Braided Aluminum Bus Bars

[RollingThunder]

Hi all,
Given that the terminals of my Keheng 280 cells are aluminum, I'd like to get braided bus bars, all aluminum construction, so I never need to worry about any sort of corrosion. It would be a permanent solution requiring no periodic cleaning. However, I can't seem to find any, and I don't have a shop with the required tools to make them.
Does anyone know where to get them, or know anyone willing and able to make some? I think $5 each would be a fair price if they are high quality. I'd need 15 of them, long enough to reach across cells diagonally, as I will be compressing during the top balance, and I will not release them from the box to set them up in series.
Am I overthinking this? Would copper with some ox-guard be good enough, or even better?
Thanks to all in this fine community!

 

[100 Proof]

I've never seen, or even heard of, braided aluminum bus bars. There are some tinned copper ones that you might be thinking of. Here's a link to some for sale.

Wire/ Tools/ Accessories For Sale

diysolarforum.com

 

[RollingThunder]

Thanks for the link. I'm not mistaking copper bus bars for aluminum. If you re-read my post you'll see what I'm asking...

 

[kromc5]

Hi all,
Given that the terminals of my Keheng 280 cells are aluminum, I'd like to get braided bus bars, all aluminum construction, so I never need to worry about any sort of corrosion. It would be a permanent solution requiring no periodic cleaning. However, I can't seem to find any, and I don't have a shop with the required tools to make them.
Does anyone know where to get them, or know anyone willing and able to make some? I think $5 each would be a fair price if they are high quality. I'd need 15 of them, long enough to reach across cells diagonally, as I will be compressing during the top balance, and I will not release them from the box to set them up in series.
Am I overthinking this? Would copper with some ox-guard be good enough, or even better?
Thanks to all in this fine community!

Copper - ox-guard works perfectly, would not conisder aluminum.

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

I don't think that exists. The braid would have to be clamped in the end-lug, and this in itself would be prone to oxidation and would need something like ox-guard just to make that work. Then you also have to use it between terminal and end-lug as well. Might as well use nickel plated copper and ox-guard in that case...

 

[740GLE]

Wouldn’t you need thicker aluminum bus bars to make up the lower conductivity of aluminum vs copper, not sure how that’ll help out in being more flexible than copper bars.

Also both aluminum and copper corrode, you’d still want to treat any aluminum to aluminum contact point if you were to source aluminum bars.

 

[RollingThunder]

Thanks guys, copper it is!

 

[bobdelso]

This is what I used

32760

Ground Strap, 100mm Long, M6 Holes,

www.galco.com

 

[Zil]

3270 =150 amps, not quite enough.
Aluminum corrodes quickly. Aluminum on aluminum still corrodes. Aluminum oxide doesn't conduct electricity.

 

[pollenface]

I have a lot of crushed aluminium pipe (on cable to make connectors), I know copper would be better but I didn't have any at the time of making, I think the slight drop in electrical conductivity is negligable (for me).

You can get battery terminal spray on stuff which is kind of like a protective lacquer which may be good for preventing copper oxidization

 

[740GLE]

3270 =150 amps, not quite enough.
Aluminum corrodes quickly. Aluminum on aluminum still corrodes. Aluminum oxide doesn't conduct electricity.

What about treated aluminum on aluminum? Aluminum is used everywhere and perfectly safe with proper methods applied.

But it also doesn’t mean it should be used everywhere, to me it seems there’s no benefit to the OP use of aluminum, a solution in search of a problem.

 

[bobdelso]

3270 =150 amps, not quite enough.
Aluminum corrodes quickly. Aluminum on aluminum still corrodes. Aluminum oxide doesn't conduct electricity.

But 2 of them would do it for op

150 amp is plenty for my 24v system