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Copper/Aluminum Connection
On 2/5/2016 9:31 AM, Channel Jumper wrote:
Ralph Mowery;851568 Wrote: "Bob Wilson" wrote in message ...-- Yes, there is a problem with aluminum to copper connections. There are various "greases" to solve the problem. - That grease is widely used where aluminum power wiring comes in from a pole and connects to a lug in a meter. And for that matter when I have bought wiring panels (I mean the box where your power fuses or circuit breakers live) they have come with a sticker saying the grease must be used wherever wire other than copper connects to the panel. Bob, WA9D- That grease is fine for inside a house where it does not get wet. Outside for antennas it would probably wash off after a few rains. Then with the wet conductors you get what is called galvanic corrosion. The more distance in the chart it is, the faster this action is. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion You can buy stainless steel tape at most welding shops. The tape is used to protect threads and valuable machined parts from weld slag. If you apply it to the copper, the aluminum will not corrode. The problem with stainless steel is that it is an alloy and has a different dielectric constant than either the aluminum or the copper. I don't want to be pedantic, but the dielectric constant is of virtually no impact. The important properties of conductors used in a loop antenna are conductivity (resistivity) and permeability. Even so, an adequately thin piece of material will have little impact on the properties of the loop. The real issue is that welding any of these materials will be difficult. As one poster said, your efforts would be rewarded if you just used a larger diameter aluminum loop and forgot about the copper. Especially if you were going to install this antenna permanently in a place that was not easily accessible. 1+ Aluminum is your friend. Light and corrosion resistant, it weathers very well if you keep it from contact with certain metals like copper. Unlike many metals, on contact with air aluminum creates a thin very tough barrier of aluminum oxide that prevents further corrosion in most situations. -- Rick |
#12
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Copper/Aluminum Connection
Channel Jumper wrote:
Ralph Mowery;851568 Wrote: "Bob Wilson" wrote in message ...-- Yes, there is a problem with aluminum to copper connections. There are various "greases" to solve the problem. - That grease is widely used where aluminum power wiring comes in from a pole and connects to a lug in a meter. And for that matter when I have bought wiring panels (I mean the box where your power fuses or circuit breakers live) they have come with a sticker saying the grease must be used wherever wire other than copper connects to the panel. Bob, WA9D- That grease is fine for inside a house where it does not get wet. Outside for antennas it would probably wash off after a few rains. Then with the wet conductors you get what is called galvanic corrosion. The more distance in the chart it is, the faster this action is. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion You can buy stainless steel tape at most welding shops. The tape is used to protect threads and valuable machined parts from weld slag. If you apply it to the copper, the aluminum will not corrode. The problem with stainless steel is that it is an alloy and has a different dielectric constant than either the aluminum or the copper. To be a bit simplistic, metals don't have a real dielectric constant. The issue with dissimilar metal connections is the electropotential difference between the metals in the presence of an electrolyte. This means that if you can keep all electrolytes, which water is, from the connection, nothing will happen. As air contains water, keeping all water out is problematic. The greases do two things; they contain conductive particles to minimize the electropotential difference of the contact and provide a barrier to keep water out. Coating the copper end of a connection with solder also helps greatly as it raises the anodic index from the -0.35 of copper to -0.65 which is a LOT closer to the anodic index of most aluminum alloys. -- Jim Pennino |
#13
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Copper/Aluminum Connection
"Irv Finkleman" wrote in message ... Here's a situation I haven't encountered before and which I know little about. I am building a magnetic loop antenna and have an assembly which includes a capacitor and drive motor ideally suited for the antenna. My problem is that the assembly is welded to an aluminum mount. I want to attach a copper tubing loop to the mount which will connect the loop to the motor driven capacitor. My concern is the matter of dissimilar metals i.e. copper and aluminum being joined. I would prefer to be able to bolt the assembly to the copper tubing using star washers to reduce the joint resistance. Here are my concerns: 1. What about rectification at the dissimilar metals joint? Is it going to cause problems? Is it of any real concern? 3. Can the copper be welded to the aluminum mount for better joint conduction? This is a last resort for me as it would mean taking the assembly to a place where the welding, if possible, could be done. Thanks in advance for any comments or suggestions which would be greatly welcomed. ================================================== ==== There is a paste called Anti-Seize Lubricant. While the tube I have contains material that is NON-conductive, the conductive material is available. See: conductive anti-seize compound on google.com and see what you think of it. The US Navy specifies it for certain topside uses. I also tried that search at amazon.com. Some success but be cautious; even with that word, not all the Amazon offerings were actually conductive. "Sal" |
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