Common Beryllium Copper Wire Plating

Beryllium copper (BeCu) is a copper alloy, Combining copper with other metals gives BeCu many unique properties.

Base metals and beryllium copper wire have different characteristics, which lends itself to making proper selections regarding specific alloy and plating metal. Once an application is known, it is possible to discuss plating as a choice for customizing and maximizing properties of conductors. Plating wires can offer the means for combining two metals to get the advantages of both. Shields and conductors for multi-conductor cables are often made with copper-based alloys as the base material—due to the metals being highly conductive, having strong mechanical performance, and a reasonable cost. Although copper-based alloys supply many benefits, they may not meet all the requirements necessary for specific applications. Plating offers extra abilities like higher temperature ranges, solderability, and corrosion resistance. To improve performance, plating is used to enhance one or more properties. Although there is a wide range of plating materials used, the three most common types include silver, tin, nickel.

Of all the three types, tin is the most commonly used for coating copper and copper alloys. This is due to its good solderability and its low cost. Tin is also known for its chemical and corrosion resistance. It also has a comparatively low melting point, so it does not affect the operating range of copper.

Silver is extremely conductive and will reduce the resistance of the plated wire. Silver is used often in high-frequency applications because skin effects result in an increase of current flow through the metal. Silver can experience oxidation during soldering.

Nickle is much harder compared to the two other types, which means it offers excellent resistance to higher temperatures. Operating temperature ranges increase due to nickel plating. Nickle is resistant to harsh corrosion and environments.

Beryllium Copper Wire

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