Computer Power Cables - Unshielded wire braided with copper?

Hello fellow scrappers,

Some of the computer power cords I am stripping have an unshielded silver colored braided cable wrapped along with the 3 copper shielded cables.

Does anyone know what this is made of? Zinc or Aluminum?

I have also seen blue foil wrapped around the entire braid after taking off the outer plastic sheath. I am guessing that is aluminum.

Most computer cables I have seen don't have either of these. Some have paper or fabric mixed in. I have even seen a few where the copper braided cable actually had a fabric weaved in it.

I have done searches on SMF and Google and cannot find the answer.

Thanks

The braided wire can be copper, copper coated with tin, aluminum or steel. This along with the foil protects the wire from inductance of power surges and trace spikes in voltage from other appliances and wires to protect your computer.

The power cords never have any shields in them that I've seen. The cables that connect from the computer to the monitor or printers do though. They are always tinned copper. I've never seen any other type of sheild. Occasionally, I've found that some of the older cables will have wires inside the outer jacket that are individually shielded by a copper braid.

Is it from the V.A.G. cord? its tinned copper. Throw it in the tinned copper bucket, bin, tote, box, bag or what ever storage item you have for it. Its like the silver wire around the back of tv's / monitors.

Thanks for all the replies. No, its a power cord, not a VGA/monitor cable. It's silver with a copper core color if I look closely at the ends.

These may be really old cords. I have seen the following types of power cords with 3 copper braided wires AFTER stripping the outer sheath:
1. Standard (of course.. 3 wires and nothing else)
2. Paper wrapped
3. braided along with silky fibers
4. braided with "tinned copper" wire + the 3 standard wires
5. secondary sheath of blue foil
6. standard but when I stripped the braided copper, I had the "silky fibers" INSIDE the copper braid.

Again, some of these may be really old.

I can take pics of them if I come across them again.

I've never stripped a VGA cable but I have a few. I didn't know if they were worth it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BarrenRealms007

The braided wire can be copper, copper coated with tin, aluminum or steel. This along with the foil protects the wire from inductance of power surges and trace spikes in voltage from other appliances and wires to protect your computer.

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Also silver plated (4% silver, 96% copper by weight) and Nickel plated. Silver is used for high temp requirements and nickel for high temps as well generally where salt water could be involved which damages silver. Military, Aviation, and Marintime applications use Silver & Nickel for high temp and Tin for lower temp / less corrosive requirements. All are covered by Military Specification standards.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by scrap1025

6. standard but when I stripped the braided copper, I had the "silky fibers" INSIDE the copper braid.

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Those are fibreglass. Itchy scratchy.