Use and Properties ofExtruded High- Strength Aluminum rorElectric

Synopsis: Extruded andheat-treated highstrength aluminumbusconductors offered by themajorsuppliers ofelectric busses werefoundtobesimilar inallrespects. Exceptforelectrical conductivity, thenew conductor alloy issimilar totheextruded andheat-treated architectural alloy designated as6063-T6 bytheAluminum Association. Current-carrying tests weremade ononeoftheavailable alloys toestablish 60-cycle current ratings forthis newbusmaterial. Theresults ofthesetestsareapplicable totheotherhigh-strength busmaterials. Short-circuit tests werealsomade todetermine adequate spacing between bus supports forvarious 3-phase fault currents andalso tocomparetherelative strengths ofbusses madeofthis newalloy andcopper.