How to strip insulation from wires of various types. How and how to clean copper from oxide at home: the most effective ways How to clean copper wire from oxide

One of the main sources is cable scrap. Copper cable - a cable with conductive conductors made of electrical copper.

This metal is different minimum content of impurities, which increases its electrical and thermal conductivity, makes it soft and malleable.

A failed or spent copper cable is willingly bought, but wire prices can vary greatly depending on the percentage of copper in the delivered raw materials.

The core of the cable is conductor from . Usually, the product has several cores isolated from each other, which are enclosed in a common sheath.

Depending on the conditions under which the operation will take place, the coating can be reinforced with a protective screen or armor.

There are the following types of cables:

• power;
• household;
• control;
• special.

Power copper cables are designed to distribute electricity supplied by the power plant to:

• substations,
• public utilities and transport facilities,
• manufacturing companies, etc.

Inside such products there are up to five conductive cores.

By insulation material they are divided into several types:

household have from one to several veins. Are applied to connection of devices to portable generators of the electric power, and also welding installations to the power supply network.

Control cables are used to connect electrical appliances, switchgears and various mechanisms in tunnels and channels without the risk of damage. Installation of this type of wires is possible both outdoors and indoors.

Special cables are used to transmit high-frequency and low-frequency signals.

Areas of use

Cables with a copper core are widely used in various branches of human economic activity:

• in power lines, serving for the transmission and distribution of electricity in stationary installations;
• wiring inside residential premises and offices;
• on the manufacturing enterprises where there is a high risk of fires and explosions.

single core copper cable finds its application in conditions where, after installation, its immobility is ensured (electric motors, electrical wiring in the room).

In the same time stranded the wire is used to power equipment with a large range of motion.

Such equipment includes, for example, gantry cranes.

Admission conditions and restrictions

Scrap copper cable is a valuable type of secondary raw material and is accepted in almost any form. The cost at which you can hand over a copper wire to a collection point depends on a number of factors:

1. Raw material quality. The higher the copper content in the cable, the higher its cost.
2. Core section thickness.
3. Purity. There should be no pronounced traces of grease, enamel, varnish, welding and oxides on the cable.
4. Shell integrity and complexity of further processing of scrap.
5. Lot size. The larger the batch, the higher the price per 1 kg of cable.

Hand over scrap metal to small private collection points Not recommended. As a rule, they do not have documents confirming the right to conduct such activities and are simple dealers who voice the minimum price for the metal.

A higher price for scrap metal is offered by processing plants and metal depots, which have all the necessary technological and material capabilities for its transportation, evaluation and further processing.

Prices for scrap copper cable acceptance

The cost of a copper cable varies depending on the percentage of copper in the delivered raw materials, as well as on the quality and volume of the metal.

The exact price of scrap can be found out after analyzing the sample on special equipment -.

In the price lists of enterprises that accept scrap, there is, as a rule, the price for pure metal, exempt from:

• isolation;
• lubricants;
• paints, etc.

To determine the value of scrap at the point of delivery, cutting of a prototype, which is cleared of the braid and weighed. In this way, the amount of metal in the received batch is determined, without taking into account the mass of the insulation.

Average prices for different types of copper cable scrap are presented in the table:

How to increase scrap value

In order not to miscalculate and hand over scrap copper wire at the best price, you need analyze the cost of raw materials on the market and determine the range of potential buyers.

1. Compare Admission Prices for scrap copper cable at various locations. Order a preliminary assessment of the material in companies offering the most favorable conditions, and choose the most suitable option for yourself.
2. Check Buyer Reputation; Check if he has.
3. Accumulate more raw materials for delivery. A large batch of copper cable scrap allows you to sell it at a better price.
4. Objectively evaluate the reception conditions. Free dismantling of scrap and its delivery to the enterprise is often compensated by a lower cost of receiving metal, so it is necessary to evaluate the range of services as a whole.
5. Clean cable. The wire cleared from the braid at the reception points is accepted much more expensive. If the insulation can be stripped by hand, then firing should not be used, as annealed copper is considered a lower quality material.

Self cleaning from insulation

If there is no time, you can return the copper cable uncleaned. In this case, the reward will be less.

The process of cleaning a copper wire from a braid is unsafe and technologically complex. This requires appropriate equipment and special knowledge.

A plus self-cleaning of wires from insulation - the ability to hand over scrap higher price.

Minuses self cleaning:

1. Large time and labor costs.
2. Requires special knowledge and equipment.
3. The efforts expended do not always pay off, since cleaning large volumes is much easier, faster and more profitable to carry out at specialized enterprises.

Cable stripping equipment can be purchased from a Chinese supplier on aliexpress, for example:

The main methods for cleaning copper cable are:

1. heat treatment. This method is not often used, as it is contrary to environmental standards. In addition, it has certain limitations: firing of thin-stranded cable scrap is not recommended, since the metal can burn out along with the insulation.
2. Mechanical. Removal of isolation manually (stripping). Long and laborious process. Its implementation does not always justify itself in terms of time and labor costs. To speed up the process, you can use a manual mechanical stripper.
3. Modern cleaning methods using special technological equipment. For example, a powerful and productive automatic stripper. This method is the most efficient and environmentally friendly. And the removed insulation can also be sent for recycling.

To learn how to clean copper cable at home with improvised means watch this video:

Summary

Due to its high thermal and electrical conductivity, copper is widely used in many industries.

Recycling of copper scrap in used cable is one of the main sources of this metal today.

Acceptance of copper cable is carried out at favorable prices, but they may vary depending on:

• percentage of copper in raw materials;
• quality and cross-section of the wire;
• lot size.

Thus, the final calculation of the cost is made in each case individually.

In contact with

In the process of installing wires, one of the most critical stages of work is the removal of insulation. It doesn't matter if the wire is aluminum, copper, enameled or plastic insulated, in each individual case it is necessary to follow the technology when stripping it. If you ignore the recommendations and advice on how to strip the wire, then the technical characteristics of the manufactured electrical system will be low. Consider several techniques for stripping insulation from a variety of coated wires.

Structural features of wires

Wires are of two types:

1. Single core.
2. Stranded.

Single-core means a wire in which the cross section is formed by one core or wiring. As for stranded wires, the cross section of such a wire is formed by several thin wires, which in some cases are intertwined with each other. In order for the stranded wire to be resilient and elastic, a thread is added to the structure that resembles nylon. Taking into account these features, the technology for stripping insulation in each individual case may differ.

Stripping with a knife

When removing the insulation with a knife, it is impossible to cut the wire in a circle with a blade in a perpendicular position - a notch of the copper core may form. As a result, with a slight bend, the wire will easily and quickly break in this particular place, especially if you undertook to strip the wire with a thickness of 0.6–0.8 mm. After a few bends, the wire breaks completely. When stripping the wire with a knife, the blade should be almost in the same plane with the axis of the wire. Pre-insulation is cut along the core. The insulation cut along the length is laid aside and simply cut off.

With this option for stripping, it is important to be careful, as you can easily injure your hands.

Using side cutters

A tool such as side cutters is often used incorrectly. The tool is taken in hand as it should, absolutely no attention is paid to the direction of the cutting edges. If you use the side cutters incorrectly, you will have to make great efforts. In addition, in this case there is a high risk of breaking off the wire along with the insulation.

It is important that the cutting edges are directed in the direction opposite to the movement of the tool. With this option, the blade will cut into the insulation even with little effort. As a result, the tube insulation is removed from the surface of the core without damaging it.

Reflow method

If you have a soldering iron, you can quickly remove the insulation by thermal method. To do this, heat up the soldering iron tip and run lightly over the plastic insulation. After heating, the plastic will melt and be removed. This method does not violate the conductor in any way. If you need to strip a large number of wires with such a winding, then it is recommended to use a special tool. For example, a special wood burner, which was previously known as "Pattern", would be suitable.

The reflow method is most effective if your wiring is old. After a long service life, the plastic winding on the wire becomes hard and brittle. Moreover, if the wire peeks out two or three centimeters from the junction box, neither the wire cutters nor the knife can handle it. And if you use a lighter or crawl with a soldering iron, then you can strip the wire.

And if enameled wire

If the conductor has a thickness of 0.2 mm, then the mechanical method of stripping is the best option. For this, a knife or sandpaper is used to scrape off the insulation.

• To process a cable that has thin insulation, you can use fine sandpaper. Bend it in half with sandpaper inward. Then wind the cable into a bent sheet of emery and, lightly pressing your fingers, pull the wire. This procedure should be continued until the enamel is cleaned.
• If a knife is used, it is necessary to lay part of the cable on a solid base. Then it is necessary to rotate it in a circle until the enamel is scraped off the surface of the conductor.

If the conductor is even thinner and has a diameter of less than 0.2 millimeters, then the mechanical method will not be effective. This is due to the fact that the enamel will not be removed as a result, and the wire itself may break. In this case, you can master the thermochemical method using a soldering iron and vinyl chloride insulation. To begin with, heat the soldering iron, then put the vinyl chloride on the table, and lead the wire over it with a soldering iron. Under the influence of high temperature, chlorine is produced, which will clean the wire from the enamel.

In most cases, such wires are used in radio communications, and it is he who is wound on inductive coils. It also has a name - littsendrat. In its appearance, it is distinguished by the presence of a large number of thin wires, which are twisted into one conductor and at the same time covered with enamel.

No less interesting is another option for removing enameled insulation from the wire. You will need to buy aspirin tablets. A wire is laid on them and a heated tip of a soldering iron is similarly passed along it. As a result, the wire is exposed and plus everything else and tinned.

Removal of PTFE insulation

Fluoroplastic is a polymer that is produced by a chemical method. It has a number of positive characteristics, for example, it does not get wet from water and is highly resistant to organic substances. Its technical characteristics allow it to withstand temperatures up to 300 ° C! As insulation, it is ideal, but the main disadvantage is the high price. In this regard, it is used in special cases. In everyday life, it is applicable to many radio amateurs, since after soldering it has an aesthetic appearance, takes up little space and does not melt.

The material itself has the form of a thin narrow ribbon. She, in turn, is tightly wound on a twisted stranded wire. It is possible to clean such insulation only with a knife. The PTFE is scraped off to the desired length. As soon as the wire is exposed, the insulation is taken to the desired length, and the remaining fluoroplastic is cut off.

Insulation from fabric, rubber is cleaned by any of the above methods. The main thing is to prevent notches of the main core!

All of the above methods are manual. They require more time and attention, not to mention experience, when it comes to stranded wires with a small cross section. If you work in this area, and you regularly need to strip wires from insulation, then it is best to partially automate this process. For this, pliers were specially developed, or they are also called a stripper.

With the help of a stripper, the insulation is removed with one touch of the palm of your hand. Consider how to strip wires using the WS-04 stripper.

Specifications of stripper WS-04:

• It is possible to remove the insulation and cut wires Ø0.5–2.7 mm with a cross section from 0.2 to 6.0 mm 2 without prior adjustment.
• When adjusting the microscopic screw, you can strip the insulation from a thin wire ranging in size from 0.25 to 0.5 mm.
• The stripper allows you to crimp on wires connectors without insulation, insulated or automotive wires for a double clamp 0.8-2.7 mm.

In appearance, the stripper resembles pincers, at the end of which there is a cam lever. The upper jaws are movable, while the lower ones are fixed. The left pair is used to clamp the wire, and the right pair is used to remove and cut the insulation. At the first reduction of the handles, the left cam clamps the wire, and the right cam cuts its sharp edge into the insulation. With the constant reduction of the levers, the insulation is gradually removed from the wire. The process of stripping the wire with a stripper takes a few seconds.

The process of sequential operation of the stripper model WS-04 with single-core, stranded and two-core wire:

1. The wire is wound between the cutting knives, which are located on the inside of the handle. Then they should be brought together. The result is a cut of the end of the wire without deformation. To compare the cut with wire cutters, the end is always flattened and slightly pointed.
2. At the next stage, one end of the wire is wound between the movable and fixed sponge. After squeezing the handles, the insulation is removed. With such work, no notches are observed on the conductor.
3. To adjust the exact length of the stripped insulation, you can use the blue movable limiter.
4. On a two-core wire, the insulation is removed with a stripper in two passes.
5. From the first run, the PVC tube is removed.
6. At the second stage, insulation is simultaneously removed from two wires.

The operation time can take no more than 5 seconds!

Among other things, the stripper can also be used to strip the insulation of a telephone cable before pressing it into an RJ-11 connector. If a screw connection is used, then with just one movement, the insulation is removed from the wires.

A stripper can also be used to strip shielded wires. First of all, it should be noted that this is a rather difficult task, especially if the conductor is thin. So, the first step is to remove the insulation from the shielding braid. To expose the central wire, the braid is untwisted with a needle or spike. It remains to make one movement with the stripper and the wire is released from insulation. Cleaning shielded wire by hand is a tedious job, especially if all you have at hand is a knife. It is very easy to damage the wire with a knife!

So, as you can see, the stripper is a fairly versatile tool that cleans different wires from insulation.

Coaxial cable

You can strip the insulation on the coaxial cable with your own hands. While the equipment for this purpose is inexpensive and readily available, we'll walk you through how to get the job done with wire cutters and a knife. As a rule, such a cable is used for connecting satellite TV and for standard F.

Step-by-step instructions on how to strip a coaxial wire:

1. The cable should be taken away from your body.
2. Take a utility knife and press firmly on the cable at a right angle from the end of the cable at a distance of 2.5 cm. Do not press with the end of the blade otherwise it will break off and may bounce into the eyes.
3. At this stage, it is necessary to cut through the outer jacket, braid, foil layer and dielectric foam. In most cases, it is white. It is with such layers that the vein is surrounded. You will feel some resistance as the blade plunges into the cable. As soon as the blade has reached half of the wire, you need to put less pressure on it. It is extremely important not to damage the central core!
4. Next, you should walk around the circle of the cable. When doing this, be careful not to leave notches on the core.
5. Now pull and twist the cut edge of the insulation. By doing this, you can remove the cut end of the insulation.
6. If wires stick out from under the cable sheath, then cut them off with wire cutters so that they do not go beyond the edge of the sheath. It is important to examine the wire for notches. If there are any, then the above procedure will have to be repeated.
7. Dielectric foam may partially remain on the main core. You can simply remove it with a fingernail.
8. To connect the cable to connector F, first remove a small part of the top sheath.
9. To do this, measure eight millimeters from the previous cut point. Make an incision in the top shell. As in the previous case, the incision is made perpendicular to the wire. Be careful not to snag the braid. In some modifications of the F connector, there is no need to remove the braid, while in others, on the contrary, it should be removed.
10. If you are not sure whether a braid is needed in your case, then leave it temporarily. This braid is around the dielectric foam. Her wiring is less than a human hair thick, so all work should be done carefully. Just the same, now the incision needs to be made with the tip of the blade along the entire wire.
11. Remove eight millimeters of the cable sheath so that the dielectric foam wrapped in the winding remains on the core.
12. The braid wraps over the outer sheath. So, the dielectric is exposed. At this stage, pay attention to the requirement of the F-connector: which end of the wire should be in your case.
13. All possible wiring should be absent between the braid and the central core. Against the background of a white dielectric, this will be clearly visible.
14. An F-connector is placed on the end of the cable.
15. The dielectric must be at the bottom of the connector after it is seated on it. It is unacceptable that he looks out or does not reach the bottom of the connector.

Under no circumstances should the tip come into contact with the F-connector.

The F-connector is now ready for use.

Cable stripping knives

Separately, it should be said about special knives that are directly used to strip the insulation from the cable. For example, the most popular is a knife with a hook. In the process of operation, it is much more convenient than stationery. Moreover, thanks to the thick blade, they can work more confidently and boldly. It will be difficult for them to cut the wire insulation, but cutting the cable along: this is what you need. Such a hook digs well into the cable sheath, so it will not jump out of it. However, such a tool does not have all the advantages, since it cannot provide good cable stripping.

Another special knife is known.

It is very easy to work. To begin with, pull the special bracket with your thumb. It is under it that you will thread the wire. At this point, a small knife peeps out of the handle, rotating around its axis. After laying the cable, the bracket presses it against this knife. Make two or three turns around the wire until you get a notch. Now, without removing the wire, pull the tool firmly towards the end. The knife will turn and cut along the casing. In the end, it remains just to remove the cut off part and continue working.

The only drawback of such a device is that it is necessary to adjust the wheel directly to the depth of one or another type of wire. You can use a piece of wire to adjust.

Also, such a knife does not cope very well with the elimination of insulation. This is due to the fact that the device can flatten a thick cable with careless actions.

So, we looked at the most common methods for stripping wire insulation. Perhaps one of the above methods will be useful in your case. Successful work!

Copper oxide CuO is a black coating on copper products. There are several ways to clean a copper surface from oxide.

1. Purification of copper oxide with acid. If you lower a copper product coated with copper oxide into dilute hydrochloric acid, the liquid will turn blue, and the metal surface will again become red and shiny. The acid, if it is not heated, does not act on copper, but dissolves its oxide, turning it into a CuCl 2 salt.

2. Purification of copper oxide with ammonia. Copper can be cleaned with ammonia. Pour pharmaceutical ammonia into the container. Heat a copper object red hot and dip it in ammonia. The product will hiss and become red and shiny again. In an instant, a reaction will occur, as a result of which copper, water and nitrogen are formed. If the experiment is repeated several times, then the ammonia in the test tube will turn blue.

By the way, the ability of copper compounds to react with ammonia has been used since very ancient times (since the time when the science of chemistry was not in sight). Ammonia solution, i.e., ammonia, cleaned copper and brass objects to a shine. So, by the way, experienced housewives are doing now; for greater effect, ammonia is mixed with chalk, which mechanically wipes off dirt and adsorbs impurities from the solution.

3. Purification of copper oxide with ammonia. Pour a little ammonia into the bowl - ammonium chloride NH 4 Cl, which is used when soldering (do not confuse it with ammonia NH 4 OH, which is an aqueous solution of ammonia). Touch the layer of this substance with a red-hot copper product. Again there will be a hiss, and white smoke will rise up - this is the particles of ammonia escaping, And the metal will again sparkle with its original copper luster.

It is because of this ability - to restore metallic copper from oxide - that ammonia is used for soldering. The soldering iron is usually made of copper, which conducts heat well; when its "sting" is oxidized, copper loses its ability to hold tin solder on its surface. A little ammonia - and the oxide is gone.

4. Cleaning with alcohol. Pour a little cologne (even better - pure alcohol) and again add red-hot copper. The wire will again be cleaned of the oxide film. This time, a complex organic reaction took place: the copper was reduced, and the ethyl alcohol contained in the cologne was oxidized to acetaldehyde. This reaction is not used in everyday life, but sometimes it is used in the laboratory when an aldehyde is to be obtained from alcohol.

How to remove the insulation from the wire? This question at least once worried every person. But before proceeding to the study of the methods of carrying out this procedure, it is necessary to understand the purpose of this layer for the cable.

Removal of insulation may be necessary in cases where it is necessary to install a socket or switch. And there can be a huge number of such examples.

Purpose of insulation in wires

This layer helps prevent a short circuit that can occur between conductors.

Insulation is divided into:

• single plastic
• multilayer

For the latter option, fabrics, non-combustible dielectrics or resins are used.

Traditional household wire is a cable of small sections. Stripping the insulation quickly from a standard cord is usually not a problem. The easiest way is using a tool such as pliers. To do this, they grab one core of the cable and carefully, so as not to get hurt, circle it around with a knife.

As a result of using tools with rotational movements, part of the insulation is eliminated - the cable is exposed. This option is perfect if, when installing switches and sockets, it suddenly turns out that the wires are too short. In this case, removing the insulation with the help of improvised tools will be easier than ever.

Some tips to quickly remove the insulation from the cable

Quite often there are situations when even a true professional is confused. For example, a visual inspection showed that the charger had damaged wires leading to the plug.

The main problem is:

• thin cable section
• its strands
• pouring wires into a solid braid

In this case, the insulation is not just a protective layer, but a channel consisting of two or three chambers.

On the one hand, the method of repair is obvious. On the other hand, the question of how to quickly remove the insulation from the cable is not clear.

Experienced experts advise using a razor cassette as a special tool. Only one of its elements will be needed - a thin blade. In this case, you need to secure the cable well in a vise. In their absence, a clamp from a table lamp is also suitable.

To strip the insulation quickly, you need to split the cable into cores. This must be done very carefully so as not to damage the structure of the cores. There is no need to rush into this matter. Otherwise, you can make too deep an incision. At the end of this stage of work, you need to pick up a part of the insulating layer with your fingernail and slowly remove it from the core. Careful attitude to the wire will allow you not to break it or damage it. It is very important, when removing the insulation, not to cut the remaining wires.

The second situation when it is required to remove the protective layer from the cable is the loaded sections of electrical networks.

The most striking examples are:

• internal filling insulating layer
• rigid and dense outer insulation
• fabric insulation, which is impregnated with a resin composition
• individual insulation of all cores

To remove the protection, it is necessary to remove the outer shell with a tool. For this purpose, a shallow incision is made along the cable. The use of pliers will allow you to remove the cores. This must be done one at a time, because, otherwise, you will have to remove the inner fabric or fill. The rest of the outer insulating layer just needs to be cut off.

Wire stripping tools

To remove the insulation from the cable, some people are content with an ordinary kitchen knife.

But it is best to use the following tools:

• cutter equipped with sharp new blades
• any kind of pliers
• scissors used for cutting thick wires and metal
• clamp or small vise

To create a reliable and safe wire connection, it is better to use special terminal blocks.

If it is necessary to remove the protective layer from a cable consisting of thin strands, these tools can damage them. Therefore, if possible, it is better to do without removing the insulation.

Without removing the protective layer, separate the strands and create contact using a "crocodile" with teeth. In this case, the reliability of the connection is ensured not so much by removing the insulation as by puncturing it. In most cases this is sufficient.

It is impossible to consider too simple work with electric current. Even if you know exactly what tools you need to use to remove the protective layer from the wires, you need to remember that damage to the core will eventually lead to its breakdown and, as a result, failure.

In the event that a little more insulation was removed than required, cut off the excess with a suitable tool. Leaving bare wires is too dangerous.

You should not purchase special tools to remove the protective layer from the wires. As a rule, they are useless. And people use in most cases simple improvised means.

When working with tools, you must be careful, do all operations slowly. It is better to slowly push through the insulation when removing it from the cable. This will prevent damage to the core.

In the process of work, you should be extremely careful. As practice shows, problems in the electrical part often begin exactly where the protective layer was removed, because it is difficult to notice microscopic damage to the wires the first time. It is better to spend a little more time right away, but do everything carefully, rather than then correct your own mistakes at a large monetary cost.

The best option is to call an electrician at youdo.com. The order is made quickly and easily, the contractor will promptly arrive at the specified address and perform the removal of the insulating layer professionally and inexpensively.

Copper wire is a fairly common thing. It is used for wiring, and worn out is gladly accepted as non-ferrous scrap metal.

As a rule, such a wire is covered with a protective sheath, and enamel or plastic is used as insulation. If you have decided to hand over copper to St. Petersburg, then before that it makes sense to clean the wire, as this will significantly increase its cost.

There are several cleaning methods:

1. Using a utility knife. This option is the easiest and most affordable. Everything is done in two stages: the shell is first cut in a circle, and then along the length, only after that you can remove the insulation. However, such actions are dangerous - you can cut yourself with a blade if it slips.
2. Take a paper cutter, fasten one end of the wire well and lower the blade close to the wire - the insulation will be removed.
3. Heating the copper wire will melt the insulation. Such an operation is carried out in small areas, but there is a risk of inhaling smoke and getting burned.
4. Hammer - they just hit the wire until the insulation breaks. This option is the most labor intensive and time consuming.

There is another option - to use a special installer's knife equipped with a hook. It is more convenient than a clerical one, as it eliminates the slipping of the blade: the hook sticks well into the insulation and cannot jump out of there. Therefore, the incision can be obtained very quickly without any risks.

Special tool

Everything will turn out much faster and easier if you use the device, which is now freely available in the store. It's about the stripper.

It is not too expensive, and the quality of work demonstrates excellent. The principle of its operation is this.

The stripper handle contains a small, rotating knife. You need to pull the bracket on the tool with your finger and put the wire under it - it will press against this knife.

Now the tool is wrapped several times around the wire, and an incision is obtained on the sheath. Next, the stripper is pulled towards the end of the wire, the knife will turn around and make an incision along.

Then the insulation can be easily removed. As you can see, the manipulations are similar to those performed with a knife, but safer and faster.

The tool has one drawback: it must be adjusted to the thickness of a particular cable. This is done using a special wheel that controls the depth of the incision.

How to quickly remove insulation from wires. We watch the stripper in action in the video: