Nickel copper wire is becoming increasingly popular in the electric goods manufacturing space.

The reason is undeniable. The nickel copper combination provides excellent electrical and thermal conductance.

The usefulness of using nickel was established in the early 20th century when users found it to be having excellent high and low temperature strength, good oxidation  and corrosion resistance.

Presently, over 10, 000 tons of copper wire is plated globally per year with nickel or silver. The primary use is for stranded conductors in high performance electric cabling in the aerospace industry, and defense, computer and telecommunications segments.

Copper has for long established itself as the best material for electrical application for having:

• high ductile properties
• excellent heat and electricity conductors.

With coating of nickel on copper the mechanical and other properties are enhanced even more. It is for this reason this combination is finding wide acceptance.

One of the advantages of copper is the efficiency of its extraction from the ore. This gain alone is allowing copper to hold its own in the marketplace in competition with iron, aluminum and other materials.

Worldwide, copper is consumed principally for the manufacture of wire and cable products either as a standalone material or as an alloy.

But it is as an alloy copper’s utility has vastly expanded to cover many industrial applications.

Presently copper has any many as 400 alloys. This in itself gives an idea of copper’s excellent ability to blend or combine with other metals to form useful alloys with exceptional physical and chemical properties.

Today, with engineering standards reaching new highs, industry level material combinations are required to deliver outstanding performances.

Many applications and manufacturing processes demand exacting specifications to meet the end uses.

To this end, copper in combination with other metals has formed into:

• Brass as a copper-zinc alloy
• Bronze as copper tin alloy
• Gun metals – alloy of tin, zinc and lead
• Copper nickel alloy
• Nickel silver alloy
• Beryllium copper alloy
• and some more.

Here we shall confine ourselves to Copper-nickel combination.

Good ductility is essential for wire manufacture and other uses. Copper when alloyed with nickel greatly improves strength and corrosion without compromising on ductility properties.

Two main alloys presently in use are:

• 90% copper, 10% nickel alloy
• 70% copper, 30% nickel alloy

The latter offers better corrosion resistance, but the 90% copper, 10% nickel alloy has found greater applications in the industry for being less expensive.

Nickel copper wire is one of the many applications of cupronickel alloys (as copper nickel alloys are called).

The other area of wide use is as marine applications, due to the alloys excellent resistance to seawater corrosion, superb ease of fabrication and low macrofouling rates.

Macrofouling refers to adhesion of slime algae on surfaces of marine structures producing negative effect on performance.

The future of copper nickel wire industry in India will closely align with the fortune of electrical, telecommunication and other segments.

Rajasthan Electric Industries holding the brand name “BRITEX”, is a reputed manufacturer of an assortment of wires and strips using advanced technology.