A Comparison of Copper(Alloy) Contact Wires

The power of high-speed electrified railway trains comes from the contact network erected along the railway line. The locomotive pantograph draws current from the contact wire continuously from the traction power supply system when running at high speed. The performance of contact wires of different materials is different. The following is a comparison of the performance of contact wires of different materials.

1. Cu-ETP contact wire has excellent electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance, and is an excellent conductor material. However, the cold work hardening of Cu has limited effect on its strength improvement, and it is easy to recrystallize after heating, resulting in material softening. So it is suitable for lines with speed levels of 160km/hr and below.

2. Adding an appropriate amount of Ag to Cu to form a solid solution to form a copper-silver alloy can improve the strength, wear resistance and heat resistance of contact wire. Ag has good conductivity, and the addition of Ag has little effect on the conductivity of the Cu-Ag contact wire, but its strengthening effect is also poor, and Ag is a precious metal with high raw material cost. Cu-Ag contact wires are commonly found in lines slower than 250km/hr.

3. Compared with copper-silver alloy, copper-tin(Cu-Sn) contact wire has high strength, high softening temperature, and suitable conductivity, and its comprehensive performance is better than that of copper-silver alloy contact wire. Copper-tin alloy is stable, and the processing cost is low, suitable for large-scale production. Cu-Sn contact wires can be used in lines about 300km/hr.

4. The addition of Mg element can significantly improve tensile strength, wear resistance and heat resistance of the contact wire, so Cu-Mg contact wires can be used in lines faster than 350km/hr. However Mg will also significantly reduce the conductivity of the line. Moreover, the processing cost of copper-magnesium alloy contact wire is higher than that of copper-tin alloy.

Weiguang Cable strictly follows international standards in the design and manufacturing process, and thus ensure the high quality and reliability of the grooved contact wire. The products, which have both excellent electrical conductivity and outstanding tensile strength, stand out from many similar products. It is precisely these excellent performances and unremitting pursuit of quality that make Weiguang's copper alloy contact wires widely used in many fields such as electricity, transportation and industry, and have won high praise and trust from customers.

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