Copper clad is made up of two metals. How to make copper clad?
There must be a second metal (core material) inside a copper plating to produce a copper-clad. Plus, they are not 100% copper but still offer almost the same properties as Copper and the capability of Copper. Hence, you can have fusions that consist of:
- Copper and steel
- Copper and aluminum
- And Copper with a few reinforcing materials
What are the advantages of copper clad?
Various Copper plating products have different benefits. So, here are some advantages of these products:
Copper Clad Aluminium Wire (CCA or CCAW)
The Copper coat aluminium wire is a material made with an aluminium core shrouded in Copper for better electrical conductivity. Thus, you can use CCA for electrical wirings, power cables, and voice coils in earphones.
Advantages
CCA wires are more affordable when compared to copper cable wires. Also, it offers a high resistance similar to a pure copper conductor because of its skin effect.
The skin effect allows the wire to focus the currents on its copper exterior. Also, you can use it for frequency application and frequency coaxial cables application. Plus, the CCA is lightweight, and it shows remarkable properties of pure copper wire while removing the demerits of pure aluminium.
Copper Clads Steel (CCS)
Copper clad steel is steel covered in Copper. This electrical conductor is quite prominent in the copper wire industry because it combines the high tensile strength of steel with corrosion resistance and conductivity of Copper.
Advantages
You can use CCS products for anything relating to grounding, including connecting ground rods to metal structures, lightning arrestors, and power installations. Also, you can use Copper for the copper-plated steel to transmit power. But that’s not all. It also has a high resistance to fatigue and tension.
Copper Clads Board/Laminate (CCL)
The copper-clad board comes from a reinforcing material laminated with Copper on both sides after soaking it in resin. These boards have high heat resistance and can withstand punched holes without breaking.
Advantages
You can use CCL as a base material for printed circuit boards (PCB). Its high conductivity makes it easier for the circuit to carry voltage around the board without overheating, thanks to its “Copper on Steel” feature. Plus, you can easily etch your circuit designs on the board and use them for your FM transmitter circuit or any other copper plating process.
What are the differences between copper and copper clad?
Since Copper has a 97.6% conductivity, manufacturers used it as the go-to for wiring and circuits. But as good as Copper was, most manufacturers could not handle the costs. Thus, Copper plating became the best fit for many manufacturers because of features like;
- The Copper recovery
- Copper layer thickness
- Copper over a steel core
But there’s more. It costs less than Copper and offers almost the same quality. For a more detailed comparison, we will be discussing the differences between Copper and all the Copper clad products in the next section.
Copper vs Copper Clads Aluminum (CCA)
Pure copper wires were the standard for electric conductivity, but of recent, most manufacturers use alternatives to Copper, which includes CCA as a copper tracer wire. So, here are some of the differences:
Differences
Copper coated/clad aluminium is a wire with an aluminium core wrapped inside sheets of Copper, while pure Copper has no second metal. CCA is a more affordable option, while pure Copper is quite expensive. CCA cables are bi-metal, while pure Copper is not
Copper vs Copper Clads Steel
CCS is the type of copper rod clad that specialises in electrical grounding. The steel makes it strong, and the copper body makes it conductive. Thus, here are the differences between Copper and CCS.
Differences
Copper Clad Steel has a very high tensile strength and copper thickness, which can work well under tension without breaking. On the other hand, Copper would break if too much pressure is applied. CCS combines the toughness of steel with all the resistance of Copper, making it a bi-metal.
CCS and Copper are resourceful for two different things. First, CCS is ideal for applications in grounding, while Copper is perfect for wiring.
Copper vs Copper Clads Boards/Laminates
Copper plating boards are some specific types of materials encased in copper strips. Plus, it has one actual application in the copper market. So, here’s the difference between Copper and Copper coated/clad boards.
Difference
Copper plated/clad boards are ideal as the base form of PCB. Whether you’re buying or making one, it has a rectangular shape, and you can cut it into your desired shape. On the other side, Copper is mainly used to make wires. So, the differences between Copper and Copper clad lie in their structure, productivity, and uses.
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