Resistance wire

Resistance wire

Fine wire in stainless steel and precious metals

Our resistance fine wire program is the largest on the market and is mainly Kanthal® alloys. Kanthal® is the trademark for resistance and conductive alloys within Alliema and offered in various product forms where wire is one.

We offer a broad selection of CuNi, NiCr, FeCrAl, NiFe and various thermocouple resistance alloys in sizes from 0,01 mm to 0,82 mm (0.0004” to 0.032”), the right alloy at the right resistance is available from our facility.

Our resistance wire is either drawn to size, or to resistance. Every item is made to order, and built to the specific requirements of your application with close attention to the exacting details of your requirement. The wire is available with or without insulation or coating.

Type of alloy	Description
Kanthal^® and Alkrothal^® FeCrAl alloys*	High-resistivity iron-chromium-aluminum alloys for use up to 1400ºC (2550ºF).
Nikrothal^® NiCr alloys	High-resistivity nickel-chromium alloys for use up to 1250ºC (2280ºF). Also available with specific T/C ranges
Nifethal^® NiFe alloys	Low-resistivity nickel-iron alloys with high temperature coefficient of resistance for use up to 600ºC (1110ºF).
Cuprothal^® CuNi alloys	Medium- and low-resistivity copper-nickel alloys for use up to 600ºC (1110ºF).

Product forms and size range

Round wire

0.010-0.82 mm (0.00039-0.032 inch).
Other sizes are available on request.

Ribbon (flat wire)

Thickness: 0.023-0.8 mm (0.0009-0.031 inch).
Width: 0.038-4 mm (0.0015-0.157 inch).
Width/thickness ratio max 40, depending on alloy and tolerance.
Other sizes are available on request.

Stranded wire

Some resistance heating alloys and pure nickel are available as stranded wire in various configurations such as Bifilar, Trifilar, Quadfilar, twisted pairs, and 1 x 7 construction.

Dimension tolerances

Wire can be supplied to specific tolerance. However, dimension tolerance and resistance tolerance can not be specified simutanelously.

Wire size mm	Max out of roundness mm
0,05 to <0,10	0,0025
0,10 to <0,20	0,005
≥0,20	0,010

Inch	Max out of roundness inch
0,001950 to <0,0039	0,000098
0,0039 to <0,0078	0,000195
≥0,0078	0,000390

Resistance tolerances

Standard resistance tolerances for wire is a per the following table. Wire can be supplied to closer tolerances upon request.

Wire size mm	Resistance tolerance %	Wire size inch
<0,05	±10	<0,002
0,05 to 0.127	±8	0,002 to 0,00429
>0,127	±5	0,00429

Manufacturing tolerance control

Wire drawing to	±0,000635 mm	0,000025 inch
Coating thickness	±0,00127 mm	0,0005 inch
Ribbon wire	±0,0127 mm	0,0005 inch
Ribbon wire, thickness	±0,00127 mm	0,00005 inch

Standard resistance tolerances for wire is listed in the below table. Wire can be supplied to closer tolerances on request. The data is valid at 20°C (68°F). Special resistance of ± 3% can also be offered. Products can be manufactured in accordance with ATSM B267-90.

Wire size Ø mm (inch)	Resistance tolerance %
<0.127 (0.005)	±8
>0.127 (0.005)	±5

Delivery forms

Our fine resistance wire can be supplied on spools, in coils, in pail pack or as straighened lengths.

Insulation and coatings

The fine resistance wire program includes a wide range of insulation coatings, bondable coatings and metallic coatings such as electroplating and anodizing. All coatings are available in various colors. Read more about insulations and coatings.

Marking

Each spool/package of wire is supplied with a label or tag showing alloy type, nominal size, tare and net weight, resistance W/m (W/ft), charge number and a reference number.

Capabilities

Coils
Stranding
Stripped and cut to lenghts leads
Milling (flat wire)
Elctro plating (Ni and Au)
Anodizing
Enamelling

Milling

Custom rolling mills to manufacture aluminum, copper, copper clad aluminum, precious metals and stainless steel ribbon.
Thickness of 0,025 mm or less are possible.
Aspect ratios as high as 40:1.

Electro plating

Pure gold (99,99%) may be applied with or without nickel substrate on most alloys. Specialty is ultra-fine gold plated copper (0,2 to 0,7 mm (0,008 to 0,027 inch)).
Other plating materials are available such as nickel, copper and silver.
Ability to plate square and ribbon wire.
Ability to gold plate stainless steel, Ni and MP35N wire alloys.

Anodizing

Anodizing round or flat aluminum wire to create very thing high temperature coating - the thinnest possible electrical insulation available for aluminum wire.

Enameling

Wide range of insulation coatings and bonds are available.
Ability to provide a range of colored insulations.

Typical applications by alloy

Iron Chrome Aluminum Alloys (KANTHAL^® ALLOYS)

Kanthal^® A

Heaters and heating elements: panel heaters, infrared heaters, warming plates, irons, ceramic pots, in cartridge heaters for liquid heating, storage heaters, in ceramic heaters for cooking plates
Hobby kilns, radiators, in quartz tube heaters for space heating, toasters, toaster ovens, grills, industrial infrared dryers
Coils for cooking plates with ceramic hobs
Freestanding coils for heating (e.g. vaping)

Kanthal^® A1

Heaters and Heating Elements
High-temperature furnaces

Kanthal^® D

Element wire for dishwashers
Elements embedded in ceramics for panel heaters, in cartridge elements in metal dies
In heating cables and rope heaters in defrosting and de-icing elements
In mica elements used in irons
Tube heaters for space heating
Industrial infrared dryers
Coils for boiling plates
Isulated coils for panel heaters
Suspended coil elements for air heaters in laundry dryers
Music Strings

Nickel Chrome Aluminum Alloys (NIKROTHAL^® ALLOYS)

Nikrothal^®40

Household appliances and other electric heating equipment
Night-storage heaters, convection heaters, heavy duty rheostats and fan heaters
Heating cables and rope heaters in defrosting and de-icing elements, electric blankets and pads, car seats, baseboard heaters, floor heaters
Resistors

Nikrothal^® 60

Household appliances, furnace applications up to high temperatures
Hot plates, grills, toaster ovens, space heaters
Suspended coil air heaters used in clothes dryers, fan heaters, hand dryers

Nikrothal^® 80

Flat irons, ironing machines
Water heaters
Soldering irons, metal sheathed tubular elements, cartridge elements, etc
Electronic components where low t/c is not needed
Resistors, potentiometers
Detonators
Igniters
Bug zappers

Nikrothal^® LX

Temperature stable electronic components
Resistors with low TC requirements
High accuracy transducers
Precisions resistors/controls

RO800

High value resistors and potentiometers for automotive and consumer electronics
Testing and automatic control equipment

Copper Nickel Alloys (CUPROTHAL^®)

Cuprothal^® 49

Precision resistors, temperature-stable potentiometers
Industrial rheostats
Electric motor starter resistances
Inductors
Volume controls
Strain gauges

Cuprothal^® 5, 10, 15, and 30

High current resistors
Low temp heating cables, electric blankets
Defrosters
Fuses, shunts, resistors
Controllers
Floor heaters
Roof heaters

Nickel Iron Alloys (NIFETHAL^® ALLOYS)

Nifethal^® 36/Nifethal^®52

Timing devices
Temperature sensitive resistors
Temperature compensating devices
Low temperature heating applications
Transducers
Resistors, thermostat bars
Precision measurement transducers

b. Nifethal^®70

Self regulating heating elements
High precision, mil-spec control devices
Voltage regulators, timing devices
Temperature sensitive resistors
Temperature compensating devices
Low temperature heating applications

Nickel Alloys

RN 6000

Resistance thermometers
Temperature sensors (PTC)
Thermistor leads
Transducers
Lead wires etc

Nickel 205

Lead wires
Anode grids
Specialty filters etc

Thermocouple Alloys

Types: N, K, T, E

Tolerances: Standard Limits, or Special Limits

Temperature Ssensors
Temperature controllers
Temperature probes