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The Book of Terms

The Book of TermsThe WJI Book of Wire & Cable Terms: an interactive experience of learning and sharing
This book, written by industry volunteers and containing more than 5,000 entries, is an asset for newcomers to wire and cable.

At the same time, it also represents an opportunity for industry veterans to give back by either updating or adding to the more than 5,000 entries. This is an honor system process. Entries/updates must be non-commercial, and any deemed not to be so will be removed. Share your expertise as part of this legacy project to help those who will follow. Purchase a printed copy here.

   

 

All   0-9   A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Crosstalk

Undesired electrical currents in conductors caused by electromagnetic or electrostatic coupling from other conductors or from external sources. Also, leakage of optical power from one optical conductor to another.

Crown Wires

The outside wires in a wire rope that comes into contact with pulleys, sheaves, etc.

Crow’s Feet

1) V-shaped ruptures or cracks on the surface of copper wire caused by localized high concentration of copper oxides, non axial entry of wire into the die, or physical abuse. 2) On steel wire, a pattern of acid etching on the surface due to cracks present in the scale prior to pickling. See Cracked Scale Pattern.

CRT

Cathode Ray Tube.

Crucible

A ceramic pot or receptacle made of graphite and clay, or clay or other refractory material, used in the melting of metal.

Crystal

A solid composed of atoms, ions, or molecules arranged in a pattern that is periodic in three dimensions.

Crystalline Fracture

A pattern of brightly reflecting crystal facets on the fracture surface of a polycrystalline metal resulting from cleavage fracture of many individual crystals. Contrast with fibrous silky fracture. All fractures are crystalline, but this term is generally applied only to those fractures characterized by a lack of visible plastic deformation.

Crystalline Structure

Normally a metallurgical term, but in this industry, can be used to describe the diamond crystal used in manufacturing diamond dies. Also applicable to typical metallurgical terms.

Crystallization

The formation of crystals by the atoms assuming definite positions in a crystal lattice. This is what happens when a liquid metal solidifies.

CS

Designation for Cast Steel.

CSP

See Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene.

CSPE

See Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene.

CT

Designation for Cable Tray. A reference to the cable tray flame rating.

CTFE

Designation for chlorotrifluoroethylene. A series of polymers with good chemical resistance used for insulating material. It is a true thermoplastic and it can be injection molded.

CTS

Designation for Cable Type Sheathed. A cable that is sheathed with a tough rubber sheathing.

Cup and Cone Fracture

The type of fracture in which the exterior portion is extended and the interior is relatively depressed, resembling a cup. It is often seen in tensile test specimens of a ductile material where the central portion undergoes plane-strain fracture and the surrounding region also undergoes plane-stress fracture. It is also seen when failure occurs due to separation at a central burst. Note: it is important to verify the reason for failure because correcting for tension failure may increase the tendency for central bursting.

Cuppy

A tendency of defective wire to prematurely break with a pencil-point type fracture. It may be caused by segregation, resulting in a hard brittle center and a more ductile ex­terior, or due to the use of dies with reductions angles that are too large, and an excessively small reduction in area, so the wire is not cold worked evenly throughout the cross-section, the outer skin being worked more than the core. This defect is often observed only at a late stage of wire production and not at the particular die that is defective. See Central Burst.

Cupro-Nickels

Alloys consisting essen­tially of copper and nickel. Among the most important cupro-nickels in wire form are those containing from 55 to 60 percent copper, the remainder being nickel.

Cuprobond

A trade name for a non-electrolytic process for deposition of metallic copper on iron or steel prior to cold working. It has a wide operating temperature from room temperature up to (82°C) 180°F. Freshly pickled steel is washed with water and immersed in the Cuprobond solution (Cuprobond chemicals dissolved in a mixture of water and sulfuric acid) until the desired weight of copper has been deposited.

Cuprodine

A proprietary process used for the deposition of copper coatings on steel wire prior to drawing. Pickled wire is treated in the cuprodine bath, then the coated wire is rinsed, dried and drawn as usual.
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