Adding a small amount of solid carbon to copper boosts its conductivity

[DonR]

Adding a small amount of solid carbon to copper boosts its conductivity

A common carbon compound is enabling remarkable performance enhancements when mixed in just the right proportion with copper to make electrical wires. It's a phenomenon that defies conventional wisdom about how metals conduct electricity.

phys.org

I can see this being leveraged by certain snake oilers.

 

[Tremolo]

https://www.vandenhul.com/product/the-d-352-hybrid-halogen-free/

 

[DonH56]

From the article is this rather key point:

When the research team added 18 parts per million of graphene to electrical-grade copper, the temperature coefficient of resistance decreased by 11 percent without decreasing electrical conductivity at room temperature. This is relevant for the manufacturing of electric vehicle motors, where an 11 percent increase in the electrical conductivity of copper wire winding translates into a 1 percent gain in motor efficiency.

So the tempco is improved but conductivity not necessarily increased. I really doubt that there is any significant increase in temperature for any of our wires, thus no benefit. High-current, high-temperature applications will benefit but this is a non-issue for us. Except another cable scheme is sure to follow as others have already said.

 

[voodooless]

thus no benefit.

When did that ever stop an audio cable company?

 

[Killingbeans]

So the tempco is improved but conductivity not necessarily increased. I really doubt that there is any significant increase in temperature for any of our wires, thus no benefit. High-current, high-temperature applications will benefit but this is a non-issue for us. Except another cable scheme is sure to follow as others have already said.

Maybe the voice coils in large PA speakers. Probably still not worth it.

 

[DonH56]

Maybe the voice coils in large PA speakers. Probably still not worth it.

Yah. And self-heating also helps limit the current, so reducing the tempco might not actually be a good thing even there. Always trades...

I just skimmed the article, but one thing adding carbon tends to do is to make wires more brittle. I am not sure if that applies to their particular alloy, but that could be a drawback...