Pre-Fused Wire Vs. Tinned Copper Wire

Tinned copper wire, in whatever form, is typically easier to solder than bare copper wire and is often the wire of choice in electrical applications. It is slightly more expensive than bare copper wire, but the purchase cost is compensated for by savings in labor costs.

Tinned Copper Construction

Tinned copper wire is copper wire in which each strand is coated with a film of tin between 20 microinches and 100 microinches thick, depending on the gauge, or thickness, of the strand. Prefused copper wire consists of strands of tinned copper wire, twisted and fused, or melted, together with heat.

Tinned Copper Wire

Regular, tinned copper wire is the least expensive type of tinned copper conductor. Heavy tinned copper wire has a thicker coating of tin and is correspondingly less flexible; it is often used to bond the stripped area of high frequency, induction heater wiring.

Prefused Copper Wire

Prefused copper wire behaves in many ways like a solid conductor, but is actually composed of individual strands, so is more flexible. It is often used in applications where a wire is expected to be flexed back and forth on a regular basis, because it does not harden or break under load.

References

• Tyco Electronics: Cable Design
• IEWC: Selecting a Conductor