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CCA, CCS, CCAM and Al-Mg compared for braiding
Braiding wire choice trades cost against attenuation, corrosion resistance and what the destination market's standards will accept.
Copper-clad aluminium is the cost-led choice: lighter, cheaper, and adequate where the standard permits it. Copper-clad steel gives tensile strength where a braid must survive pulling. CCAM and aluminium-magnesium alloys sit between the two on cost and corrosion behaviour.
Solid copper braid outperforms all of them on attenuation and corrosion, and costs accordingly. The question is rarely which is best in the abstract; it is which the destination market's standard permits and what the finished cable is being sold against.
The trap is mixing them within a range. A distributor selling a copper-braid cable and a CCA cable that look identical will eventually have them confused in the field, and the resulting complaint lands on the cable rather than on the purchasing decision.
Specifications
| CCA | Cost-led, lighter, adequate where standards allow |
|---|---|
| CCS | Tensile strength where the braid is pulled |
| Copper | Best attenuation and corrosion behaviour, highest cost |
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