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Conductor metals and alloys: what we work in and when each applies
Copper is the default, and the alternatives are chosen for weight, temperature or a qualification requirement rather than for cost.
Copper is the reference conductor and the right answer for most work: best conductivity per unit cost, easy to plate, easy to solder. Everything else is a deliberate departure from it for a reason.
Copper alloys trade some conductivity for tensile strength, which matters where a conductor is very fine and still has to survive assembly. Resistance alloys are the opposite trade: conductivity is deliberately low because the conductor is there to produce heat rather than carry signal.
Special metals appear where weight, temperature or a qualification requirement rules out copper. In aerospace and defence work the driver is usually qualification rather than performance, which means the conductor must be reproducible batch after batch and documented, because requalifying a changed conductor costs far more than the wire.
Specifications
| Copper | Default: best conductivity per cost, solderable |
|---|---|
| Copper alloys | Tensile strength for very fine conductors |
| Resistance alloys | Deliberately low conductivity, for heating |
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