What happens if copper is overheated

It only takes a minute to sign up. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. I have a friend that works with automotive mechanical sorts of things, and he told me that he had a pair of jumper cables that was ruined by too much current; it wasn't that the insulation melted: he said that the wire didn't carry hardly any charge after that.

I can't think of any reason why this would be. If a wire carried too much current it would obviously get hot, and that heat would eventually melt insulation, but even then, the copper or whatever it is should be able to carry charge just as well as before, shouldn't it? When it actively was hotter, the resistance would increase and this would impede the flow of charge, but once it cooled down, it should work like before, as I understand things.

Does something occur when copper gets to a certain temperature that could permanently impair the electrical conductivity? I'm not an electrical engineer or even an electrician. I just do some mechanical and automotive work and I have a little bit of experience with physics.

Some newer jumper cables have fuse type elements included, either a very large value fuse or just a thinner [sacrificial] wire that burns out before the main cable begins to super heat. This is done to protect those people who have trouble following simple instructions. Another possibility is that the wire to clamp connection point had a weak spot and that small area burned out during the current overload.

The small increase in resistance with high temperature of a thick copper wire is insignificant in this situation. Even molten copper would pass a lot of current. IN over 20 years as a mechanic in both the automotive and construction equipment, I have replaced many damaged components from overheating starter-motors, over cranking to staters, relays reversing switches on winches.

Have seen copper jumper cables which turn a black color inside without melting the insulation yet when you bend the cable which seemed brittle and turn a bright dull orange. On a couple of occasions. Bakelite got so hot from heat it cracked and warped relay and solenoid housings without fire. One of the worst cases was a international diesel truck with two batteries connected in parallel with so many conections in between the battery cables, wiring, other multiple connections more wire ignition switch intermediate relay and the final solenoid the stater.

Any one knows what is the case when as DC starter motor starts overheating and how that may effect current draw. Back in the mid '80s I had access to a 40K dollar SUN ocilloscpe computer that had the capibity to figuure the compression electrically on each cylinder and other odd problems.

Answered May 2, Originally Answered: Does a splice of a wire have an effect on voltage? Voltage drop in a conductor is equal to the resistance of the conductor multiplied by the current running through it. If flux is allowed to remain on the joint - even though it may be inert at standard temperatures - it can cause problems. Flux can trap moisture causing pitted corrosion, or it may obscure small pinhole leaks, which could open later causing system leaks.

Active fluxes can significantly damage metal parts if not completely cleaned away and neutralized. Not all solder and brazing requires fluxes. For example, some alloys containing silver, which promotes tinning, are often referred to as fluxless alloys. In some cases a flux is needed with these fluxless alloys. For example, sometimes with a heavy surface oxide or when silver braze is used with steel or brass, a flux is needed. Although larger diameter copper pipes may be joined using air acetylene torches, the lack of a highly concentrated flame results in a much slower joint completion time.

The longer that copper is kept at the higher brazing temperature, the greater the formation of copper oxide. Copper oxide can become a barrier to the successful completion of the joint as well as becoming a contaminant in the refrigerant circuit. For that reason, technicians usually use an oxyacetylene torch for making braze joints in larger diameter copper pipes.

The oxyacetylene torch uses both compressed acetylene and oxygen from cylinders. Ultimate Lighting Sale. Bathroom Vanity Sale. Bestselling Chandeliers and Pendants. Sign In. Join as a Pro. Houzz TV. Houzz Research. Shop Featured Holiday Categories.

Home Decor. Holiday Decor. Christmas Trees. Holiday Lighting. Gift Cards. Email Save Comment 8. Featured Answer. These were seasoned guys, too, so I end up scratching my head. Like 2 Save. Sort by: Oldest.

Newest Oldest. If the solder joint sealed you are fine. Overheating often cooks out the flux prematurely resulting in a leak. The color of the copper does not matter.

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