Cable connection hardware

You need to be careful of reactions between dissimular metals! ie, if you have copper strap and a steel terminal, an electrolytic reaction will occur if any moisture is present thus erroding the connection! This is why it is always best to use the same material or a bi-metal connector when joining the straps to other materials!

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Hope this helps.

It does depend on where and what you are doing. On the large LV/MV switchboards we have worked on we would use plated steel uts, bolts and washers, and sometimes use a corrosion inhibiting paste. If you are using copper lugs bolted to a copper busbar then the current flow is between the two faces and generally not the bolt. With earth bars and terminations, if we where using 6mm (or 1/4") or larger bolts then plated was fine.

Regards,

Trevor.

Don't use copper or brass in saline atmospheres. They don't last long...