Copper wires are fundamental to modern electrical systems, underpinning everything from household wiring to advanced industrial networks. Copper has developed this monopoly over other metals due to its high electrical and thermal conductivity, enabling efficient power transmission while dissipating heat to reduce the risk of overheating.Early History of Carbon Wires: The use of carbon as a conductor dates back over 150 years. In 1860, Joseph Swan created carbon fibres for use in his new invention, the incandescent filament electric lamp. Thomas Edison advanced Swan's technology, producing carbon wires by heating bamboo strips in an inert atmosphere and using the resulting carbon-rich wire for the filament in his lightbulbs. Despite carbon wires dominating early electric lighting, their use waned with the introduction of tungsten for use in filaments.Modern Carbon Fibres and Nanotube Wires: CNTs were first discovered and characterised in 1991 by Sumio Iijima. Their high electrical conductivity and electron emission properties sparked interest in their use to replace copper. Dr Richard Smalley and Dr Wade Adams are credited with the wet spinning technique to produce CNT fibres, achieving a conductivity of 10 MS/m versus only 0.00001 MS/m for mixed CNT composites.How are CNT Wires Changing the World? CNT wires now provide conductivity at a similar level to copper, but with greater strength and lower weight. Their lightweight properties make them ideal for aerospace and satellite applications, electric cars, and wearable devices.
