Which is better to choose between copper conductor and aluminum alloy conductor in bus duct applications?

The commonly used conductor materials for bus ducts are mainly copper conductors and aluminum alloy conductors.

At present, the majority of projects in China use copper conductor materials for bus ducts, while developed countries such as Europe, America, and Japan have increasingly adopted aluminum conductors in recent years. The reason for this situation is that before 2003, the prices of copper and aluminum were almost the same, and at that time, most projects in China naturally chose copper conductor bus ducts. Later, with the soaring copper prices and the fact that China is a copper poor and aluminum rich country, the usage rate of aluminum alloy conductor bus ducts began to gradually increase.

In this article, we will focus on analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of copper conductors and aluminum alloy conductors, allowing everyone to have a deeper understanding of these two materials for bus ducts.

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Comparison of conductivity performance

Copper has a conductivity of 100%, second only to silver, which ranks first; High purity aluminum 99.99996% industrial pure aluminum 99.5% conductivity I [* *] CS values are 64.94% and 59%, respectively.

Overall, the conductivity of copper conductors is 35% to 40% higher than that of aluminum alloy conductors, and their conductivity is even better.

Economically comparative

Copper resources in nature are relatively limited, and the price is relatively high; Aluminum resources are relatively more abundant and cheaper in price.

Taking copper bus ducts and aluminum alloy bus ducts with equivalent conductivity as an example, aluminum alloy is only 1/5 of the cost of copper; However, considering the special manufacturing process of aluminum conductor bus ducts, the cost of aluminum is about 2/5 of that of copper.

Overall, aluminum alloy bus ducts are more economical than copper bus ducts and can save a significant amount of project costs in the early stages.

Comparatively lightweight

In terms of density, aluminum is 2.7g/cm ³ and copper is 8.9g/cm ³. The density of copper is about 3.3 times that of aluminum, which results in the weight of aluminum being much lower than the mass of copper under the same current carrying capacity.

Using aluminum bus ducts that are lighter in weight than copper is not only more convenient for construction and installation, but also helps to reduce building loads.

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Comparison of conductor cross-sections

Under the same current carrying capacity, the cross-sectional area of aluminum alloy is larger than that of copper.

Comparison of mechanical properties

Copper has good chemical stability and high strength and hardness. Aluminum is more reactive, but after heat treatment with trace elements, it can be made into aluminum alloys to improve chemical stability, and the strength of aluminum alloys is much greater than that of copper.

From the perspective of mechanical strength and hardness, aluminum alloy conductors have more advantages than copper conductors.

Comparison of electrical energy loss

In today's era of advocating energy conservation and environmental protection, energy loss has increasingly become a technical indicator of public concern. Electric energy loss is an important factor affecting the efficiency of bus duct operation, and it is usually proportional to the resistance of the bus duct.

Due to the lower resistance of copper conductors compared to aluminum alloy conductors, the electrical energy loss of copper bus ducts is lower than that of aluminum alloy bus ducts under the same rated current.

In summary, copper conductors and aluminum alloy conductors have their own advantages in the selection of bus duct materials. Copper conductors have stronger conductivity and lower electrical energy loss compared to aluminum alloy conductors, which is more conducive to long-term energy conservation and consumption reduction; Compared to aluminum conductors, their lightweight nature is beneficial for installation, construction, and subsequent maintenance, while their cost-effectiveness can help customers save on upfront project investment costs.