PURPOSE: To obtain a lightweight composite material for an electric wire or a cable with high tensile strength and favorable electric conductivity by combining lightweight fibers with high strength such as carbon or silicon carbide fibers with a metal or an alloy with high electric conductivity such as Ag or Cu.
CONSTITUTION: Several 100Wseveral 10,000 C or SiC fibers are bundled to form a continuous bundle of fibers. The bundle is coated with a metallic matrix layer of Cu, Al, Ag, Au or the like having a uniform thickness by electroplating, chemical plating, CVD, ionic plating or other method. The resulting bundle is used as an electric wire or a cable as it is or in the form of a concentrically twisted wire, a composite twisted wire or the like.
CHIBA AKIO
OOHASHI MASABUMI
KUNIYA KEIICHI
