Copper-clad copper network cable:

Copper-clad copper network cable refers to a layer of oxygen-free copper plated outside the bronze, so it is also called bronze network cable. This kind of network cable is generally overlooked and not well-known. The conductor of bronze network cable belongs to secondary smelting copper and contains more impurities. The resistance of 100 meters is about 40Ω, and it can transmit about 80 meters. It has strong oxidation resistance and long service life.

The resistance of bronze is much higher than that of ordinary copper-clad aluminum and oxygen-free copper, so the effective transmission distance of copper-plated bronze is much less than that of copper-clad aluminum. However, the physical properties of copper are relatively stable and it is not easy to oxidize, so it has a longer service life. Because a layer of oxygen-free copper is plated on the surface, there is no difference in appearance, but if it is burned, the oxygen-free copper layer on the entire copper surface will melt quickly.

The commonly known 0.4 full copper network cable can actually only reach 80 meters, the 0.45 full copper network cable can reach 90 meters, and the 0.5 full copper network cable can reach 100 meters.

Four iron and four aluminum network cable:

Four iron and four aluminum network cable is the lowest quality network cable, with poor transmission quality and easily attenuated. The resistance of 100 meters is about 50Ω, and it can transmit about 60 meters at most.

Differentiation is as follows:

A. For aluminum network cable, the inner wire skin is not shiny and breaks when pulled.

B. The simplest method is to use a magnet to attract the network cable. If it is attracted, it proves that there is iron in the network cable.

C. The four wire cores of iron and aluminum are made of different materials and are much harder than full copper, copper-clad aluminum and other materials.

D. Iron is very hard, and when burned, it will not soften quickly.

Copper-clad aluminum network cable:

Copper-clad aluminum network cable material is a layer of oxygen-free copper coated on the surface of aluminum or aluminum/steel alloy core. Because the conductivity of aluminum is worse than that of copper, the DC resistance of copper-clad aluminum conductor is larger than that of pure copper conductor. If used for power supply, the copper-clad aluminum conductor will cause additional power consumption and a significant decrease in voltage. The resistance of 100 meters is about 28Ω, it is cheap and sells well, and it can roughly transmit 100 meters. It has poor oxidation resistance and a short service life. The tensile strength of copper-clad aluminum is not as good as that of copper conductor, which means the tensile strength is relatively low. During use, the cable body should not be pulled forcefully.

Why is copper-clad aluminum wire more prone to oxidation?

Because copper and aluminum are two metals with different electrodes. In a damp environment, copper and aluminum, together with a small amount of water vapor containing impurities, form an original battery. Aluminum is the negative electrode, and copper is the positive electrode. As a result, the metal aluminum is corroded and should not be placed in places with high humidity.

So, when choosing a network cable, how can you tell if you are using a copper-clad aluminum wire?

You can burn it with fire. If the wire core of the network cable quickly softens (this recognition method is very practical), it proves that the copper core of the network cable contains aluminum.

High-conductivity aluminum wire:

High-conductivity aluminum wire is not just composed of copper and silver components. In fact, it is a high-performance network cable made of a copper-aluminum-silver alloy, which is also called copper-clad silver. It has the characteristics of low resistance and long transmission distance. Compared with all-copper and iron-aluminum wires, its resistance is about 20Ω per 100 meters, and it can transmit up to 120 meters, but its oxidation resistance is poor and its lifespan is not long.

High-conductivity aluminum wire is mainly divided into three types:

Copper-clad aluminum wire (aluminum in the middle and a thin oxygen-free copper layer on the surface)

High-conductivity aluminum wire (imported aluminum with copper plating on the surface)

Copper-clad silver wire (imported aluminum with a full copper plating layer)

Copper-clad silver wire:

The main material of copper-clad silver wire is imported aluminum, and its purity is higher than that of copper-clad aluminum wire and high-conductivity aluminum wire. Both the inner and outer wire skins are made of new materials. Its resistance is about 15Ω per 100 meters, and it can transmit up to 150-180 meters, but its oxidation resistance is poor and its lifespan is not long.

Since copper-clad silver wire can transmit data over a longer distance, it is generally used in places such as ADSL, computer rooms, supermarkets, and warehouses, and network transmission is usually not a problem. High-conductivity aluminum wire has a slightly slower transmission speed than copper-clad silver wire, but the difference is not significant. It can also be used in small and medium-sized areas such as supermarkets, warehouses, and homes.

Copper-clad silver wire also contains a small amount of aluminum, which is prone to oxidation. It can be oxidized in about four to five years, so this factor should be considered when selecting and using it.

Oxygen-free copper wire:

We can look at the wire skin of the copper core. Generally speaking, the outer layer of all-copper network cable is made of new materials, while the oxygen-free copper is made of new materials both inside and outside. We can observe the gloss of the wire skin and cut a section of the wire skin to see if it can be pulled thinner. The brighter the gloss, the newer the material. If it can be pulled thinner, it is also new material. However, nowadays, all-copper network cables tend to use new materials inside and outside, so this can only be used as a basic criterion.

You can also use a knife to scrape the surface or cross-section:

Oxygen-free copper wire: scrape off a layer on the surface, and the color is basically the same, the cross-section color is uniform and consistent.

Phosphor bronze wire: scrape off a layer on the surface, there is a difference in color between the surface and the inside, and there are some white spots on the cross-section.

You can also use fire to burn it. The entire copper surface is plated with a layer of oxygen-free copper. During the burning process, you will find that the outer layer of oxygen-free copper will melt. After wiping it with paper, you will find that the copper wire core is difficult to return to its original brass color.

However, oxygen-free copper does not contain impurities. During the burning process, only the surface oxidizes. After wiping it with paper, it will still return to its original yellow color.

According to the standard, the oxygen content in oxygen-free copper wire is not more than 0.003%, the total impurity content is not more than 0.05%, and the copper purity is greater than 99.95%. Therefore, oxygen-free copper has high conductivity, good processing and welding performance, corrosion resistance, and low-temperature performance, making it suitable as a high-quality network cable material. The resistance of oxygen-free copper wire for 100 meters is about 10Ω, and it can transmit approximately 120-150 meters. The signal transmission distance is far, and the packet loss rate is low. Therefore, it is recommended to use oxygen-free copper for network engineering, network HD monitoring engineering, and concealed wiring in home decoration to ensure network stability, strong oxidation resistance, and long service life.

The cables produced by baopubaoxun are national standard products that have passed the Fluke test in the United States. The copper purity is greater than 99.97%. The production technology of using series equipment to realize the drawing and forming of oxygen-free copper conductors ensures the concentricity of the wire core in real time through online detection equipment technology, thereby improving the return loss of the product. It is produced in strict accordance with national execution standards, and the product has passed the national CCC certification, ISO9001 system certification, ROHS environmental certification, and holds an international recognized testing organization report.