Metal Clad Conductor Bar: An Solution for Efficient, Energy-Saving, and Long-Lasting Electrolysis

In the electrolytic refining of non-ferrous metals such as copper, zinc, nickel, and in the chlor-alkali industry, the conductor bar (or anode beam) is a core component of the electrolytic cell system. It must not only carry powerful electric currents ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of amperes to ensure efficient power transmission but also possess sufficient mechanical strength to support the weight of the electrodes and resist corrosion in harsh workshop environments. While traditional solid copper bars offer good conductivity, they suffer from shortcomings such as insufficient strength, susceptibility to deformation, and high cost. The use of copper-steel clad plates manufactured via explosive cladding technology has become the industry-recognized optimal solution for producing conductor bars.

Challenges of Traditional Bars and the Advent of Clad Bars

The main disadvantages of traditional solid copper bars include: low mechanical strength, making them prone to bending and deformation under their own weight and the weight of electrodes in large-span designs, which destabilizes the electrode distance and reduces electrolytic efficiency; additionally, copper is a scarce resource with high costs, leading to substantial initial investment for large solid copper bars.

The design concept of the clad conductor bar perfectly resolves these contradictions. Its core lies in "functional zoning and material reuse." Through explosive cladding, a layer of highly conductive pure copper or copper alloy (cladding layer) is permanently bonded to a layer of high-strength, low-cost carbon steel (base layer). The cladding layer is positioned along the critical current transmission path, utilizing copper's excellent conductivity to ensure low resistance and energy loss. The base layer serves as the primary load-bearing and supportive structure, providing mechanical strength and rigidity far superior to solid copper, ensuring the bar remains stable under heavy loads.

Core Advantages of Clad Conductor Bars

Exceptional Electrical and Structural Performance: The copper cladding provides an optimized conductive path, ensuring high electrical transmission efficiency and directly reducing power consumption per ton of product. The steel base layer guarantees the bar's rigidity and stability, preventing changes in electrode distance caused by deformation and ensuring smooth and efficient production.

Significant Economic Benefits: Replacing most of the expensive copper with low-cost steel significantly reduces raw material costs while maintaining electrical performance. Furthermore, the low-resistance characteristics minimize useless energy loss, leading to considerable savings in electricity costs during long-term operation.

Excellent Reliability and Long Service Life: The strength of steel completely resolves the issue of bar sagging, extending equipment maintenance cycles. Additionally, specific copper alloys can be selected for the cladding, or local reinforcement can be applied at key contact points to further enhance corrosion and wear resistance.

Mature Manufacturing Process: Explosive cladding technology achieves a large-area, high-strength metallurgical bond between copper and steel. This bonded interface has extremely low electrical resistance, preventing it from becoming a bottleneck for current flow, and the bond strength is sufficient to withstand subsequent machining and operational thermal stress.

Our expertise extends to cutting-edge ‌clad plate supplier‌ capabilities, where we utilize controlled detonation techniques to create seamless molecular bonds between dissimilar metals, ensuring unmatched durability and thermal performance. Beyond plate manufacturing, we offer integrated ‌head forming‌ services, shaping clad materials into precision hemispherical or elliptical heads for pressure vessels and reactors. Pioneering unique material combinations, we also produce ‌titanium clad copper‌ composites that merge titanium's corrosion resistance with copper's superior conductivity, ideal for specialized electrical and marine applications.

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