Contents I. Introduction
Aluminum is an excellent electrical conductor, and consequently, most electric motor manufacturers offer it as an option in their motor designs. So why isn't it used more commonly in motor applications? There are economic reasons and performance reasons that limit aluminum's usefulness in electric motors. Aluminum magnet wire is generally found in smaller motors, where the ratio of wire to iron is relatively low and physical size is not an especially important factor. Motor performance is another factor that tends to limit the use of aluminum magnetic wire. In applications where the highest possible efficiency and the physical size of the motor are the main criteria, aluminum tends to be harder to apply than copper [1]. Since aluminum's conductivity is lower than copper, aluminum magnetic wire must be made in larger diameters to achieve the same conductivity as copper wire. Therefore, if aluminum wire can substitute copper wire, we need a larger diameter motor. In high-efficiency designs, such as room air conditioners, furnace fans, or central air conditioners, this increased size requirement tends to rule out aluminum in favor of copper [2].
