Someone just gave me a bunch of silicon wire from a project they let go…I have a nice strand of 14 or 16 AWG silicon wire (i think, it looks like that) plus some smaller silicon wire. I don’t know much about silicon wire - is it as good as copper in conducting, and can one just as easily solder silicon wire to copper wire? Is there any advantage in being gifted this nice bunch of wire? It sure is pliable and would be pretty smooth to work with…
What is silicon wire? Most wire has a plastic outer coating(insulation), and either stranded or solid copper wire inside it.
Jim
This stuff is like silver-y and very light and pliable. I’ve got a lot of it now, both in black and red insulations. He was using it for an electronics project, and moved and just gave me the stuff. I should have asked some questions then i guess, but didn’t.
One thing I know, they certainly don’t sell it at Home Depot, or at Radio Shack. I went there to look and see if i could find something out, but of course the dopes there didn’t have any dope on the subject.
I’m just wondering. Hoping there can be some use for this on my layout, perhaps as track bus wire? Don’t want to waste me time if it isn’t as good as copper, or can’t or shouldn’t be used in conjunction witn copper. Online searches oddly don’t turn up much info either. ???
I’m wondering if this is the stuff they use for fiber-optic?
I don’t pretend to be an expert on this topic, but see:
http://www.americanelements.com/simw.html
From what I read there it appears that silicon wire is a high quality wire used in commercial applications. I think that as long as you are using the proper wire gages, you should not have any problem. After all, model railroaders have been using everything from left over bell wire to left over lamp cords for years.
You should not have to guess as to the wire gage…most wire comes with that information printed on the insulation.
It’s silicone insulated wire. The wire itself is usually a tinned, or plated copper. It’s insulation is very flexible, and very heat resistant.
It’s commonly used for R/C car battery and motor leads, and slot car controller and motor leads, where the wire needs to be pliable, and have high current draw.
Rotor
Rotor is correct because Silicon is a rubber (orig. developed by Dow Corning) and NOT conductive at all.
Tom
Aha! Thanks guys, once again the forums come to the rescue. Looks like it should be great wire - light, strong and i guess from the comments high capacity, and obviously it will go with copper wire since it is indeed copper-based wire - it’s silicon insulated…! D’Oh!
It is indeed 16 AWG.
Guess my neighbor left me with a nice gift!
Rotor is correct because Silicon is a rubber (orig. developed by Dow Corning) and NOT conductive at all.
Tom
Oh, yeah? He said silicon, not silicone! Did you look at the link I referenced? That reference describes the wire appearance as silvery (which is what was described), not copper colored. And, silicon is a conductor.
See also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon
Says “not to be confused with silicone”
Seems to be used interchangeably (although incorrectly) with regards to wire. It is NOT refering to the conductor, but the insulation.
Rotor
Au contraire.
Again, see:
http://www.americanelements.com/simw.html
It very clearly states that it is high purity Si wire, not Cu wire. I agree that the references to silicone wire would refer to the insulation. However, the original post referred to silicon, not silicone. The poster then went on to say that the wire looked different (silver colored) as opposed to being copper colored, and he was wondering if he had something different.
Whether or not the silicon is combined with copper is something I don’t know. And it is possible that the wire he has actually does have silicone insulation. But based on the presented information (ie: was used for something special; was silicon wire; had silver color as opposed to copper color; and that there appears to actually be a silicon wire product), I say he has a wire that is better quality than the run of the mill product. And that the silicon refers to the wire, not the insulation.
Of course, if the poster is copper/silver color blind, or spelled silicon when he wanted to spell silicon, then that’s a different story.
I shall now go get a decaf soda.
In checking your link and a few random Googles, the one thing I didn’t find was a table indicating conductivity. Rather, it seems, the silicon is intended to be used for detection, plating (semiconductor assembly) and other purposes, not run-of-the-layout wiring.
I would strongly recommend some careful experimentation, using a VOM, a few short lengths for experimental soldering and so forth.
I would also cut the wire and examine the cross-section with a magnifier. My collection of useful junk includes quite a bit of silvery wire - pre-tinned copper, which is obviously copper when it’s cut. If your wire is silvery all the way through, I would approach it with caution until you can determine if it is, in fact, a suitable sub for ordinary copper wire.
Just my [2c]. Other opinions may differ - and what experimentation will yield is facts.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I have to confess that I initially thought that what was being described was really the insulation and not the wire. Then when he talked about that silver business and I found something that resembled what was being described, it was just too good to not throw out there. What’s life without a little controversy? After all, his neighbor could have been working on a project to get him back to Romulak, or a thermo-nuclear wireless DC/DCC hand-held thought throttle.
I stand corrected. Thanks, maxman. [:)] I looked at the word and immediately thought “silicone” rather than silicon. There is a place on the west coast called “Silicon” Valley, isn’t there…[D)]
Tom
What Google finds seems to be dependent on what you type in as your search phrase and from which link you choose. Here’s what I found about Silicon Wire:
Look like the same stuff, no matter how you spell it. [:-^]
Rotor
There is a place on the west coast called “Silicon” Valley, isn’t there…
Yes, there is. I think that there is also a place “over there” called Silicone Valley. However that silicone is used in an application other than wire.
Silicon is a semi-conductor whose properties are controlled by the amount of “doping” with specific impurities. Copper is a conductor.
A few quick tests should solve all of the above weighty questions.
Shawnee
Spark plug wires are silicon also but they will not power my layout. They would not take the sustained current. It silver colored but will it take solder? Take an old train set power pack and use some of the wire and short across the terminals and see if it trips the breaker or just glows. If it trips the breaker imediatly than it should be ok if it glows dont use it. If it takes a few seconds to trip then dont use it.
Pete
No, your spark plug wires are not silicon, they are silicone jacketed.
The “wire” itself usually have c****arbon conductors that are used in original equipment ignition wires by most vehicle manufacturers, and in the majority of stock replacement wires. Conductor usually consists of a substrate of fiberglass and/or Kevlar over which high-resistance conductive latex or silicone is coated, and functions by reducing spark current (by resistance) to provide suppression.
There are metal core ignition wires out there, but not recommended for normal street cars.
http://www.magnecor.com/magnecor1/truth.htm
Rotor
Thanks Rotor
Thats probably why I switched to engines without sparky things about thirty years ago. Being a heavy truck and mining equipment mech I tend to ignore the small four strokers with wires. Ive probably seen the inside of more big engines than most people have seen the outside. Its a sad day when you realize you just inframed another 3406 cat without opening the book to find tourque settings or valve lash steps. That day was about fifteen years ago.
Pete