Alloy conductor · Georgia
We buy AAAC and ACAR conductor in Georgia
Conductor with no steel core to inspect and no magnetic pull to identify it. AAAC and ACAR are bought on alloy, stranding and surface condition, which makes the tag and the cut end the two things that matter most.
- 6201 alloy
- No steel core
- Coastal rebuilds
01Overview
What this page covers
AAAC is all-aluminum alloy conductor, stranded from 6201-T81 wire rather than electrical conductor grade aluminum. ACAR is the same alloy stranded over a core of 1350 aluminum, so it behaves like ACSR in geometry without a steel core. Both are bought in Georgia, and both are regularly mis-sorted at scrap yards because a magnet finds nothing.
The alloy is the reason a utility specifies them. 6201-T81 is stronger than 1350 after drawing and ageing, so a smaller AAAC conductor carries the same load as a larger all-aluminum one, and the absence of steel removes the galvanic couple that eats ACSR cores in coastal air. That is why AAAC turns up on coastal rebuilds and on EMC lines inland.
02Specification
What identifies an alloy conductor
- Constructions
- AAAC (6201-T81) and ACAR (6201 over 1350 aluminum core)
- Stranding
- 7, 19, 37 and 61 strand concentric lay; ACAR in mixed ratios
- Sizes
- 6 AWG through the 1,000 kcmil class and larger on transmission
- Strength
- 6201-T81 wire is stronger than 1350-H19 at the same area
- Standards
- ASTM B399 for AAAC, ASTM B524 for ACAR, ASTM B230 for the core wire
- Finish
- Mill finish or black surface print; no grease on new conductor
- Reels
- NEMA wood reels 48 in. to 96 in.; steel returnable drums on line work
- Condition
- New surplus, pulled from line, storm salvage, obsolete standard
Surface print is the cheapest identification there is. Where it has weathered off, a strand bent back on itself tells an experienced hand whether it is 1350 or 6201.
03Conductor we buy
Conductor we buy
AAAC in distribution and subtransmission sizes
Small alloy conductor from coastal and EMC rebuilds, often in the 4 AWG to 4/0 range and in the 336 to 750 kcmil range on subtransmission. Light for its strength, and quick to identify from a legible tag.
ACAR on transmission upgrades
Alloy strands over a 1350 core, used where a utility wanted ACSR strength without a galvanized core. The core is aluminum, so a cut end shows a uniform silver face and no rust weep — which is the fastest field test there is.
Coastal and industrial-atmosphere lots
Conductor that spent its life within a few miles of the Atlantic or around a chemical plant is reviewed for pitting rather than for core corrosion. Alloy conductor holds up better in salt air, but it still pits where water sat against a spacer.
Mixed alloy drums
Drums where AAAC and ACSR were wound on the same job and the tags were lost. These are sorted by cut end and by strand count before anything is quoted, because the two metals are reviewed on different bases.
04Evaluation
How an alloy lot is reviewed
Identification first, because everything else depends on it. Read the tag, then the print, then the cut end: AAAC is uniform through the section, ACAR shows a core of softer 1350 wire, and ACSR shows steel. A drum that is called AAAC and turns out to be ACSR is a different review, so the two are never blended in one lot list.
Condition is judged at the surface, since there is no core to hide water. Look for pitting, for the gray bloom of long weathering, for abrasion where the conductor sat on a pole suspension clamp, and for the flattening that comes from a badly set come-along. Alloy conductor work-hardens, and a length that has been repeatedly bent is not going back up.
Alloy conductor is also lighter per foot than ACSR of the same size, so a drum that looks imposing can hold less metal than a buyer expects. Footage, strand count and drum size carry the review; weight alone misleads on this material more than on any other overhead conductor.
AAAC has no magnetic core, so a conductor tester that relies on steel will not find it and will not prove it dead. Treat every isolated alloy phase as capable of carrying induced voltage from a parallel circuit, and require the utility to ground both ends before anything is cut.
05Seller terms
Before you sell: how it works
Four things a seller should be able to pin down before a truck is booked.
Verification
Footage is checked against the reel tag, the sequential marks on the jacket, the wrap count against the barrel, or a published weight per 1,000 ft — whichever the reel actually supports.
Payment
Payment method and timing are agreed in writing for the specific lot before anything is loaded or moved. No verbal number is treated as an agreement.
Paperwork
A bill of sale for the lot, and for utility material the owning utility’s release reference. Neither is optional and neither is created after the fact.
Freight
Collection is arranged as part of the terms. Say what can lift the reels and whether a 53-foot trailer can reach them, and the pickup is planned around that.
Sending a reel list and photographs costs nothing. A review is not a purchase, and nothing is bought, moved or scheduled until written lot terms are agreed for that material. Request a pickup when the lot is ready.
06Related
Related material
- ACSR conductorAluminium conductor steel reinforced, distribution to transmission
- Transmission conductorBare overhead conductor from 69 kV through 500 kV lines
- Distribution conductorPrimary and secondary overhead distribution conductor
- Reconductor and removed conductorConductor pulled during reconductor and upgrade work
07Questions
AAAC and ACAR questions
How do I tell AAAC from ACSR without a tag?
Cut or bend back the outer strands and look at the core. AAAC is alloy all the way through, ACAR has a softer aluminum core, and ACSR shows galvanized steel that a magnet will pick up.
Is AAAC worth less than ACSR of the same size?
It is reviewed differently, not automatically lower. There is no steel to separate, the alloy is a known grade, and the absence of core corrosion often leaves it in better condition after the same service.
Do you buy conductor that has been in salt air?
Yes, with the pitting described. Coastal lots are reviewed on surface condition rather than on footage alone, because pitting at clamp points is what limits re-use.
Can ACAR and AAAC be shipped as one lot?
They can, if each drum is listed with its construction. Blending them into a single unlisted pile means the whole lot is reviewed as mixed recovery rather than as conductor.
Send the tag and a photograph of the cut end
One clear photograph of the section, plus the reel tag where it survives, settles the construction. Footage and drum count finish the first review.