Wirenet Image Band
wirenet.org mobile image band

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.


 

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

Chemically Cured Compound

Compounds, typically polymers, which are cured by catalytic reaction rather than by heat and pressure.

Chestnut Fencing

A line wire made of annealed mild steel wire that is galvanized.

Chevroning

See Central Burst.

Chicken Wire

A name sometimes applied to wire netting.

Chill Cracks

Caused by cracks in the surface of a roll used for hot rolling, they are a particular form of roll mark.

Chiller

Equipment used to bring down the temperature of spent sulfuric acid for the removal of iron. This process produces a by-product called ferrous sulfate crystal.

Chilling

The rapid cooling of a heated metal through its transformation range to promote hardening that is done by a controlled immersion in oil, water, molten salt or lead at a specific temperature.

Chip Breaker

A scoring device used in the wire shaving operation to facilitate the separation of the outer skin of shaved wire.

Chipping

A method for removing seams and other surface defects with a chisel or gouge so that such defects will not be worked into the finished product. Removal of defects by gas cutting is known as “de-seaming” or “scarfing.” Machining away the surface on the main faces of a billet to remove faults, which would give rise to unsatisfactory products in the final stages of rolling and drawing. Also known as “scalping.”

Chlorination

1) The roasting of prepared ore in contact with a chloride, usually common salt, to convert certain metals into the more easily separated chloride. 2) The degassing or purification of molten metals by fluxing with chlorine.

Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene

This vulcanizable material has good electrical properties and exceptional resistance to ozone. As a jacket material, it is suitable for cables subject to abuse and severe handling conditions. Manufactured by Dupont under the tradename of Hypalon.

Christmas Tree Wire

The initials “FXT” stand for Christmas tree wire, a fixture wire for carrying current that will not cause the temperature of the wire to exceed 60°C.

Chromate Coating

A conversion coating produced on galvanized material in baths containing either chromic acid or dichromates in combination with organic or inorganic compounds which act as catalysts.

Chrome Oxide Coating

A ceramic coating applied to drawing capstans and blocks to increase wear resistance.

Chrome Pickle

A chemical treatment for magnesium in a nitric acid, sodium dichromate solution. The treatment gives some protection against corrosion by producing a film that is also a base for paint.

Chrome-Carbide Precipitation

A chemical reaction sometimes occurring at welding of austenitic stainless steels, containing more than 0.05% C. At the high temperature, a chromium-iron carbide is formed. Chromium, near the boundaries of the grains, flows to the boundaries and unites with carbon, thus depleting the chromium supply in the metal near the grain boundaries. The alloy loses its corrosion resistance as the grain boundaries are attacked in acid water solutions. The attack is called intergranular corrosion, which in turn can cause severe damage from mild agents that are not at all expected to attack stainless steels.

Chromel-Alumel

The alloys used in making Chromel® Alumel® thermocouple wires. Chromel is an alloy of nickel and chrome plus nine other elements. Alumel is an alloy containing nickel manganese, aluminum, silicon and nine other elements. Chromel is the positive wire; Alumel is the negative. Chromel and Alumel are registered trademarks of the Hoskins Mfg. Co.

Chromium

Element, chemical symbol Cr. This alloying material, which helps form ferrite and improves hardenability, is very easy to passivate. A thin yet dense oxide layer with good adherence is spontaneously formed on the metal surface in contact with air. This passive layer provides improved wet corrosion and high temperature attack. A steel alloyed with more than 12% chromium is classified as a stainless steel, which itself can be influenced by other alloying elements, especially nickel, molybdenum and carbon. The chromium steel, however, has no resistance to diluted non-oxidizing acids such as sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid. See entries for Chromium Plating and Passivate.

Chromium Copper

Copper containing from 0.4 to 0.8 percent chromium. Can be hardened and strengthened by heat treatment and has a conductivity upwards of 80 percent I.A.C.S.

Chromium Depletion

During production of stainless wire rod, an oxide layer is formed on its surface. This scale is richer in chromium than the steel it is formed on, which leads to a chromium depletion in the rod’s metallic surface region. Both scale and the depleted zone have to be removed during pickling.

Display # 

Contact us

The Wire Association Int.

71 Bradley Road, Suite 9

Madison, CT 06443-2662

P: (203) 453-2777