Copper-clad steel

Copper-clad steel (CCS), also known as copper-covered steel or the trademarked name Copperweld is a bi-metallic product, mainly used in the wire industry that combines the high mechanical resistance of steel with the conductivity and resistance to corrosion of copper.

It is mainly used for grounding purposes, drop wire of telephone cables, and inner conductor of coaxial cables, including thin hookup cables like RG174, and CATV cable.

Uses

Grounding, union of ground rods to metallic structures, meshes, substations, power installations and lightning arrestors. This material has proven its aptitude for these purposes. More than 60 years of installations all around the world certify the excellence of this type of installation.

Properties

The main properties of these conductors include:

• Good corrosion resistance of copper
• High tensile strength of steel
• Resistance against material fatigue

Advantages

Since the outer conductor layer is low-impedance copper, and the center is higher impedance steel, the skin effect gives copper-clad RF transmission lines impedance at high AC frequencies similar to that of a solid copper conductor.

Tensile strength of copper-clad steel conductors is greater than that of ordinary copper conductors permitting greater span lengths than with copper.

Another advantage is that smaller diameter copper-clad steel conductors may be used in coaxial cables, permitting higher impedance and smaller cable diameter than with copper conductors of similar strength.

Due to the inseparable union of the two metals, it deters theft since copper recovery is impractical and thus has very little scrap value.

Installations with copper-clad steel conductors are generally recognized as fulfilling the required specifications for a good ground. For this reason it is used with preference by utilities and oil companies when cost is a concern.

See also

• Copper-clad aluminum wire

External links

• An article about CCS wire