Now I know that this is an oddball application but bear with me.
I have two samples of 70 mm CSA welding wire, one with strands approx 0.6 mm and the other with strands of approx 0.3 mm.
The finer wire has degraded drastically but the thicker one has stood the test of time, both being used in the same application, so I'm puzzled as to why.
Some background: These welding cables have had their insulation removed and have been threaded down 3/4" Brewers Hose down which a water glycol cooling solution has been pumped - they are drive cables for a 100 KVA induction furnace.
The hoses & cables have been stored outside for 13 years, no doubt the hoses had plenty of the glycol solution still in them, but as the rubber Brewers Hose has degraded I'm re-making them and had hoped to re-use the copper cables.The first picture is the finer 0.3 mm strand cable and the second is the thicker 0.6 mm cable. Both have had exactly the same exposure to current (a LOT of amps!), flexing and storage. In use they form two of four cables between the electronics and the actual unit with the
crucible.
As it happens I still have the rest of the reel of the finer stranded cable from when I made them getting on for 15 years ago, so considering the price of the stuff will reluctantly use it again as I have it.
But why so much difference in condition?
I have two samples of 70 mm CSA welding wire, one with strands approx 0.6 mm and the other with strands of approx 0.3 mm.
The finer wire has degraded drastically but the thicker one has stood the test of time, both being used in the same application, so I'm puzzled as to why.
Some background: These welding cables have had their insulation removed and have been threaded down 3/4" Brewers Hose down which a water glycol cooling solution has been pumped - they are drive cables for a 100 KVA induction furnace.
The hoses & cables have been stored outside for 13 years, no doubt the hoses had plenty of the glycol solution still in them, but as the rubber Brewers Hose has degraded I'm re-making them and had hoped to re-use the copper cables.The first picture is the finer 0.3 mm strand cable and the second is the thicker 0.6 mm cable. Both have had exactly the same exposure to current (a LOT of amps!), flexing and storage. In use they form two of four cables between the electronics and the actual unit with the
crucible.
As it happens I still have the rest of the reel of the finer stranded cable from when I made them getting on for 15 years ago, so considering the price of the stuff will reluctantly use it again as I have it.
But why so much difference in condition?