Nickel-plated Copper Wire / Conductor (NC)

Nickel-plated Copper Wire

Nickel-plated copper wire is a composite wire that is coated with a layer of nickel metal on the surface of copper wire through electroplating or chemical plating processes. It combines the high conductivity of copper with the corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, and wear resistance of nickel, and can be widely used in scenarios that require high stability and durability.

Core Features

Conductivity: The conductivity of copper core (59.6 × 10 ⁶ S/m) combined with nickel coating (14.3 × 10 ⁶ S/m) results in slightly lower overall conductivity than pure copper, but significantly improved environmental resistance.
Corrosion resistance: The nickel layer isolates copper from air contact, resisting oxidation and sulfide corrosion, and is suitable for harsh environments such as humidity and salt spray.
Mechanical strength: The nickel layer has high hardness (HV 200~300), better wear resistance than bare copper, and extends the service life of the wire.
Weldability: The surface of the nickel layer is easy to weld and compatible with various types of solder materials (such as tin lead solder).

Manufacturing Process

The production process of nickel plated copper wire mainly includes three stages: copper substrate treatment, nickel plating, and post-treatment:

Copper Wire Pretreatment

Oleic acid washing: Remove oil and oxide from the surface of copper wire (commonly using sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid solution).
Activation: Immerse in dilute sulfuric acid or fluoroboric acid to enhance surface activity.

Nickel Plating Process

Electroplating method:
Watt bath nickel plating: nickel sulfate (NiSO₄), nickel chloride (NiCl₂), and boric acid (H3BO3) are the main plating solutions, with a current density of 2-5 A/dm ² and a pH value of 3-4.
Amino sulfonic acid nickel plating solution: used for thick coatings (>10 μm), with low coating stress and good ductility.
Chemical plating method:
Sodium hypophosphite (NaH₂PO₂) is used as a reducing agent, and nickel salts (such as nickel sulfate) are deposited in an alkaline solution at a temperature of 80-95 ° C.

Post Processing

Passivation: Treatment with chromate or molybdate solution to prevent oxidation of the nickel layer.
Annealing: Some products require annealing to eliminate coating stress and improve flexibility.

Nickel-plated Copper Wire List

Diameter	Tolerance	Silver Layer Thickness	Elongation
0.05 mm	+0.008, -0.003 mm	≥1.3 um	≥8%
0.07 mm	+0.008, -0.003 mm	≥1.8 um	≥8%
0.08 mm	+0.008, -0.003 mm	≥1.4 um	≥8%
0.10 mm	+0.008, -0.003 mm	≥1.8 um	≥8%
0.12 mm	+0.008, -0.003 mm	≥2.0 um	≥10%
0.14 mm	+0.008, -0.003 mm	≥1.4 um	≥10%
0.15 mm	+0.008, -0.003 mm	≥1.5 um	≥10%
0.16 mm	+0.008, -0.003 mm	≥1.6 um	≥10%
0.18 mm	+0.008, -0.003 mm	≥1.8 um	≥10%
0.20 mm	+0.008, -0.003 mm	≥2.1 um	≥10%
0.23 mm	+0.008, -0.003 mm	≥2.3 um	≥10%
0.26 mm	+3%, -1%	≥1.3 um	≥15%
0.28 mm	+3%, -1%	≥1.4 um	≥15%
0.32 mm	+3%, -1%	≥1.6 um	≥15%
0.35 mm	+3%, -1%	≥1.7 um	≥15%
0.37 mm	+3%, -1%	≥1.9 um	≥15%
0.39 mm	+3%, -1%	≥2.0 um	≥15%
0.41 mm	+3%, -1%	≥2.1 um	≥15%
0.45 mm	+3%, -1%	≥2.3 um	≥15%
0.50 mm	+3%, -1%	≥2.5 um	≥15%
0.53 mm	+3%, -1%	≥2.7 um	≥20%
0.56 mm	+3%, -1%	≥2.8 um	≥20%
0.60 mm	+3%, -1%	≥3.0 um	≥20%
0.63 mm	+3%, -1%	≥3.2 um	≥20%
0.67 mm	+3%, -1%	≥3.4 um	≥20%
0.71 mm	+3%, -1%	≥3.6 um	≥20%
0.75 mm	+3%, -1%	≥3.8 um	≥20%
0.80 mm	+3%, -1%	≥4.0 um	≥20%
0.85 mm	+3%, -1%	≥4.3 um	≥20%
0.90 mm	+3%, -1%	≥4.5 um	≥20%
1.00 mm	+3%, -1%	≥5.1 um	≥20%
1.05 mm	+3%, -1%	≥5.3 um	≥20%
1.10 mm	+3%, -1%	≥5.6 um	≥20%
1.15 mm	+3%, -1%	≥5.8 um	≥20%
1.20 mm	+3%, -1%	≥6.1 um	≥20%
1.30 mm	+3%, -1%	≥6.6 um	≥20%
1.40 mm	+0.038, -0.013 mm	≥7.1 um	≥20%
1.50 mm	+0.038, -0.013 mm	≥7.6 um	≥20%
1.60 mm	+0.038, -0.013 mm	≥8.1 um	≥20%
1.70 mm	+0.038, -0.013 mm	≥8.6 um	≥20%
1.80 mm	+0.038, -0.013 mm	≥9.1 um	≥20%
1.90 mm	+0.038, -0.013 mm	≥9.6 um	≥20%
2.00 mm	+0.038, -0.013 mm	≥10.1 um	≥20%
2.30 mm	+0.038, -0.013 mm	≥11.7 um	≥20%
2.60 mm	+0.038, -0.013 mm	≥12.9 um	≥20%
2.90 mm	+0.038, -0.013 mm	≥14.5 um	≥20%
3.26 mm	+0.038, -0.013 mm	≥16.5 um	≥20%

Nickel-plated Copper Wire Application

Nickel-plated copper wire has excellent corrosion resistance, long service life, cost only 1/3~1/2 of silver plated wire. Thick coating may reduce flexibility, good weldability, and compatibility with multiple processes. It is widely used in the following fields:

Electronics and Electrical

Connector terminals: Internal connectors for mobile phones and computers, wear-resistant and anti-oxidation.
Lithium battery lugs: Resistant to electrolyte corrosion, improving battery cycle life.
Motor winding: Replace pure copper wire to reduce the risk of oxidation in high temperature environments.

Automotive Industry

Wiring harness and sensors: Resistant to high temperatures and oil contamination in the engine compartment.
Charging pile connection cable: Suitable for outdoor humid and salt spray environments.

Industrial Equipment

Industrial robot cables: Wear-resistant protection in frequent bending scenarios.
Chemical instrument wires: Resistant to corrosive gases such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia.

New Energy and Electricity

Photovoltaic cables: Resistant to UV aging, extending outdoor service life.
Transformer lead: Balancing conductivity and weather resistance.

EADS

Onboard cables: Resistant to high and low temperature cycling (-65 °C~200 °C).