Materials Used to Make Electrical Wire

Electrical power is delivered to houses and outlets in the house with electrical wiring. These electrical wires are made from metal and insulators, and the type of wire impacts the quality of the system.

The main component of electrical wire is the metal which conducts the electricity. Most modern electrical wire is made from copper because it has high conductivity and flexibility. During copper shortages and as a lower-cost alternative, the less conductive aluminum or copper-plated aluminum was used in electrical wires. However, the most common metal found in electrical wires is copper.

Because the current runs along the outside of copper wires, they need to be insulated from other wires and conductive surfaces. In the past, rubber was used to insulate the copper, but modern polymers are preferred now. Some insulators used for electrical wires include polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Teflon and polyethylene.

Sometimes multiple wires are bundled together in a cable. These individual insulated wires are wrapped or braided, and sometimes they are wrapped in a secondary casing called shielding to protect them from electromagnetic interference or provide further insulation.