About half of all copper mined is used to make electrical wires and conductor cables. Copper wire is used in power generation, power transmission, power distribution, telecommunications systems and countless types of electrical equipment.
Electrical wiring in buildings is considered the most important market for the copper industry. The most popular cable for indoor and outdoor wiring is VVG Ekomplex cable . It has a sheath around each copper core and a common PVC sheath. The VVGng cable, in contrast to the VVG modification, has halogen elements in the insulating layer that prevent combustion, and when the VVGng-ls insulation ignites, gas and smoke practically do not form.
Because of its superior conductivity, copper is the international standard against which all other electrical conductors are compared. Copper wires used in construction have a conductivity rating of 100% IACS. Copper wires require less insulation and can be installed in smaller conduits than with lower conductivity conductors. Aluminum wire, due to its lower electrical conductivity, requires 1.6 times the cross-sectional area of copper wire.
Attempts to replace copper with aluminum in construction were phased out in most developed countries when it was found that aluminum joints gradually weakened due to their inherent slow creep, combined with high resistivity and thermal energy of oxidation of aluminum at the joints. Copper wires provide connections that will not corrode or creep. At the same time, copper cables are not compatible with aluminum ones. When these two metals are combined, a galvanic reaction can occur.
Copper will remain the predominant material in most electrical wire applications. Many manufacturers are starting to use copper alloys, such as copper-magnesium (CuMg), which provide smaller diameter and lighter wires with improved conductivity characteristics. These specialty alloys are becoming more widely used in the automotive, aerospace and defense industries.
