Selection and Installation of Insulated Aluminum Cable

Insulated power cable with aluminum conductors has been widely applied at both low and medium voltages in industrial and commercial electric systems. The economic pressure on the cost and availability of copper assures that the use of aluminum conductors will be accelerated. Aluminum cable is available in the same sizes and with the same insulations as copper cable. Devices and methods have been designed for properly splicing and terminating aluminum cable. The successful use of aluminum cable depends primarily on good installation practice that would apply to copper cable as well. There are, however, some differences between copper and aluminum, and the object of this paper is to provide a better understanding of the significance of these differences.