How to Stop Copper Migration

Determine what function the copper you use will be put to. To stop copper migration, you must put up a barrier, but the type of barrier you use is dependent on the application you intend. Copper wire and cable are mainly prone to thermal and stress migrations, in which extreme temperatures or physical trauma to the cable spreads the copper to places it should not be. In such a case, electro migration is not a major concern.

Assess what conditions and environmental aspects your copper will be subject to. Temperature extremes, heavy vibration or repeated shaking and battering and the presence of moisture all create different problems and require different solutions.

Use the migration mitigation technique that is suited to the copper component's application and conditions. For wire and cable, polyethylene coatings prevent the migration that concern you. These coatings come in two broad categories: thermoplastics and thermosets. Thermoplastics are easily maneuverable, bending without rupturing and easily stripped from the copper if you need. Thermosets stand up under temperature extremes and are very resistant to physical stress such as abrasive force or attempts to cut through to the wire. Thermosets are very stiff and cannot be easily bent from the shape in which they are cast.

Use electroplating, clear polyethylene coats or both when working with jewelry that includes copper. Copper in jewelry is subject to ionic migration as it comes into contact with the skin, leaving a green residue as it oxidizes. Most jewelers and all metal finishing shops have electroplating equipment. Most often, copper is electroplated with nickel. When copper is used in applications that do not require it to conduct electricity but expose it to air or water, it is often electroplated to prevent ionic migration during oxidation.

Contact an electronic engineering firm if you make your own circuit boards or other micro-circuitry using copper. Scientists and inventors are constantly working on barriers that are small enough to be used in micro-circuitry yet still be effective. Most often these take the shape of extremely thin films that coat and seal the circuitry. The perfect system remains elusive, which is why refinements are constantly being developed and patented.