Is Silver Plated Copper Wire Worth Anything?

Know Copper and Silver

Copper is the electrical conductor in many categories of electrical wiring. Copper wire is used in countless types of electrical equipment. Roughly half of all copper mined is used to manufacture electrical wire and cable conductors.

Silver has long been valued as a precious metal. Silver is usually used in jewellery, ornaments, high-value tableware and utensils (hence the term silverware). Other than in those, silver is also used in electrical contacts and conductors, so do the Silver Wire. Silver has excellent solder-ability characteristics and a higher electrical conductivity than nickel or tin, it shows an improved performance at higher transmission frequencies (skin effect) and would benefit electrical performance.

 

Do you know silver plated copper wire( or called silver coated copper wire/silver cladded copper wire)?

silver plated copper wire is composed of a copper core covered by a concentric silver plating. Silver plating is sometimes used on electrical wires and components, especially in high frequency RF equipment, where the high conductivity plating helps mitigate the skin effect. This material combines the advantages of copper, such as the conductivity, with the bright and shiny surface of silver.

 

Is Silver Plated Copper Wire Worth Anything?

Silver Plating is a commonly used plating material for conductivity. Silver by the pound is more expensive than Copper (Approx 20 dollars for one ounce of silver to Approx 19 cents for an ounce of copper), but we are talking about plating. A very thin layer of elector-chemically adhered silver is very cheap in comparison to a single strand of copper wire. Typical plating thickness is just 2µm or greater.

Copper wire plated silver has better electrical conductivity and heat resistance. Silver Plated Copper Wires are used in insulated wire with operating temperatures up to 200°C. Silver would be used for hi-temperature processing where tin would not be suitable due to a lower melting point.

In addition, the silver coating provides high corrosion resistance. All these advantages make it the favorite choice for high frequency wire, as well as, colored textile wire.

 

Shanghai TianChuang Silver  Plated Copper Wire gives low contact resistance in high frequency circuit, withstands higher temperatures & is not affected at sub-zero temperatures and gives aesthetically pleasing bright finish.

It is precisely, for these reasons, that silver electroplated conductors are specified in manufacturing of PTFE, FEP, TEFZEL, POLYIMIDE and other Aerospace and defence high temprature insulated wires & cables. It is also used in electrical fuses, electrical screens, woven mesh, diode leads, water cooled cables, jumpers in PCB etc.

Shanghai TianChuang Silver Plated Copper Wire is available with different plating thicknesses such as 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 g silver / kg of wire. Other platings are available upon request. Silver plated wire is available in diameters from 0.020mm to 3.83mm (AWG 52 - 7) with all insulation and self-bonding enamels.  Shanghai TianChuang also produces bare silver plated wire and pure silver wire in the same diameter range.