What is Conductor, types and properties

Conductor

The substance from which current flows easily is called conductor. The conductor can be classified as follows.

By size or appearance -
1. Solid conductor - such as silver, copper, gold, aluminum, brass carbon etc.

2. Liquid substances: - such as copper sulfate, silver nitrate ammonium chloride, sulfuric acid etc.

3.Gasic conductors - eg argon, neon etc.

4.Super conductor - The conductor whose resistance is zero at a certain temperature, in that case the conductor provides super conductivity without any power loss voltage drop and works at about 99.9 percent efficiency. At this stage, that conductor is called super conductor. For example, the lads act as super conductors at 7.2 degrees Kelvin and Mercury at 4.4 degrees Kelvin.

1. According to physical size
(A) solid conductor
(B) Stread conductor

 (C) Multi-Strend conductor  

(D) Flexible conductor

2. According to the quality
(A) perfect conductor

 (B) malicious

3. Size wise
(A) circular conductor
(B) Rod conductor

 (C) Lease conductor

 (D) Rope conductor

4. Material wise
(A) rapid electrolyte grade brass conductor
(B) Electrical grade aluminum conductor

 
Solid conductor - A wired conductor is called a single conductor which is available in different diameters. It is used in cables and over head lines. It is usually made of brass, aluminum and steel.

Strand conductor - A group of solid conductor of low diameter is called a Stred conductor. In this, 1,17,19,37 strains of 1.13 to 3.37 mm diameter are used. It is used more because of its flexible and natural properties.

Multi-threaded conductor - Their diameter is less than the diameter of the threaded conductor. It is mostly used in multi-strand wires and cables. The diameter of each stride is 0.2 or 0.3 mm and the number 14,22,42, and 84 standard.

Flexible conductor - In this the diameter of the stride of each conductor is very less i.e. less than 0.2 mm and the number of wire is 14, 23, 40.

A good driver should have the following qualities: -

1. Conductivity should be high.
2. Specific resistance should be low.
3. Should be flexible.
4. Must be cheap in price.
5. The heat coefficient must be high.
6. Should be convenient for jointing and soldering.
7. Must be available in sufficient quantities.
8. Should be less affected by chemical effects in the atmosphere.

Types of Conductor: -

Gold
1. The best conductor of electricity.
2. The conductivity of gold is 99 percent.
3. It is not used much due to its high price.

Silver-
1. It is a very good conductor of electricity.
2. Its resistance is very low. At 20 degree centigrade, there is 1.64 micro ohms cm.
3. Silver is very expensive and its use in electrical works is limited.
4. It is used in making contact points in electrical devices, starters with high rated current contacts.
5. Its conductivity is 98 percent.

Copper-
1. After silver it is a very good conductor of electricity.
2. Its conductivity is 90 percent.
3. The total resistance of pure copper is 1.7 micro ohms cm.
4. Copper is a soft metal, its wires and sheets can be made easily.
5. Due to its lower price than silver, it is used extensively in cables, over overhead lines in cables, earth electrode, contact points of starters, bus bars etc.

There are two types of copper conductors -

1. Hard Drawn Copper -
Hard drones are made by draining copper conductors with cold dye. This type of copper is used in making overhead lines, earth electrode, commutator segment etc.

2. Anealed Copper -
The hard drone is cooled after heating to soften the copper conductor, which softens it and becomes very soft when cooled with water. The softened wire can be easily folded back and forth. It is very easy to make stars. These conductors are made from 6SWG to 50SWG in rounding. Earth wires are also made from this. Copper is used as the most prominent metal in electrical works.

Aluminum -
Its main features are -
1. Its conductivity is 60 percent.
2. It is light in weight.
3. Its specific resistance is 2.69x10-2 at 20 degree centigrade.
4. It is highly used in overhead lines.
5. A steel wire is placed between the conductors of the stream lines, it is called ACSR conductor. The full name of ACSR is aluminum conductor steel reinforced.
6. At present the winding of the tube choke, motor, transformer is done by aluminum wires.

Brass-
It is an alloy. It contains a mixture of copper and zinc. It is the conductor of electricity. Its conductivity is 48 percent compared to silver. Due to high mechanical power, it is used in making terminals, switches, holder screws, nuts, volts, etc.

Iron-
Its resistance is 8 times less than that of copper conductors of the same length and area. Its main features are-
1. Iron makes smooth passage for magnetic force lines to pass.
2. Its wires and sheets can be made easily.
3. It is used in making machines body, cover, shaft etc.
4. Main switch cover, conduit and G.I. Pipes are made.
5. Its mechanical strength is very high. They are cheap and due to their good availability, they are used more in electrical works.

G.I. G.I.Wire -
1. G.I. The full name of the wire is galvanized iron.
2. It does not rust.
3. By galvanization over iron, the zinc layer is added.
4. G.I. The main use of wire is GI for providing mechanical strength of earthing wire, stay wire, telephone wire and cables. Husbands are used in decorating.

Tin -
This type of conductor does not cause rust. It melts quickly due to its low melting point. It is used as follows-
1. In tinning copper wires.
2. In making solder.
3. In making fuse wire

Lead-
Its melting point is more than tin. The effect of chemical substances on it is less. It is used in cables. It is used in making solder and lead is used to make lead acid battery cells. It is the conductor of electricity.

Zinc -
It is a good conductor of electricity. It is used to make cello containers. To protect iron from corrosion, a layer of zinc is added.

Tungsten -
1. Its melting point is high up to 3400 degree centigrade.
2. It is used in making filaments of lamp tubesite.
3. To protect iron from corrosion, a layer of zinc is added.
4. It is used in steel used to make magnets.
5. It is used in making high speed steel.

Gas-
Helium gas is the conductor of argon gas, neon gas. Their specialty is that their resistance is low at low temperature and low at high temperature.