Mechanical performance: Pure copper conductors are superior to copper-clad aluminum conductors in terms of strength and elongation, making pure copper superior to copper-clad aluminum in terms of mechanical performance. However, copper-clad aluminum conductors are relatively light, making cable transportation and construction projects more convenient. Moreover, copper-clad aluminum conductors are relatively soft and have slightly better flexibility than pure copper.
Electrical equipment performance: Due to the poor electrical conductivity of aluminum, the resistance of copper-clad aluminum conductors is greater than that of pure copper conductors. Especially when the frequency exceeds 5MHz, the difference between the two is more significant. However, below 5MHz, the transmission effects of the two are basically the same. Taken together, cables using copper wires in copper-clad aluminum conductors have lower return losses than cables with pure copper conductors.
Reasonability: Although the price of copper-clad aluminum conductors is higher than that of pure copper conductors of the same net weight, copper-clad aluminum conductors are relatively longer. Considering that cables are usually calculated by length, under the same net weight, the length of copper-clad aluminum wire is more than 2.5 times that of copper wire, while the price only increases a little. Taken together, copper-clad aluminum conductors have many advantages. Because it is lightweight, it reduces the logistics cost and installation cost of the cable, and provides convenience for project construction.
Ease of maintenance: Using copper-clad aluminum wires can reduce network problems and avoid problems that may arise during maintenance by personnel. Since the linear expansion coefficients of the copper inner conductor and the aluminum outer conductor are quite different, poor contact may easily occur when the temperature changes. However, choosing coaxial cables with copper-clad aluminum inner conductors can reduce this problem because their linear expansion coefficients are closer, thereby reducing common failures of cable core pulling and improving Internet transmission quality.
