How is wire made? Steel wire production

Wire is one of the most popular types of metal products. It can be steel, copper, titanium, aluminum, zinc, nickel and their alloys. There are also bimetallic and polymetallic wires. Without wire, it is impossible to imagine electrical engineering - but not only.

It is also needed in the production of springs, nails, electrodes, drills. Although for such purposes not even the wire itself is used, but its semi-finished product - steel rod. Let's see how it, and then the wire, is made from solid steel. Actually, wire rod is made in the same way as any other rolled product: a billet in the form of a bar (bloom) is heated to the state of "red softness", and then passed through rollers, which hot metal is drawn into a wire rod with a cross section of up to 10 mm. - and then goes to the winding machine, where it is laid in rings.

Responsible Cooling

After that comes the stage of cooling the wire rod. It can be natural (in this case, the wire rod receives the VO marking) and accelerated (UO marking).

Natural cooling gives a softer and more ductile wire rod (and then wire), and accelerated - more rigid and elastic. Industrial fans or water flows can speed up the cooling of wire rod. With the first method of cooling, the marking of the wire rod will indicate UO1, and with the second - UO2.

Acceleratedly cooled wire rod (intended for the production of wire in the future) is cleaned from scale, which on wire rod UO1 should not be more than 18 kilograms per ton, and for wire rod UO2 - no more than 10 kg / t. The scale is removed either mechanically (then the wire rod is passed through a special scale breaking machine), or chemically, when the surface of the wire rod is etched with a solution of sulfuric acid with the addition of common salt, trisodium phosphate, and other additives.

The chemical method gives a more even surface, but it is also fraught with the acquisition of so-called metal. "pickling brittleness". The mechanical method is safe in this regard, because - but it is less reliable and produces a rough surface.

Nails, bolts and GOSTs

What is the best way to clean wire rod? It depends on what they are going to make of it.

For nails, a blank with a smooth surface is required, and for the manufacture of fittings, electrodes or bolts, a rough one is also suitable.

In addition, on the surface of the wire rod intended for the production of wire, specific defects can form - burrs or sunsets. Burrs are bulges that will be torn off and “rolled up” during further operations (hence the name of another defect - sunsets).

Welded bubbles - hairline - and "shrinkage cavities" that occur if the metal was heated too much before rolling and therefore lost part of the carbon that was "burnt out" during calcination, have a bad effect on the properties of the metal in the wire rod.

To check the quality, the wire rod is subjected to tests, the main of which is the test of elasticity. Quality wire rod can safely withstand a 180 degree bend around a pin having the same diameter as the rod being tested. You can familiarize yourself with the requirements for this in more detail in GOST 30136–95.

In this GOST, wire rod diameters of 5, 5.5, 6, 6.3, 6.5, 7, 8 and 9 mm are defined as standard and mandatory for all manufacturers. At the request of the customer, metallurgical enterprises can produce wire rod with a cross section of more than 9 mm, but such orders are quite rare.

Due to technological features, the production of wire rod with a diameter of 8 mm is the cheapest - it is in the greatest demand. Adds "caliber" 8 mm. and convenience of calculations:

One meter of wire rod 8 mm in diameter. has a mass of about 400 g.(395 to be exact)

-in a ton such a wire rod will be 2531 meters(that is, 2.5 kilometers "with a small margin").

These are very convenient numbers - they are easy to remember, no need to look into special tables.

Delivery and marking

The finished wire rod is wound into coils weighing at least 160 kg. Usually, each bay is a continuous segment, which is marked according to the requirements of GOST 7566. A marking label is attached to each coil, which indicates the manufacturer, wire rod diameter, steel grade and grade, melt number. However, it is allowed to wind two pieces of wire rod into one coil - but if only one piece does not exceed 10% of the mass of the coil. At the same time, the manufacturer must guarantee the weldability of products and put two marking labels - one for each segment.

By specifications TU 14-15-254-91 wire rod according to TU is manufactured in 4 classes:

VK class - high-quality wire rod;

VD class - highly deformed wire rod;

class KK-rolled wire rope quality;

class PD - structural wire rod.

Wire rod in business and production

Wire rod is considered a semi-finished product, but it is quite widely used by itself. Steel wire rod serves as a means of fastening during transportation along railway oversized cargo. She also fastens the load-bearing structural elements and reinforces reinforced concrete (the cheapest 8-mm wire rod is very well suited for this). Products with a thickness of 6.5 mm are used to strengthen brickwork, lightning rods and the manufacture of cables used in the construction of cable-stayed bridges. However, the main purpose of wire rod is still the role of an intermediate semi-finished product in the production of nails, welding electrodes, winding springs - and, of course, the production of wire.

Wire production

At first glance, the technology for turning wire rod into wire is not particularly tricky: the metal of the workpiece is sequentially dragged (wired) through ever narrower eyes (die) - until the required small diameter of the wire is reached.

However, in reality, drawing requires several steps, namely:

Etching of a semi-finished product (wire rod) in a 50% sulfuric acid solution at a temperature of about 50 degrees descaling;

Preliminary annealing of the metal, which is carried out to give the metal a fine-grained structure;

Neutralization of the sulfuric acid solution and washing of blanks;

Thinning the ends of wire rod with a hammer or special rolls;

Production of drawing itself;

Performing the final annealing.

The drawing itself can be:

- single, if the workpiece is pulled through one die, after which it is wound onto the drum and removed.

- multiple, when the wire is pulled sequentially through several dies, which can be up to 15 or more. This technology reduces the time spent on wire production, provides high productivity and consistency of processing conditions (which can be severely disturbed when repeating single drawings).

But with all the advantages of multiple drawing, factories use double dies. At the same time, during operation, they heat up from friction; they heat up so much that they need a cooling system, for which an aqueous solution of soap is usually used, which is also a lubricant.

However, actually drawing is only half the battle. During this process, the metal is subjected to enormous tensile loads, as a result of which its crystal lattice is deformed, and internal stresses accumulate. The wire obtained in this way turns out to be of low plasticity, becomes brittle, bends poorly and breaks easily.

And the more the wire rod lengthens during drawing, the more these unpleasant effects manifest themselves.

Therefore, an important stage in the manufacture of wire is its repeated heat treatment - annealing, which should restore the crystal lattice and remove overvoltages in the metal. To do this, it is necessary to heat the already stretched wire and cool it slowly.

There are two types of annealing used in wire production:

light coloured- it is produced in bell-type furnaces in an atmosphere from some kind of inert gas. The surface of the wire obtained in this way will be clean, without any scale, but the price of the product will be higher. In the marking, this type of heat treatment will be indicated by the letter "C";

dark- it occurs in the presence of oxygen, which is why the wire is covered with a layer of oxides and scale. The presence of scale adversely affects marketable condition, the wire gets dirty, but this does not affect its working qualities in any way - but the "dark" version of annealing is much cheaper. The wire after such processing is marked with the letter "Ch".

Annealed products acquire plasticity and become comfortable when weaving various kinds grids.

The method can be used to make metal wire. The method includes forming a metal foil, cutting said foil to form at least one strand of metal wire, and profiling said strand of wire to give it the required configuration and cross-sectional dimensions. The method is particularly suitable for the manufacture of copper wire, especially copper wire having a small diameter (for example, approximately 0.005 - 05 mm), a simplification of the method and a reduction in costs are achieved. 19 w.p. f-ly, 20 ill.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION TO THE PATENT

This invention relates to a method for the production of wire. More specifically, this invention relates to a method for manufacturing wire by the steps of forming a metal foil, then cutting the foil to form one or more strands of wire, and profiling the strands to give the wire the desired shape and cross-sectional dimensions. This invention is particularly suitable for the manufacture of copper wire. Prerequisites for the creation of the invention
The conventional production method for copper wire includes the following steps. Electrolyte copper (electrorefined, electrorefined, or both) is melted, cast into bar form, and hot rolled to form a bar configuration. The rod is then cold-worked through drawing dies that progressively reduce the diameter while simultaneously increasing the length of the wire. In a typical manufacturing process, a rod manufacturer casts molten electrolyte copper into a bar having a substantially trapezoidal cross-section with rounded edges and a cross-sectional area of ​​about 45.16 cm 2 ; this bar undergoes a preparatory stage for leveling the corners, after which it is passed through 12 stands of a rolling mill, from which it emerges in the form of a copper rod with a diameter of 7.94 mm. The copper rod is then reduced in diameter to the desired wire size by passing the rod through standard round drawing dies. Typically, these diameter reductions occur in successive machines with a final annealing step and, in some cases, intermediate annealing steps performed to soften the wire being processed. The conventional method of producing copper wire requires significant energy and labor and material costs. Melting, casting and hot rolling operations expose the product to oxidation and potential contamination by foreign matter such as refractory materials and materials from which the rolling rollers are made, which can subsequently cause problems during wire drawing, mainly in the form of wire breaks. Due to the advantages of the method according to the invention, the metal wire is produced in a simplified and less expensive way compared to the prior art. In one embodiment, the method of the invention uses granular copper, copper oxide, or recycled copper as the raw material; this method does not require the prior art steps of first fabricating the copper cathodes, then melting, casting and hot rolling the cathodes to stock the copper rods. Short description the essence of the invention
This invention relates to a method for producing metal wire, comprising: (A) forming a metal foil; (B) cutting the foil to form at least one strand of wire; and (C) profiling the strand of wire to give the strand the required dimensions and cross-sectional configuration. This invention is particularly useful in the manufacture of copper wire, especially very small or extra small diameter copper wire, such as diameters ranging from about 0.005 mm to about 0.5 mm. Brief description of the drawings
In the accompanying drawings, the same parts and features are indicated by the same numbers. In FIG. 1 is a process flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of the invention, in which copper is deposited as an electroplating coating on a vertically located cathode, forming a copper foil, then the foil is slitted and removed from the cathode in the form of a strand of copper wire, after which the copper wire is profiled to give copper wire of the required shape and cross-sectional dimensions;
fig. 2 depicts technological scheme illustrating another embodiment of the invention in which copper is plated on a horizontal cathode to form a copper foil, after which the foil is removed from the cathode, cut to form one or more strands of copper wire, after which the strands of copper wire are profiled to give copper wire of the required shape and cross-sectional dimensions; And
fig. 3-20 show the cross-sectional shapes of a wire made in accordance with the invention. Description of preferred embodiments of the invention
The wire made by the method according to the invention may be of any metal or metal alloy which may initially be formed into a metal foil. Examples of such metals include copper, gold, silver, tin, chromium, zinc, nickel, platinum, palladium, iron, aluminum, steel, lead, brass, bronze, and alloys of these metals. Examples of such alloys include copper-zinc, copper-silver, copper-tin-zinc, copper-phosphorus, chromium-molybdenum, nickel-chromium, nickel-phosphorus, and the like. Particular preference is given to copper and copper-based alloys. Metal foil is made using one or two techniques. Wrought or rolled metal foil is produced by mechanically reducing the thickness of a metal strip or ingot in a process such as rolling. Electroplated foil is obtained by electrolytic deposition of metal on the cathode drum and subsequent peeling of the deposited strip from the cathode. The metal foil typically has a nominal thickness in the range of about 0.005 mm to 0.5 mm, and in one embodiment, about 0.10 mm to 0.36 mm. The thickness of the copper foil is sometimes expressed in the form of a weight, and typical weights for the foil of the present invention are weight or thickness values ​​in the range of approximately 0.0038 to 0.42 g/cm 2 . A suitable copper foil is a foil having a weight of about 0.09 to 0.3 g/cm 2 . Copper foil as a plating is particularly preferred. In one embodiment, the electroplated copper foil is produced in an electroforming bath equipped with a cathode and an anode. The cathode can be installed vertically or horizontally and is made in the form of a cylindrical core. The anode is located next to the cathode and has a curved configuration that follows the configuration of the cathode to provide a uniform gap between the anode and the cathode. The gap between the cathode and the anode is generally about 0.3 to 2 cm. Ru) or their oxides. The cathode has a smooth surface for receiving electrodeposited copper, and the surface, in one embodiment of the invention, is made of of stainless steel , chromium-plated stainless steel, or titanium. In one embodiment of the invention, a copper foil plating is formed on a horizontally mounted rotating cylindrical cathode and then peeled off as a thin web as the drum rotates. A thin sheet of copper foil is cut to form one or more strands of copper wire, and then the strands of copper wire are profiled to obtain the required cross-sectional shape and dimensions. In one embodiment of the invention, copper foil is electrolytically deposited on a vertically mounted cathode, forming a thin cylindrical sheath of copper around the cathode. This cylindrical copper sheath is slitted to form a thin strand of copper wire, which is peeled off from the cathode and then profiled to obtain the required cross-sectional shape and dimensions. In one embodiment, a copper electrolyte solution flows between the anode and cathode and an electric current is applied to apply an effective voltage between the anode and cathode to deposit copper on the cathode. The electrical current may be direct current or alternating current with a DC bias. The flow rate of the electrolyte solution passing through the gap between the anode and the cathode generally ranges from about 0.2 to 5 m/s, and in one embodiment, from about 1 to 3 m/s. The electrolyte solution has a concentration of pure sulfuric acid generally in the range of about 70 to 170 g/L, and in one embodiment about 80 to 120 g/L. The temperature of the electrolyte solution in the electroforming bath generally ranges from about 25°C to 100°C, and in one embodiment from about 40°C to 70°C. The copper ion concentration generally ranges from about 40°C to 150 g/l, and in one embodiment of the invention from about 70 to 130 g/l, and in one embodiment of the invention from about 90 to 110 g/l. The pure chloride ion concentration is generally up to about 330 ppm, and in one embodiment up to about 150 ppm, and in one embodiment up to about 100 ppm. In one embodiment, the pure chloride ion concentration is up to about 20 ppm, and in one embodiment, up to about 10 ppm, and in one embodiment, up to about 5 ppm, and in one embodiment, up to about 2 ppm, and in one embodiment up to about 1 ppm. In one embodiment, the pure chloride ion concentration is less than about 0.5 ppm, or less than about 0.2 ppm, or less than about 0.1 ppm, and in one embodiment invention, it is equal to zero or essentially zero. The level of impurities is generally not more than about 20 g/L, and typically not more than about 10 g/L. The current density generally ranges from about 538 to about 32280 A/m 2 , and in one embodiment from about 4304 to about 19368 A/m 2 . In one embodiment, copper is precipitated by electroplating using a vertically mounted cathode rotating at a circumferential speed of up to about 400 m/s, and in one embodiment from about 10 to 175 m/s, and in one embodiment embodiment of the invention from about 50 to 75 m/sec, and in one embodiment of the invention from about 60 to 70 m/sec. In one embodiment, an updraft of electrolyte solution flows between the vertically mounted anode and cathode at a speed ranging from about 0.1 to 10 m/s, and in one embodiment from about 1 to 4 m/s, and in one embodiment of the invention, approximately 2 to 3 m/sec. In the electrolytic deposition of copper, the electrolyte solution may optionally contain one or more active sulfur-containing materials. The term "active sulfur-containing material" refers to materials generally characterized by having a divalent sulfur atom both bonds of which are directly bonded to a carbon atom together with one or more nitrogen atoms also directly bonded to a carbon atom. In this group of compounds, a double bond may, in some cases, exist or alternate between a sulfur or nitrogen atom and a carbon atom. Thiocarbamide is a suitable active sulfur-containing substance. Suitable thiocarbamides having a nucleus

Or isothiocyanites having an S=C=N- bond. Also suitable are thiosinamine (allylteourea) and thiosemicarbazide. The active sulfur-containing substance must be soluble in the electrolyte solution and compatible with other constituents. The concentration of the active sulfur-containing material in the electrolyte solution in the electrodeposition in one embodiment is preferably up to about 20 ppm and in the range of about 0.1 to 15 ppm.

The copper electrolyte solution may also optionally contain one or more gelatins. The gelatins used here are heterogeneous mixtures of water-soluble proteins derived from collagen. The preferred gelatin is bone glue because it is relatively cheap, commercially available, and easy to handle. The concentration of gelatin in the electrolyte solution generally reaches about 20 ppm, and in one embodiment, up to about 10 ppm, and in one embodiment, in the range of about 0.2 to 10 ppm. The copper electrolyte solution may also optionally contain other additives known in the art to control the properties of the electrodeposited foil. Examples include saccharin, caffeine, molasses, guargum, gum arabic, polyalkylene glycols (e.g. polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polyisopropylene glycol, etc.), dithiothreitol, amino acids (e.g., proline, hydroxyproline, cystine, etc.), acrylamide, sulfopropyl disulfide, tetraethylthiuram disulfide, benzyl chloride, epichlorohydrin, chlorohydroxyl propyl sulfonate, alkylene oxides (eg, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, etc.), sulfonalkane sulfonates, thiocarbamole disulfide, selenic acid, or a mixture of two or more of these components. In one embodiment, these additives are used at a concentration of up to about 20 parts per thousand and, in one embodiment, up to about 10 parts per thousand. In one embodiment of the invention, the copper electrolyte solution does not contain any organic additives. In copper electroplating, it is preferred to maintain the ratio of applied current density (I) to diffusion limited current density (IL) to about 0.4, and in one embodiment, to about 0.3. That is, I/I L should preferably be about 0.4 or less, and in one embodiment, about 0.3 or less. The applied current density (I) is the number of amperes applied per unit area of ​​the electrode surface. The diffusion limited current density (IL) corresponds to the maximum density at which copper can be deposited. The maximum deposition rate is limited by how quickly the copper ions can diffuse to the cathode surface, replacing the previously deposited ions. This can be calculated using the equation

The symbols used in this equation and their meanings are described below:
Symbols - Meanings
I Current density - A / cm 2
I L Diffusion limited current density - A/cm2
n Equivalent Charge - Equivalent/Mole
F Faraday's constant - 96487 A sec/equivalent
C Volume concentration of copper ions - Mole / cm 3
D Diffusion coefficient - cm 2 / sec
δ Thickness of the concentrated boundary layer - cm
t Copper transfer number - an infinitesimal value
The thickness δ of the boundary layer is a function of viscosity, diffusion coefficient and flow velocity. In one embodiment of the invention, the following parameter values ​​are suitable for copper foil electroplating:
Parameter - Value
I (A / cm 2) - 1.0
n (equivalent/mol) - 2
D (cm 2 / sec) - 3.5 10 -5
C (mol / cm 3), Cu +2 (CuS0 4) - 1.49 10 -3
Temperature (C) - 60
Pure sulfuric acid (g/l) - 90
Kinematic viscosity (cm 2 / sec) - 0.0159
Flow Rate (cm/s) - 200
In one embodiment of the invention, a rotating cathode is used and the copper foil peels off from the cathode as it rotates. The foil is cut using one or more cutting steps to form a plurality of strands or strips of copper having approximately rectangular cross sections. In one embodiment of the invention, two successive cutting steps are applied. In one embodiment, the foil has a thickness in the range of about 0.025 to 1.27 mm, or about 0.102 to 0.254 mm. The foil is cut into strands having a width of about 6.35 to 25.4 mm, or about 7.62 to 17.78 mm, or about 12.7 mm. These strands are then cut to a width of 1 to 3 foil thicknesses, and in one embodiment of the invention, the width to thickness ratio is approximately 1.5:1 to 2:1. In one embodiment, the foil is cut into strands having a cross section of about 0.2 x 6.35 mm and then cut to a cross section of about 0.2 x 0.3 mm. Then the core is rolled or stretched to obtain a core with the required configuration and cross-sectional dimensions.

In one embodiment, copper is electrolytically deposited onto a rotating cylindrical core cathode until the copper thickness on the cathode is about 0.127 to 1.27 mm, or about 0.254 to 0.763 mm, or about 0.508 mm. . After that, the electrolytic deposition is stopped and the copper surface is washed and dried. The rip cutter is used to cut the copper into a thin strand of copper, which is then peeled away from the cathode. The rip cutter moves along the length of the cathode as the cathode rotates. The rip cutter preferably cuts through the copper to a depth not reaching the cathode surface of approximately 0.025 mm. The width of the cut strand of copper, in one embodiment, is about 0.127 mm to 1.27 mm, or about 0.25 to 0.762 mm, or about 0.5 mm. In one embodiment, the copper strand has a square or substantially square cross-section that is approximately 0.127 x 0.127 mm to 1.27 x 1.27 mm, or approximately 0.25 x 0.25 mm to 0 .76 x 0.76 mm, or approximately 0.5 x 0.5 mm. Then the copper core is rolled or stretched to give it the required configuration and dimensions. In general, the metal wire made in accordance with the invention may have any configuration and cross-sectional dimensions. They include the cross-sectional configurations shown in FIG. 3-20. This includes round sections (Fig. 3), square (Fig. 5 and 7), rectangular (Fig. 4), flat (Fig. 8), flat with ribs (Fig. 18), racing track configurations (Fig. 6), polygonal (figs. 13-16), cruciform (figs. 9, 11, 12 and 19), star-shaped (fig. 10), semicircular (fig. 17), oval (fig. 20), etc. The edges of these sections can be sharp (for example, as in Fig. 4, 5, 13-16) or rounded (for example, as in Fig. 6-9, 11 and 12). These types of wire can be produced using one or a series of Turks profiling heads, used to obtain the required configuration and dimensions. They may have cross-sectional diameters or dimensions ranging from about 0.005 mm to 0.5 mm, and in one embodiment from about 0.025 to 0.25 mm, and in one embodiment from about 0.025 to 0.127 mm. In one embodiment of the invention, strands of metal wire are rolled using one or a series of Türk's roll forming heads, with each roll head pulling the strands through two pairs of opposing fixed forming rolls. In one embodiment, these rollers are grooved to provide shapes (eg, rectangular, square, etc.) with rounded edges. Power driven Turk's rolling heads can be used. The rolling speed of Turk's rolling heads can be from about 0.5 to 25.4 m/s, and in one embodiment from about 1.52 m/s, and in one embodiment about 3.05 m/s. In one embodiment of the invention, the strands of wire are passed through three Türk profiling heads in series to convert a wire with a rectangular cross section to a wire with a square cross section. In the first head, the cores are rolled with the conversion of a section of 0.127 x 0.254 mm into a section of 0.132 x 0.244 mm. In the second head, the cores are rolled with the conversion of a section of 0.132 x 0.244 mm into a section of 0.137 x 0.178 mm. In the third head, the cores are rolled with the conversion of a section of 0.137 x 0.178 mm into a section of 0.142 x 0.142 mm. In one embodiment of the invention, the strands pass through two Türk heads in series. In the first head, the cores are rolled with the conversion of a section of 0.203 x 0.254 mm into a section of 0.221 x 0.236 mm. In the second head, the cores are rolled with the conversion of a section of 0.221 x 0.236 mm into a section of 0.229 x 0.229 mm. The wire strands can be cleaned using known chemical, mechanical or electrolytic polishing methods. In one embodiment of the invention, strands of copper wire cut from copper foil or obtained by slitting and peeling from the cathode are cleaned using a chemical, electrolytic or mechanical process before they are fed into Turk's rolling heads for further shaping. Chemical cleaning can be accomplished by passing the wire through an acid or pickle bath with nitric acid or hot (eg, about 25° C. to 70° C.) sulfuric acid. Electrolytic polishing can be done with electric current and sulfuric acid. Mechanical cleaning may be performed using brushes or the like. to remove burrs and similar irregularities from the surface of the wire. In one embodiment, the wire is cleaned with a caustic soda solution, washed, rinsed, pickled using hot (eg, about 35° C.) sulfuric acid, electrolytically polished with sulfuric acid, rinsed, and dried. In one embodiment, the strands of metal wire made in accordance with the invention are relatively short in length (for example, from about 152.5 m to 1525 m, and in one embodiment from about 305 m to 915 m, and in one embodiment of the invention about 610 m) and these wire strands are welded to other similarly produced wire strands using known techniques (for example, butt welding) to produce wire strands having a relatively long length (for example, greater than about 30500 m, or greater than approximately 61,000 m or greater than approximately 1,000,000 m or more). In one embodiment of the invention, strands of wire made in accordance with the invention are drawn through a die to form strands with a circular cross section. The die may have a gap configuration that transitions (for example, from square, oval, rectangular, etc.) to a circular section, where the incoming strand of wire contacts the die in the drawing cone along points lying on the plane, and exits the die along points, lying on a plane. The internal angle, in one embodiment of the invention, is about 8, 12, 16, 24 o or other angles known in the prior art. In one embodiment of the invention, the strands are cleaned and welded prior to being drawn (as described above). In one embodiment of the invention, a strand of wire having a square section of 0.142 x 0.142 mm is drawn through a die with one pass to obtain a wire with a round section and a section diameter of 0.142 mm (N 35 according to the American wire gauge AWG). Drawn metal wire, especially copper wire, made in accordance with the invention has, in one embodiment of the invention, a circular cross-section and a diameter in the range from about 0.005 to 0.5 mm, and in one embodiment of the invention from about 0.0254 up to 0.254 mm, and in one embodiment of the invention from 0.0254 to 0.127 mm. In one embodiment of the invention, the metal wire is coated with one or more of the following coatings:
(1) Lead or Lead Alloy (80% Pb, 20% Sn) B189 (ASTM Standard);
(2) Nickel B355 (ASTM standard);
(3) Silver B298 (ASTM standard),
(4) Tin B33 (ASTM standard). These coatings are applied to: (a) maintain solderability for wire intended for electrical circuits, (b) create a barrier between the metal and insulating materials such as rubber that would react with and adhere to the metal (thus making it difficult to strip the wire to make an electrical connection) or (c) prevent metal from oxidizing when used under high temperatures. The most common coatings are from an alloy of tin and lead and coatings from pure tin; Nickel and silver are used in special and high temperature wire applications. Metal wire can be plated by hot dip in a molten metal bath, electroplating or cladding. In one embodiment of the invention, a continuous process is used; this allows the coating to be applied during the wire drawing, immediately after it. Twisted wire can be made by twisting or braiding multiple strands of wire together to form a flexible wire. Different degrees of flexibility for a given load capacity can be obtained by varying the number, size and arrangement of the individual strands. Solid wire, coaxial wire, wire bundle and wire bundle provide increased degrees of flexibility; relative to the last three categories, more thinner strands of wire can provide more flexibility. Twisted wire and cable can be produced by devices known as "bundlers" or "twisters". Conventional bundlers are used for small diameter wires from 0.16 mm (N 34 AWG) to 2.588 mm (N 10 AWG). The individual strands of wire are wound from the issuing winders located next to the device and fed to the levers of the runner rotating around the winding winder to twist the strands. The speed of rotation of the lever relative to the winding speed regulates the length of the strand stride in the bundle. For making small, portable, flexible cables, individual strands typically range in diameter from 0.254 mm (N 30 AWG) to 0.044 mm (N 44 AWG), and each cable can have up to 30,000 strands. A tubular beamer can be used, which has up to 18 output winders installed inside the device. The wire is unwound from each winder, while the latter remains in a horizontal plane, being threaded through a tubular drum and twisted together with other strands of wire due to the rotational movement of the drum. At the wound end, the strand passes through a convergent die to form the final bundle configuration. The finished beam is wound on a spool, which is also contained inside the device. In one embodiment of the invention, the wire is covered with insulation or sheathing. Three types of insulating or sheathing materials can be used. This polymer materials, lacquered enamel and oiled paper. In one embodiment, the polymers used are polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene, ethylene propylene rubber (EPR), silicone rubber, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP). Polyamide coatings are used when major problem is an Fire safety, in passenger wiring Vehicle. Natural rubber may be used. Synthetic rubbers can be used where good flexibility must be maintained, as in the case of welding and mining cables. Many varieties of PVC are suitable. They include several refractory. PVC has good dielectric strength and flexibility and is particularly suitable as it is one of the least expensive conventional insulating and braiding materials. It is mainly used in the field of communications, control cables, building wiring and low voltage power cables. PVC insulation is generally chosen for applications requiring long-term operation at low temperatures down to 75°C. Polyethylene, due to its low and stable dielectric constant, is applicable when better electrical properties are required. It is resistant to abrasion and solvents. It is mainly used for connection wiring, communication and high voltage cables. Cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE), which is obtained by adding peroxides to polyethylene and then vulcanizing the mixture, gives better heat resistance, better mechanical properties , greater durability and resistance to cracking under the influence of external stresses. Special selection of composition can provide fire resistance of cross-linked polyethylene. The normal maximum, long-term operating temperature is about 90°C. PTFE and FEP are used to insulate jet aircraft wiring, electronic equipment wiring, and specialty control cables where heat resistance, solvent resistance, and high reliability are important. These electrical cables can operate at temperatures up to about 250° C. These polymeric compounds can be applied to the wire by extrusion. Extruders are devices that convert thermoplastic polymer pellets or powders into continuous coatings. The insulating compound is loaded into a hopper which feeds it into a long heated chamber. The continuously rotating screw moves the pellets into the hot zone where the polymer softens and becomes liquid. At the end of the chamber, the molten compound is forced through a small die on top of a moving wire that also passes through the hole in the die. As the insulated wire leaves the extruder, it is water-cooled and wound onto spools. The wire coated with EPR and XLPE preferably passes through the curing chamber before it is cooled to complete the cross-linking process. Film-coated wire, typically fine winding wire, generally comprises copper wire coated with a thin, flexible film of lacquer enamel. These insulated copper wire strands are used to make electromagnetic coils in electrical devices and must withstand high breakdown voltages. The temperature range is approximately from 105 to 220 o C, depending on the composition of the lacquer enamel. Suitable lacquer enamels are based on polyvinyl acetals, polyesters and epoxy resins. Lacquering equipment is designed for the simultaneous insulating of large quantities of wire strands. In one embodiment of the invention, the strands of the wire are passed through a lacquer applicator which applies liquid lacquer to the wire and controls the thickness of the coating. The wire then passes through a series of coating vulcanization ovens and the finished wire is collected on spools. To obtain a thick coating of lacquer enamel, it may be necessary to pass the wire through the device several times. Powder coating methods are also suitable. They eliminate the need for solvent extraction that is common with conventional lacquer vulcanization and thus makes it easier for the manufacturer to meet OSHA and EPA standards. Electrostatic sprayers, fluidized beds, and the like can be used to apply such powder layers. Now, with reference to the illustrated embodiments of the invention and, first of all, to FIGS. 1, a copper wire production method will be described in which copper is electrolytically deposited on a cathode to form a thin cylindrical copper shell around the cathode; this cylindrical sheath of copper is then slitted to form a thin strand of copper wire, which is peeled from the cathode and then shaped to obtain a wire with the desired configuration and sectional dimensions (for example, a circular section with a diameter of approximately 0.005 to 0.5 mm). The device used to implement this method includes an electrolytic chamber 10, including a container 12, a vertically mounted cylindrical anode 14 and a vertically mounted cylindrical cathode 16. The container 12 contains an electrolyte solution 18. Also included are a slitting cutter 20, a Türk profiling head 22, a matrix 24 and coil 26. Cathode 16, shown in dotted lines, is immersed in electrolyte 18 in container 12; it is also shown being removed from the container 12 and located at the slitting cutter 20. When the cathode 16 is in the container 12, the anode 14 and cathode 16 are aligned, with the cathode 16 located inside the anode 14. The cathode 16 rotates at a circumferential speed of up to 400 m/s, and in one embodiment from about 10 to 175 m/s, and in one embodiment from about 50 to 75 m/s, and in one embodiment from about 60 to 70 m/s. Electrolyte solution 18 flows upwardly between cathode 16 and anode 14 at a velocity of about 0.1 to 10 m/s, and in one embodiment about 1 to 4 m/s, and in one embodiment about 2 up to 3 m/sec. A voltage is applied between anode 14 and cathode 16 to electrolytically deposit copper on the cathode. In one embodiment of the invention, the applied current is DC, and in one embodiment of the invention it is AC with DC bias. On the peripheral surface 17 of the cathode 16, electrons are attached to the copper ions in the electrolyte 18, due to which metallic copper is deposited in the form of a cylindrical shell 28 of copper around the surface 17 of the cathode 16. Electrolytic deposition of copper on the cathode 16 continues until the thickness of the copper shell 28 does not reach the required level, for example, from about 0.127 to 1.27 mm. After that, the electrolytic deposition stops. Cathode 16 is removed from container 12. Copper sheath 28 is washed and dried. The longitudinal cutter 20 moves along the screw 32, with the rotation of the cathode 16 around its central axis using the support and drive element 34. The rotating blade 35 cuts through the copper sheath 28 to a depth approximately 0.0254 mm from the surface 17 of the cathode 16. Core 36 wire , which has a rectangular cross section, is peeled off from the cathode 16, passed through the Türk shaping head 22, where it is rolled to convert the wire cross-sectional configuration to a square configuration. The wire is then drawn through a die 24 in which the cross-sectional configuration is converted to a circular cross-section. The wire is then wound onto a spool 26. The deposition process depletes the content of copper ions and organic additives in the electrolyte solution 18. These components are constantly replenished. Electrolyte solution 18 is removed from vessel 12 via line 40 and recirculated through filter 42, devulcanizer 44 and filter 46, after which it is reintroduced into vessel 12 via line 48. Sulfuric acid from vessel 50 is fed into devulcanizer 44 via line 52. Copper from vessel 54 is fed into the devulcanizer 44 via conduit 56. In one embodiment, the copper is placed in the devulcanizer 44 in the form of granulated copper, scrap copper wire, copper oxide, or copper scrap. In the devulcanizer 44, copper is dissolved by sulfuric acid and air, forming a solution containing copper ions. Organic additives are added to the recycle solution via line 40 from vessel 58 via line 60. In one embodiment, the sulfur-containing active material is added to the recycle solution by being fed into line 48 via line 62 from vessel 64. The feed rate of these organic additives is, in in one embodiment, up to about 14 mg/min/kA, and in one embodiment, from about 0.2 to 6 mg/min/kA, and in one embodiment, from about 1.5 to 2.5 mg/ min/kA. In one embodiment of the invention, no organic additives are added. The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 2 is identical to the one shown in FIG. 1, except that the electrolytic cell 10 shown in FIG. 1 has been replaced by the electrolytic cell 110 shown in FIG. 2; container 12 is replaced by container 112; the cylindrical anode 14 is replaced by a curved anode 114; the vertically mounted cylindrical cathode 16 is replaced by a horizontally mounted cylindrical cathode 116; and slitter 20, screw 32 and support and drive member 34 are replaced by roller 118 and slitter 120. In plating bath 110, voltage is applied between anode 114 and cathode 116 to cause copper to be electrolytically deposited on the cathode. In one embodiment of the invention, direct current is used, and in one embodiment of the invention, alternating current with a DC bias is used. Electrons are attached to the copper ions in the electrolyte solution 18 on the peripheral surface 117 of the cathode 116, whereby metallic copper is deposited in the form of a layer of copper foil on the surface 117. The cathode 116 rotates about its axis, and the foil layer is removed from the cathode surface 117 as a continuous sheet 122 The electrolyte is circulated and replenished in the same manner as described above for the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. Copper foil 122 is peeled off cathode 116 and passed over roller 118 and through slitter 120 where it is cut into a plurality of continuous copper wire strands 124 having rectangular or substantially rectangular cross sections. In one embodiment, the copper foil 122 is fed into the slitter 120 during continuous process. In one embodiment of the invention, the copper foil is peeled from cathode 116, stored in roll form, and later fed into the slitter. The rectangular strands 124 are fed from the slitting device 120 through the Türk profiling head 22 where they are rolled to form strands 126 having square sections. The strands 126 are then pulled through a die 24 where they are converted into copper wire 128 with circular cross sections. Copper wire 128 is wound onto a spool 26. The following examples are given to illustrate the invention. Example 1
An electrolytic copper foil weighing 0.18 g/cm 2 was made in an electrolytic bath using an electrolyte solution having a copper ion concentration of 50 g/l and a sulfuric acid concentration of 80 g/l. The concentration of pure chloride ions is zero, and there are no organic additives in the electrolyte. The foil is cut, then passed through a Turk's shaping head and then pulled through a die to form the copper wire. Example 2
An electrolytic copper foil having a width of 2133.6 mm, a thickness of 0.203 mm and a length of 183 m is assembled into a roll. The foil is tapered by a series of slitters from its original width of 2133.6 mm to 6.35 mm wide strips. The first slitter reduces the width from 2133.6 mm to 609.6 mm, the second from 609.6 mm to 50.8 mm and the third from 50.8 mm to 6.35 mm. Strips 6.35 mm wide are cut into strips 0.305 mm wide. These strips or cut copper strands have a cross section of 0.203 x 0.305 mm. Copper wire is prepared for profiling and forming operations. The preparation consists of cleaning, washing, rinsing, etching, electrolytic polishing, rinsing and drying. Individual strands of wire are welded together and wound onto a spool for subsequent unwinding during further processing. The wire strands are clean and free of burrs. They are profiled to a round cross section using a combination of rollers and drawing dies. As a first pass, a miniaturized power driven Türk profiling head is used to reduce strand side dimensions from 0.305 mm to approximately 0.254-0.279 mm. The next pass is made through the second Türk profiling head, in which these dimensions are further reduced to approximately 0.203 - 0.254 mm, while the overall cross-sectional configuration becomes square. Both gaps are compressive with respect to the dimensions indicated above, with an increase in the transverse dimension (the dimension in the cross-sectional direction perpendicular to the direction of compression) and an increase in the length of the wire. The edges are rounded at each pass. The wire is then passed through a drawing die where it is rounded and elongated to a diameter of 0.201 mm (N 32 AWG). An advantage of this invention is that when metal foil, especially copper foil, is produced using electroplating, the properties of the wire produced from such foil can be largely controlled by the composition of the electrolyte solution. Thus, for example, electrolyte solutions containing no organic additives and having a pure chloride ion concentration of less than 1 ppm, and in one embodiment, zero or substantially equal to zero, particularly suitable for the production of ultra-fine copper wire (for example, from about 0.455 mm to 0.0008 mm, and in one embodiment of the invention about 0.001 mm). While the invention has been described in relation to its preferred embodiments, it should be understood that upon reading the description, various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art that may be made to these embodiments. Thus, it is to be understood that the invention as set forth herein includes such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

CLAIM

1. A method for manufacturing a metal wire, which includes cutting a foil to form at least one wire strand and profiling the wire strand to give it the desired shape and cross-sectional dimensions, characterized in that a preformed metal foil is subjected to cutting, having a thickness in the range of approximately 0.025 - 1.27 mm. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the metal wire is made from a material selected from the group consisting of copper, gold, silver, tin, chromium, zinc, nickel, platinum, palladium, iron, aluminum, steel, lead, brass, bronze or an alloy of one or more of these materials. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the material used is an alloy selected from the group consisting of alloys of copper and zinc, copper and silver, copper, tin and zinc, copper and phosphorus, chromium and molybdenum, nickel and chromium and nickel and phosphorus. 4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that copper or a copper-based alloy is used as the material. 5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the metal foil is obtained by electrodeposition. 6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that malleable copper foil is obtained. 7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that before profiling the wire core, it is cleaned. 8. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the foil is formed in an electrolytic bath containing an anode and a horizontally mounted cathode. 9. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the foil is formed in an electrolytic bath containing an anode and a vertically mounted cathode. 10. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the foil is formed in an electrolytic bath on the cathode, then the foil located on the cathode is slitted to form a wire strand and the strand is subsequently removed from the cathode. 11. The method according to p. 1, characterized in that before cutting the foil, the cathode is removed from the electrolytic bath. 12. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that when forming the foil, an electrolyte solution flow is applied between the anode and the cathode and an effective amount of voltage is applied to deposit copper foil on the cathode. 13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that an electrolyte solution with a chloride ion concentration of approximately 5 ppm is used. 14. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that an electrolyte solution without organic additives is used. 15. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that an electrolyte solution containing at least one organic additive is used. 16. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, as an organic additive, a substance selected from the group consisting of gelatin, a substance containing active sulfur, saccharin, caffeine, molasses, guargum, gum arabic, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polyisopropylene glycol, dithiothreite is used , proline, hydroxyproline, cystine, acrylamide, sulfopropyl disulfide, tetraethylthiuram disulfide, benzyl chloride, epichlorohydrin, chlorohydroxypropyl sulfonate, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, sulfonalkane sulfonate, thiocarbamole disulfide, and selenic acid. 17. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that an electrolyte solution is used with a copper ion concentration of approximately 40 - 150 g / l, a free sulfuric acid concentration of approximately 70 - 170 g / l, a chloride ion concentration of up to 5 ppm. 18. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the deposition of the foil on the cathode is carried out at a current density of approximately 538 - 32280 A / m 2 and an electrolyte flow rate between the anode and cathode of approximately 0.2 - 5 m / s. 19. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the wire is given a circular cross-sectional configuration. 20. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the wire is given a cross section in the form of a square, rectangle, cross, star, semicircle, polygon, racing track, oval, and it has a flat configuration or flat with ribs.

A wire is a metal thread or cord. As a rule, the wire is of round section, but there are also products of hexagonal, square, trapezoid or oval section. The wire can be made of steel, copper, aluminum, zinc, nickel, titanium and their alloys, as well as a host of other metals. They also began to produce bimetallic and polymetallic wires.

More often, wire is produced by drawing or drawing through successively smaller holes. As a result, it is possible to obtain a wire of different diameters up to tens of millimeters.

The wire differs in breadth of application. So it can be used in the manufacture of electrical wires, springs, hardware, drills, electrodes, thermocouples, various electronic devices and for other purposes.

Wire Making Equipment + Video

Wet drawing machines, as a rule, operate using sliding technology and can be combined with dry drawing machines of any multiplicity. They are equipped with independent synchronized electric motors in various modifications.

Direct-flow dry drawing mills are also widely used, which are distinguished by the most modern design. Such mills are mainly used for the production of small diameter wire from high-, low-carbon and stainless steel. The main distinguishing features of the mill are its compactness, the absence of belts and pulleys between drives and drums, noiseless operation, and the absence of vibrations. Structural design is the main feature of such mills. Due to the strength and stability of the frame, the mill can be completely transported, hence the minimum time spent on installation and cabling.

Direct-flow dry drawing mills are distinguished by a horizontal arrangement of the drums. Such mills are typically used to produce wire from low carbon steel, high carbon steel, and stainless steel. The advantages of such equipment are high reliability, ergonomics and ease of operation of the structure, which does not require a special foundation during installation. Also, the unit uses a highly efficient drum cooling system and offers optional equipment.

A variety of wire rod unwinders are also useful for wire production.

Video how to make copper rod:

Also in the field of production, cigar-type twisting machines, double-twisting machines and rope-type twisting machines are widely used.

Wire production technology + video how to do it

The production of wire involves a series of classic operations that can be repeated up to three times. The number of repetitions depends on what size wire diameter is needed.

The first stage of the process is the heat treatment of the metal. Then the metal surface is prepared for drawing. At the final stage, drawing itself to a given size is carried out.

How do:

In order to provide the wire with special properties, additional operations are introduced during its production. For example, different coatings are applied or heat treatment is carried out. The main equipment in the production of wire is a furnace with low-oxidation heating. Descaling is carried out by means of solutions of hydrochloric and sulfuric acids. Borax, lime, phosphate salts and copper are used in drawing as an under-lubricating layer.

Another equally important equipment for the production of wire are mills with intensive cooling of drums and dies. It is they who are used directly for the use of drawing. The use of such a process provides high ductility and strength properties of the metal.

Due to the use of modern lubricants, high corrosion resistance, high adhesion to various materials and optimization of the lubricant quantity are ensured.

In order to increase the quality of the wire produced, it is necessary to systematically update the drawing equipment, equipping it with additional devices, for example, to relieve internal stress and for other purposes.

In order to achieve different coating thicknesses, it is recommended to apply the zinc coating by dipping the wire into the appropriate solution. By using special cleaning materials and emulsions, zinc coatings can be given maximum gloss, smoothness and protection against corrosion for a long period of time.

Galvanizing line:

Quality finished products largely depends on compliance with all requirements and the rate of manufacture of wire. Stability technological process has a direct impact on the quality of the finished product.

It should be noted that one of the trends in modern wire production is the transition from the classical technology of chemical etching in a standard hydrochloric acid solution to clean the wire rod surface from scale to a more promising and maximum safe for environment, acid-free mechanical cleaning technology. For this, modern equipment for mechanical descaling is used. It can be used to achieve high degree cleaning comparable to that obtained with standard acid pickling. At the same time, the technology is characterized by a very large practical application. Furthermore, new technology avoids significant problems associated with the disposal of waste solutions.

Metals are conditionally divided into ferrous and non-ferrous.

A) Iron and its alloys (cast iron, steel) are classified as black.

Iron- one of the most common metallic elements in nature.

Commercially pure iron is a silvery-white refractory ductile metal with high strength and hardness. But due to the high cost of metal purification from impurities, the use of iron in the production of consumer goods is limited. Mainly iron-carbon alloys are used.

Cast iron– an alloy of iron with carbon (carbon from 2.14% to 6.7%)

Steel- an alloy of iron with carbon (carbon up to 2.14%).

By chemical composition steels are subdivided into carbon alloyed.

With an increase in the carbon content in steel, its hardness and brittleness increase, therefore, the reliability of the product decreases. Alloy steels, in addition to iron and carbon, include non-ferrous metal additives - chromium, nickel, molybdenum, vanadium, tungsten, etc.

Chromium– Increases hardness and corrosion resistance. Knives and cutlery are made from such relatively inexpensive stainless steel.

Nickel- increases strength. With the joint introduction of a large amount of chromium and nickel, the steel acquires heat resistance and high resistance to corrosion in a liquid medium. Therefore, chromium-nickel steels are used for the manufacture of dishes, cutlery.

molybdenum, vanadium, tungsten– give high hardness and red hardness, i.e. the ability to maintain hardness when heated red-hot.

Such steels are used for the manufacture of metal-cutting tools.

B) Non-ferrous metals include: aluminum, copper, zinc, tin, nickel, chromium.

Copper alloys are used for household products:

Melchior– an alloy of copper (80%) and nickel (20%)

Nickel silver– an alloy of copper (65%), nickel (15%) and zinc (20%)

Brass- copper and zinc alloy (up to 50%)

Bronze- an alloy of copper and tin.

In the production of consumer goods from non-ferrous metals, aluminum is most often used.

Aluminum - it is a white metal with high resistance to corrosion, non-toxic, ductile, but unstable in acidic and alkaline environments. Therefore, aluminum utensils are unsuitable for boiling laundry, storing marinades, pickles, and sour-milk products. Aluminum is used to make packaging material (foil), electrical wires, refrigerator parts, and dishes.

Aluminum alloy with copper ( duralumin) similar in properties to steel, but has a reduced resistance to corrosion. It is used for the manufacture of metal parts of furniture and sports equipment.

Copper- reddish metal, heavy, ductile, with very high thermal and electrical conductivity, resistant to corrosion. But in a humid environment it quickly fades, becomes covered with a green coating. This produces very toxic copper compounds. Used for the production of electrical wires and in the production of alloys.

Brass– high zinc content provides high strength and ductility. They are used for the production of products of complex configuration - teapots, coffee pots, samovars, hunting shells.

Melchior and nickel silver- outwardly resembles silver, is used for the production of tableware, decorative and jewelry.

Bronzes- have good casting properties, therefore they are used for the production of candlesticks, chandeliers, decorative items (figurines, vases).

Valuable info on the wire

Tools needed for working with wire

1. Round nose pliers - used for twisting wire and pins into rings and spirals. If you are going to collect the beads one single time and give up the whole thing, then you can not buy. In all other cases it is necessary. The thinner and smaller you find round nose pliers, the better.

2. with smooth platforms - needed for working with wire and pins. They do not leave such terrible marks on them as those with corrugated platforms.

3. Flat-nose pliers - needed to pinch something. For example, a clip or a thread tip. They differ from the previous ones in greater gripping power. Such platforms better hold ball and barrel clamps.

4. Side cutters. Wire, pin and even jewelry cable cannot be cut with scissors. To do this, there are side cutters or wire cutters.

Let's get acquainted with the wire.

Wire is an absolutely amazing material. We see it every day around us and have long been accustomed to its domestic use. But just remember! I am sure that each of the girls once wove in childhood various decorations from thin wires in beautiful multi-colored insulation. :-) But then we grew up and forgot all this, but meanwhile, completely undeserved.
What is the wire? How to work with her? What can be made of it? That's what we'll talk about.

For wire, the most important characteristics, perhaps, are: the diameter of the section, its shape, metal and basic properties.

Section.
The size of the section may be different. If this is a technical wire, then there are a lot of options, if you take a specialized wire for jewelry or for jewelry, then certain standards are most often used. Here is a table showing these popular sizes, along with the conversion from caliber (gauge - the American system for measuring wire thickness) to the metric system.

12 gauge = 2.0 mm
14 gauge = 1.6 mm
16 gauge = 1.3mm
18 gauge = 1 mm
20 gauge = 0.8mm
22 gauge = 0.6mm
24 gauge = 0.5mm
26 gauge = 0.4mm
28 gauge = 0.3mm
30 gauge = 0.2mm

Section shape.
In addition to size, the section also has such a characteristic as shape. The wire sold in stores can have a round, semicircular, flat, square section.

Properties.
The next important characteristic is the softness of the wire and its ability to hold its shape. In this regard, any specialized wire for costume jewelry and jewelry will behave best. Unlike the technical one, this one is initially made of alloys and metals that bend well in work, but are elastic and retain the shape of the finished product.

Metal.
There is another important nuance: what metal is the wire made of? We will consider this issue in more detail, since the scope of its application also depends on it.

How to get: in my opinion, the most versatile metal. It is very easy to get it: in any store where the cable is sold. You just need to ask the one with a copper core inside the insulation. Next, choose the desired thickness and length. It is quite simple to get rid of the insulation by cutting the tape along the wire tangentially to the core with a sharp knife, and then removing the remnants with your hands.

Another wire made of copper (brass or bronze) with coatings of various colors (about coatings from precious metals will be discussed below) can be bought in specialized stores for needlework (wire for beading).

What we have: one thick, several thinner or many thin wires without varnish, depending on the type of cable purchased (you can also get varnished copper in coils, but it is rarely used in this form for jewelry). Or wire from a craft store in your chosen color and size.

Colour: Pure copper is a beautiful golden yellow metal that looks good on its own, but you can apply different treatments to achieve color effects if desired. For example, patching with ammonia (aging effect) or firing with boric acid (gives a pink color).

Usage: wire of almost any diameter is ideal for creating doll frames: for example, the thinnest one is for fingers, the thickest one (~ 5 mm) is for the doll's "spine". In this case, the advantage of copper is that it can be easily bent and unfolded a large number of times without fear that it will break. This is very important, because sometimes the pose for the doll has to be changed repeatedly.
Copper is also excellently used in jewelry. Scope of application: as far as fantasy allows.
Also suitable for any creative projects and creating sculptures.
I would also advise using copper for those who want to practice working with wire.

Advantages: very flexible wire, which is also not afraid of multiple bends in the same place. Unbreakable. It is easily cut with wire cutters and bends even by hand, if the thickness is not too large. A beautiful color on its own, which can be changed in simple ways, applicable even at home.

Disadvantages: these include, again, great softness and the inability to keep the shape of the finished product, if copper is not used in the form of elastic alloys.

Bronze and brass have similar properties, which can also be used to create jewelry in other creative works from wire.

How to get it: at the stable market and hardware stores.
Color: steel, grey.
Use: to create wire sculptures, doll frames, chain mail and decorative chains.
Advantages: excellent shape retention, easy to get
Disadvantages: heavy metal, which is very difficult to bend.

Let's move on to wires with precious metals, the most applicable for creating jewelry. They have some common points:

How to get it: Sold in specialty stores, craft stores or jewelry shops.
Color: most often gold or silver.
Usage: bijouterie in various techniques, jewelry, wire sculptures.

Small digression:
A sample of gold or silver indicates the content of the precious metal in a particular alloy. For example, 925 silver means that in this alloy there are 925 parts of pure silver and 75 parts of the ligature (alloys of other metals). There is a metric and carat system of samples. A carat is a unit of mass of precious stones, equal to 200 mg. According to this system, a metric sample with a value of 1000 corresponds to 24 carats. To transfer one sample to another, a ratio of 24/1000 is used, according to which, for example, a metric sample of 750 corresponds to an 18-carat sample.

Precious metal coated wire (silver plated, gold plated, gold plated, silver plated)

Advantages: most often it is coated copper wire made of elastic alloys that retain their shape well. Accordingly, this wire has the same positive qualities as copper wire: it bends well, breaks poorly, and is easy to cut.
Disadvantages: The coating is thin and easily damaged. It is also not excluded erasure during active wear of the product. On the cut of the silver-plated wire, the yellowness of the copper may be visible.
Silver wire (silver)

Here I would like to dwell on the silver itself, because. all the advantages and disadvantages come from the purity of the alloy.

Silver sample/carat table:
* 999 ("Fine silver" is used for ingots, also known as "three nines fine". Used in the space industry)
* 980 (general standard used in Mexico from 1930 - 1945)
* 958 (equivalent to silver in British "Britannia silver")
* 950 (equivalent to French "French 1st Standard")
* 925 (sterling silver "Sterling silver" - the most common silver)
* 900 (equivalent to US coin silver, also known as "one nine fine")
* 875 (used for making cutlery)
*830 (general standard used in antique Scandinavian silver)
* 800 (minimum standard for silver adopted in Germany after 1884; Egyptian silver)

Advantages: rather soft and plastic material. Most often, sterling silver is used, which is able to provide an excellent shape of the product and wear.
Disadvantages: In pure form, silver is too soft and unable to hold its shape, so it is used in jewelry for only a small number of works, such as filigree.
I would also like to note that the lower the sample, the greater the likelihood of oxidation in the form of a black coating on the surface. This is already typical for 830 and 800 samples.

Gold wire (gold) and gold filled wire (gold filled)

Gold filled is a wire consisting of a copper (most often) core, onto which a layer of gold is stamped using pressure and temperature. In this case, we have a much thicker coating than sputtering. It is resistant to damage, does not wear out for decades with normal daily wear, and retains the hypoallergenic properties of gold.
Coating wires typically use 10, 12 and 14 carat gold.

Gold wire is much rarer and, accordingly, more expensive, for which it is not afraid to expose its non-gold core over time.

Gold sample/carat table:
* 999.9 (pure gold)
* 999 ("Fine gold" is equivalent to 24 carats; also known as "three nines fine")
* 995
* 990 (equivalent to 23 carats; also known as "two nines fine")
* 916 (equivalent to 22 carats)
* 833 (equivalent to 20 carats)
* 750 (equivalent to 18 carats)
* 625 (equivalent to 15 carats)
* 585 (equivalent to 14 carats)
* 417 (equivalent to 10 carats)
* 375 (equivalent to 9 carats)
* 333 (equivalent to 8 carats; the minimum standard for gold adopted in Germany since 1884)

Advantages: rather soft and plastic material.
Disadvantages: Pure gold itself is a very soft metal (even softer than silver). Therefore, we always see it in alloys, which make it harder and more able to hold its shape. In its pure form, just like pure silver, it is used only in certain jewelry techniques.
I would also like to note that the lower the sample, the greater the likelihood of oxidation in the form of a black coating on the surface.

Conclusions: we have considered the most popular and frequently encountered materials and now you just have to choose what to work with, and this depends on how you are going to use the wire. For beginners in the field of creating designer jewelry, I can advise copper: a cheap material that is easy to get, it will endure all bullying and will allow you to get a pretty good result with the least effort. After you practice and decide that you like it and would like to move on to more complex and expensive materials, you can pay attention to the wire made of precious metals or coated with them.
Wire jewelry making techniques

Jewelery wire is a very malleable material with great potential for use in jewelry design. It comes in different colors and diameters and is made of aluminum, copper and silver. The most common diameters are 0.2mm, 0.4mm, 0.6mm, 0.8mm and 1mm. The thinnest wire is used for weaving objects, fittings are made from thick wire, and medium diameters are used for braiding beads and for the production of openwork and curly elements. The most popular wire colors are natural colors copper and steel, as well as painted gold and black. Colored wire is used for the production of accessories for jewelry based on colored chains or multi-colored beads made of plastic under polished metal. Trees and flowers are woven from green wire using the French technique. To work with wire, special pliers with a smooth inner surface are used that do not scratch the wire. There is a specialized tool in the form of pliers with removable nylon pads, with which the twisted wire is straightened. Round-nose pliers are used not only to create ears, but also to produce curly and geometric elements and spirals. To cut the wire, you can use wire cutters that are located in the inside of the pliers and round nose pliers, but it would be better to use side cutters that are made of a stronger alloy. Wire can also be used in textile knitting techniques and creating air cords.

Basic jewelry accessories made of wire. You can make colored accessories from colored wire. Such fittings bring unusual brightness, make it possible to make solid-color decorations and match the color of fittings to the color of other bases, for example, painted aluminum chains. There are several other advantages of making fittings from wire. Firstly, you always cut the wire exactly the length you need to create a pin or stud, and thereby reduce the amount of waste. Secondly, you can make especially long pins or studs for beads of large diameter from wire. Such basic jewelry fittings as nails, pins and rings can be made in any color from wire, the diameter of which is from 0.6 to 1 mm, depending on the size - the longer the element, the thicker the wire should be used. Wire studs can be made in several ways. The easiest option is to gently flatten or file the tip of the wire with a file or twist it into a spiral. a little harder option when the tip of the wire is melted on the fire of the burner, until a round droplet is obtained, which looks very nice in finished product. When creating ears on both sides of a piece of wire, a pin is obtained. In addition to the standard method of making wire pins, it is possible to increase the reliability of the connection of beads - for the eye of the pin, it is necessary to measure a large length of wire that spirally wraps around the base of the eye, thread the segment into the bead and repeat the eye with a spiral base. Jewelry based on such pins will not tear even under increased load. The production of jewelry rings is as follows - the rings are cut with wire cutters from a wire spiral, which is obtained by winding the wire in turns using a machine to create gizmo springs ("Gizmo"). This tool consists of handles rotating in a circle in the form of tubes of various diameters, which are inserted into a U-shaped base.

Specialized fittings and wire bases. Gizmos can also be used to make straw substitutes in the form of colored springs. From wire, you can create T-shaped and L-shaped locks in the form of a figured object of the appropriate shape on the one hand and a double asymmetric spiral with an expanded inner hole on the other. Huggers of round, oval and square section can be made from a spiral wound around the top of the bead, repeating its round or oval shape. The easiest way is to use the shape of a spiral, a little more difficult is to separately roll up the frame, which is fixed with a thin wire and, if desired, decorated with small beads. The wire is often used as a clamp to secure the warp bundles inside the caps. Thin wire can replace connectors by wrapping it crosswise around the rows of bases. Earrings are made from silver-plated wire, decorating them in the eye area. The wire can be used as a base by twisting it with a rope or creating curly shapes from it for wide jewelry.

Basket weaving. The wire will also help in the case when the element that you want to use in the decoration does not have holes. Wire cabochon settings can be very different types, depending on the shape and weight of the stone. A thick wire forms the frame of the frame, while a thin one serves to connect the parts of the base together, to stiffen the entire structure. For small stones, you can make an airy, light frame of spiral and wavy elements. If the stone is large and heavy, then you can not do without a dense substrate, the “teeth” of which hold the cabochon from the front side. The advantage of wire as a material for braiding cabochons is that the shape of the frame can be quite elaborate, but when the openwork elements of the front side are connected to the strong frame of the wrong side with a thinner wire, the whole structure is quite strong. If the surface of the cabochon is flat and large enough, a figured element such as a spiral or curl can be displayed on it. Wire setting for heavy cabochons is made according to the principle of basket weaving, when the base is intertwined in rows around the core. At the same time, the most interesting effects are obtained when braiding curly shapes and using complicated techniques - weaving through a row, passing several rows, combining different colors of wire. In the technique of basket weaving, frames of lampshades, candlesticks, frames and caskets are covered.

Openwork and connecting elements made of wire. Openwork and connecting elements in the form of monogram pendants are created on the basis of a special “Wig Jig” tool, which is a transparent plastic base with many vertical holes into which pins of various diameters are inserted. Various monogram forms are twisted around them. At the intersections of the wire, it is flattened with a hammer with a soft nylon nozzle. With this tool, you can make neat elements of a standard shape and the same size. In the manufacture of monograms that will be used as connecting pins, in order to avoid their deformation, it makes sense either to create elements with a firmly twisted inner part, or to work with the densest wire soldered at the intersections. To produce connectors based on springs, use a gizmo. It will allow you not only to make springs with ears on both sides, but also to make a whisk, which is a spring re-spun around the gizmo tube. In order to prevent the whisk from blooming, it is advisable to put it on a pin.

Geometric and figured wire pendants. To create spirals, you can use a small auxiliary tool in the form of a plastic cylinder with several holes, where the wire enters, which is twisted in a spiral around the central pin. Various geometric and figured flat pendants in the form of a meander, zigzags, triangles, fish and butterflies can be made using ordinary round nose pliers or triangular bend pliers. From a thin wire with a diameter of 0.4-0.6 mm with beads strung on it, flat or three-dimensional pendants are made. Such suspensions can be solid or composite with moving parts. Spirals and tendrils made of wire with beads strung on it have a springy effect and are used to create wedding hairstyles. On the basis of the thinnest wire with a diameter of 0.2 mm, you can weave beaded sculptures in the form of animals, heroes of animated films. On its basis, you can create figured pendants in the form of various fruits, flowers, creatures and objects, as well as abundant compositions on a lattice basis for rings and brooches. Flowers, leaves and trees are made using the French wire weaving technique. The thickest wire with a diameter of 1 mm is perfect for making three-dimensional geometric objects with bead or wire filling.

Wire beads. From a thin wire, you can make simple and spectacular beads of a round and spindle shape. To do this, with the help of a gizmo, the wire is twisted into springs, then slightly stretched and a ball or spindle is formed, the ends of the wire are hidden inside the bead. These coiled spring beads hold their shape well, but are easily pierced with a nail or pin. They can be additionally decorated by stringing beads or small beads on the original material. With a wire with a diameter of 0.4-0.6 mm, beads can be braided in various ways. To do this, the bead is first strung on a pin, the eye of which is spirally and tightly twisted around the axis, then the piece of wire is figuratively bent around the bead, the excess is cut off, and the tip is twisted around the base of the opposite eye and hidden in the hole of the bead. A bead can be braided with wire around its axis or crosswise; on a flat bead, a spiral, curl, zigzag or figure can be placed closely adjacent to it. Rings made of wire can be used to make chains of various weaves. The simplest is series-connected rings, a little more difficult is chain mail weaving. The peculiarity of this weaving is that not single rings are connected, but groups of 2, 3, 4 rings are connected to the same groups using one or more parallel rings. From the wire you can weave beautiful harnesses using the Viking chain technique - light, beautiful, durable, they will be an excellent basis for a pendant or bracelet. To age wire products, you must first process them with sandpaper or a nail file. After that, the decoration must be placed in a tightly closed container next to the container into which ammonia is poured. After a while, the wire will begin to acquire a noble vintage hue.

Tips and tricks - what to consider when working with wire. It is best to use the maximum diameter of the wire in order to fill the hole of the beads as completely as possible. The larger the diameter of the wire, the more resistant it is to abrasion. If the wire can move quietly inside the hole of the beads, it will rub against its edges and eventually break. Can you thread the wire into the smallest bead hole more than once? If yes, then in order to increase the service life of your product, you need to take a larger diameter wire. When creating products, stringing beads on a wire, leave some distance between the beads so that they can move freely and are not limited in space. To check the real distance between the beads, do not forget to bend the wire, giving it the shape of the future product in which it will be worn. You can greatly increase the life of your piece by simply increasing the distance between the beads. When the beads can move slightly side to side, contact with the wire is extended over a larger area and this reduces the possibility of abrasion. Select wire appropriate for the weight and type of beads you are using. The heavier the beads, the stronger the wire must be. When working with heavy glass, metal, and semi-precious beads, make sure the wire's breaking strength is consistent with the total weight of the piece, plus some safety in case you get caught on something. It is also important to carefully clean the inner surface of the holes of the beads, to smooth out the nicks and sharp edges. The beads should slide freely on the wire, sliding beads are less likely to abrade the wire.