7. Composite materials

Widely developed in the transport sector, they are now beginning to appear in the field of conductors. Dispersoids based on alumina dispersions in a copper matrix have been around for some twenty years (Glidcop™), offering the electrical conductivity of copper and remarkable resistance to creep. These materials have found a number of applications related to their particular properties. Today, other composites based on alumina filaments embedded in an aluminum matrix are being developed and marketed. This is the case of aluminum-alumina composite wire produced by a continuous process, which boasts remarkable properties in more ways than one (table 9 ).

Its tensile strength, conductivity and density make it the material of choice for overhead line conductors.

Overhead transmission...