What are the different parts that make up an electrical wire?

The core components of an electrical wire consist of two basic parts: the conductor and the insulation layer. For cables/sheathed wires requiring higher protection, a sheath layer is added.  Some wires for special applications may also include additional structures such as a shielding layer, filler layer, and armor layer. Each structure serves a specific function, ensuring the core requirements of conductivity, insulation, and protection.

The following is a detailed description of the function and common materials of each core component:

1. Conductor (Core conductive part)

The "conductive body" of the wire, responsible for transmitting electrical energy. It requires good conductivity and low resistivity.

Common materials: Copper (purple copper/oxygen-free copper, mainstream for household/industrial use, excellent conductivity and oxidation resistance), aluminum (low cost, lightweight, mostly used for outdoor overhead lines/large cross-section cables), and in a few special cases, copper-clad aluminum and copper alloys are used.

Structural forms: Single-core hard wire (such as BV wire, for home wiring), multi-core soft wire (such as BVR wire, for appliance connections/applications requiring frequent bending).

2. Insulation layer (Basic protection, essential)

The insulating material wrapped around the conductor. Its core function is to isolate the conductor, prevent leakage, and avoid short circuits, while also providing wear resistance and temperature resistance to ensure electrical safety.

Common materials: Polyvinyl chloride (PVC, most common in household wires, low cost, easy to process), cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE, better temperature resistance/aging resistance, mostly used in medium and high-voltage cables/high-temperature applications), rubber (chloroprene rubber/nitrile rubber, good flexibility, mostly used in mobile wires/outdoor waterproof wires), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, high temperature/corrosion resistance, for special industrial wires).