Post by thread:[EE]:: Resistance wire

These 3 pages provide a superb summary of many of the major characteristics of a wide range of resistance wires. [Sense resistor and Igniter makers may find this useful]. Comparative names among manufacturers http://www.mwswire.com/resist2.htm Major characteristics resistivity, tensile strength chemical composition, coeff lin exp, SG, magnetic attraction, melting point http://www.mwswire.com/resist1.htm Nominal ohms per linear foot by type and wire gauge or diameter http://www.mwswire.com/resist3.htm Kanthar's "Cuprothal 294" is what was traditionally known as Constantan. It's solderability is good. MWS's names give less clue to material but included the resistivity (as ohms/cmf) in the name which is highly useful as this varies extremely widely. Even Constantan alloys can vary by a factor of 10 depending on the Cu-Ni ratio. Russell