Aluminum for the Electrical Industry

Aluminum is the conductor material of choice for large-scale electrical power transmission and distribution. With an electrical conductivity of 61% IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard) in its EC (Electrical Conductor) grade, aluminum offers the best conductivity-to-weight-to-cost ratio of all conductor metals. Per unit of weight, aluminum conducts twice as much electricity as copper, making it the preferred choice for transmission lines, distribution cables, bus bars, and substation components. Transformación Puebla manufactures high-purity aluminum alloys specifically formulated for the demands of Mexico's electrical industry.

Alloy 1350 (formerly known as EC or Electrical Conductor grade) is the global standard for aluminum electrical conductors. With a minimum aluminum content of 99.50% and strictly controlled impurity levels — particularly iron, silicon, copper, and manganese — this alloy achieves a minimum electrical conductivity of 61% IACS. Each of these contaminant elements, even in hundredths of a percent, measurably reduces conductivity. For example, an increase of just 0.01% titanium can reduce conductivity by 0.5% IACS. This is why the precise spectrometric control we perform with our ARL 3460 is essential: we verify that every element remains within the strict limits required by ASTM B233.

Our 1350 aluminum ingots are designed to be remelted and processed by cable and electrical conductor manufacturers, who transform them into rod through continuous casting and rolling, and subsequently into stranded conductors of the AAC (All Aluminum Conductor), ACSR (Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced), and AAAC (All Aluminum Alloy Conductor) types. The quality of our ingot is directly reflected in the quality of the final conductor: an ingot with out-of-range impurities will produce rod with insufficient conductivity that will be rejected during electrical testing.

For applications requiring greater formability or corrosion resistance without maximum conductivity demands, we offer alloy 1100 (aluminum with minimum 99.0% purity). This alloy is widely used in the manufacture of bus bars for control panels, electrical cabinets, and medium-voltage substations. The 1100 offers excellent cold workability, allowing manufacturers to produce perforated, bent, and formed bars without cracking. Its conductivity of approximately 57% IACS makes it suitable for distribution applications where the bar's cross-sectional area can compensate for the conductivity difference relative to the 1350.

In the manufacture of distribution transformers, aluminum has become an increasingly competitive alternative to copper for windings. The high-purity aluminum ingots we manufacture are used by sheet and strip producers for transformers, where the combination of low weight, good conductivity, and lower cost per ampere-meter is economically advantageous, especially in rural distribution transformers where weight is an important logistical factor.

Mexico's electrical sector is in full expansion: transmission infrastructure projects, renewable energy generation (solar and wind farms), distribution network modernization, and growing industrial demand are driving consumption of conductor aluminum. Transformación Puebla, from its plant in San Pedro Cholula, serves electrical cable and conductor manufacturers, bus bar producers, transformer manufacturers, and electrical component companies throughout the country.

The key to electrical-grade aluminum lies in what it does NOT contain. Unlike casting alloys where elements such as silicon, copper, and magnesium are deliberately added, in electrical alloys the objective is to maximize purity. Our process begins with high-purity raw materials, and our furnaces dedicated to electrical alloys minimize cross-contamination. Every heat is verified with multiple spectrometric analyses before pouring, and pouring is only authorized when all elements fall within permitted ranges.

All of our aluminum ingots for the electrical industry include a complete chemical analysis certificate with the levels of every element relevant to conductivity, allowing our customers to maintain the traceability required by NMX, ASTM standards, and Mexico's Federal Electricity Commission (CFE).