Copper or Aluminum Conductive Busbar: Which is More Suitable?

Copper is one of the oldest known conductive materials and is the most common conductive metal besides silver. The application of aluminum in the field of conductivity began in the 1960s. However, the inherent advantages of aluminum have also led to its rapid development in the field of conductivity.

This article provides a comparative analysis of conductive copper busbar and aluminum busbars to help you better understand their respective advantages, so that you can make the most favorable choice for yourself in future projects.

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copper and aluminum busbar

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The comparison of conductive copper busbar and aluminum busbar

Conductivity and resistance of copper and aluminum

Copper is the international standard for conductivity, offering 100% or higher IACS values with advanced processing.

Despite aluminum's lower conductivity (62% of copper), its strong processing ability makes it a preferred choice for conductive products.

Corrosion resistance of copper and aluminum

Copper busbars exhibit good corrosion resistance, even forming a protective verdigris layer in rusted conditions.

Aluminum busbars have strong anti-corrosion properties but may require surface treatments in corrosive environments.

Quality and strength of copper and aluminum metals

Copper provides high strength and rigidity, suitable for applications with demanding strength requirements.

Aluminum busbars, being lighter, find widespread use in weight-critical applications like aerospace and automotive lightweight trends.

Cost comparison of copper conductive busbar and aluminum conductive busbar

Conductive copper remains the preferred choice for conductivity, but aluminum busbars offer cost savings due to lower processing costs and high recyclability.

Environmental protection and sustainability

Both copper and aluminum are recyclable, but aluminum has a higher recovery rate (75%) and requires only 15% of the energy for recycling compared to copper.

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Ampacity chart of copper and aluminum busbar

Converting Copper to Aluminum using an Ampacity Chart
Ampacity Conversion Chart			Copper C110		30° C Rise	50° C Rise	65° C Rise	Aluminum 6101		30° C Rise	50° C Rise	65° C Rise
Flat Bar Size in Inches	Sq. In	Circ Mils Thousands	Weight Per Ft in Lb.	DC Resistance at 20° C, Microhms/Ft	60 Hz Ampacity Amp*			Weight Per Ft in Lb.	DC Resistance at 20° C, Microhms/Ft	60 Hz Ampacity Amp**
1/2*1	0.5	637	1.93	16.5	620	820	940	0.585	31	347	459	526
1/2*1 1/2	0.75	955	2.9	11	830	1100	1250	0.878	21	465	616	700
1/2*2	1	1270	3.86	8.23	1000	1350	1550	1.17	15	560	756	868
1/2*2 1/2	1.25	1590	4.83	6.58	1200	1600	1850	1.463	12	672	896	1036
1/2*3	1.5	1910	5.8	5.49	1400	1850	2150	1.755	10	784	1036	1204
1/2*3 1/2	1.75	2230	6.76	4.7	1550	2100	2400	2.048	9	868	1176	1344
1/2*4	2	2550	7.73	4.11	1700	2300	2650	2.34	8	952	1288	1484
1/2*5	2.5	3180	9.66	3.29	2050	2750	3150	2.925	6	1148	1540	1764
1/2*6	3	3820	11.6	2.74	2400	3150	3650	3.51	5	1344	1764	2044
1/2*8	4	5090	15.5	2.06	3000	4000	4600	4.68	4	1680	2240	2576

1/4*1/2	0.125	159	0.483	65.8	240	315	360	0.146	123	134	176	202
1/4*3/4	0.188	239	0.726	43.8	320	425	490	0.220	82	179	238	274
1/4*1	0.25	318	0.966	32.9	400	530	620	0.293	62	224	297	347
1/4*1 1/2	0.375	477	1.450	21.9	560	740	880	0.439	41	314	414	482
1/4*2	0.5	637	1.930	16.5	710	940	1100	0.585	31	398	526	616
1/4*2 1/2	0.625	796	2.410	13.2	850	1150	1300	0.731	25	476	644	728
1/4*3	0.75	955	2.900	11	990	1300	1550	0.878	21	554	728	868
1/4*3 1/2	0.875	1110	3.380	9.4	1150	1500	1750	1.024	18	644	840	980
1/4*4	1	1270	3.860	8.23	1250	1700	1950	1.170	15	700	952	1092
1/4*5	1.25	1590	4.830	6.58	1500	2000	2350	1.463	12	840	1120	1316
1/4*6	1.5	1910	5.800	5.49	1750	2350	2700	1.755	10	980	1316	1512

1/8*1/2	0.0625	79.6	0.241	132	153	205	235	0.073	247	86	115	132
1/8*3/4	0.0938	119	0.362	87.7	215	285	325	0.110	164	120	160	182
1/8*1	0.125	159	0.483	65.8	270	360	415	0.146	123	151	202	232
1/8*1 1/2	0.188	239	0.726	43.8	385	510	590	0.220	82	216	286	330
1/8*2	0.25	318	0.966	32.9	495	660	760	0.293	62	277	370	426
1/8*2 1/2	0.312	397	1.210	26.4	600	800	920	0.365	49	336	448	515
1/8*3	0.375	477	1.450	21.9	710	940	1100	0.439	41	398	526	616
1/8*3 1/2	0.438	558	1.690	18.8	810	1100	1250	0.512	35	454	616	700
1/8*4	0.5	636	1.930	16.5	900	1200	1400	0.585	31	504	672	784

1/16*1/2	0.0312	39.7	0.121	264	103	136	157	0.037	494	58	76	88
1/16*3/4	0.0469	59.7	0.181	175	145	193	225	0.055	327	81	108	126
1/16*1	0.0625	79.6	0.242	132	187	250	285	0.073	247	105	140	160
1/16*1 1/2	0.0938	119	0.362	87.7	270	355	410	0.110	164	151	199	230
1/16*2	0.125	159	0.483	65.8	345	460	530	0.146	123	193	258	297
Source: Copper Development Organization; Aluminum Association
Note: Ratings depend upon configuration, air flow, ambient temp, etc. The values depicted are an approximation. Controlled testing is always required to validate.
Other considerations Forming the busbar (aluminum has a tendency to crack with very tight radius) Electroplating the busbar (white rust on aluminum, oxidation is an issue with aluminum) Configuration of the busbar (vertical or horizontal configuration)