of copper, the diameter and copper thickness of bi-metallic conductors are increased. Depending on a conductor&#;s specific application and region, conductivity requirements may differ.

What is the Difference Between Copper-Bonded and Copper-Clad Steel?

The primary difference between these two types of processes is the way the copper is composited on the steel core.

Forming Process

Copper-bonded steel is manufactured through a continuous electro-plating process of copper over steel core, resulting in a permanent molecular bond between the two materials.

The technique, known as electrophoretic deposition (EDP), creates a homogenous layer of copper over the steel core, regardless of whether the product is a wire, solid conductor or ground rod. The copper layer thickness is measured in unit of [mils].

Copper-clad steel is manufactured by installing two copper strips over a steel core using pressure and heat to form a metallurgical bond. The copper lair thickness is adjusted to the percentage conductivity of pure copper. Most common conductors used in the U.S. are 40% conductivity of copper.

Performance and Uses

Copper-bonded steel is mainly used in manufacturing ground rods, solid wire and solid conductors. Copper-clad steel is generally used in manufacturing of stranded and solid conductors. Both copper-bonded and copper-clad steel are used in theft deterrent applications where the conductor is exposed. Both technologies are good alternatives to copper with similar corrosion resistance and higher tensile strength.

How does this apply to products?

Ground rods are used all throughout the world for connecting electrical installations to the earth. We have a series of posts that review the considerations for ground rod materials for these applications. Read more at the posts below.

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