Efforts to produce thinner and lower cost copper air conditioner tube include the use of new alloys containing small quantities of tin. Three copper alloy tubes for air conditioners are expected to be certified as Japanese Industrial Standards in July, Japan Metal Daily reports. The copper alloy tubes increase strength by adding elements such as tin and cobalt to copper. Currently, Kobelco & Materials Copper Tube, Ltd., the largest manufacturer of copper alloy tubes in Japan, produces up to 200 tonnes per month. The standardization will eliminate its exclusive production system and increase their adoption by other copper tube manufacturers.
Initially the impact on tin usage will be very small, even if alloy production volumes double or more as expected, as tin content of the different alloys is a maximum of some 0.7% Sn. However the global market for copper air conditioner tube is some 1.1 – 1.2 million tpy, so widespread adoption could ultimately require several thousand tpy of tin.
