CONDUCTORS
The conductors are those materials that allow us an adequate flow of electrons with very little applied external force, as is the voltage as mentioned in previous posts. Copper is the most commonly used material that is why it acts as the standard of comparison for relative conductivity.
Look at the following table:
| METAL | RELATIVE CONDUCTIVITY% |
|---|---|
| Silver | 105 |
| Copper | 100 |
| Gold | 70.5 |
| Aluminio | 61 |
Observing aluminum, which has little commercial use, has a very low level of conductivity compared to copper, obviously each company is adapted to the cost and price of the driver.
INSULATORS
These materials are those that have few electrons and unlike the conductors occupy a greater force external voltage, to be able to establish at least a level of current that we can measure.
The most common application where we will find it is the coating that the wires have, by which the current is transported. On the other hand, when working with power lines, rubber gloves and dielectric boots are used as a safety measure for this type of work.
However, it must be taken into account that even the best insulator will have a breaking point, in the following table some common insulating materials are shown:
| Material | Average rupture efforts (kV / cm) |
|---|---|
| Air | 30 |
| Porcelain | 70 |
| Oils | 140 |
| Bakelite | 150 |
| Rubber | 270 |
SEMICONDUCTORS
Semiconductors are just a group of elements that can have characteristics of insulators and conductors. EN electronica is very dependent on these materials because the devices are built mainly of these as integrated circuits, of these the most used materials are Silicon, Germanium, Arsenic of Gallium, to give an example.
These are characterized by being photoconductors and having a negative temperature coefficient.
