When it comes to the manufacturing processes of copper foils, electrodeposited copper foil and rolled copper foil have completely different production procedures.
Electrodeposited copper foil is produced through an electrochemical deposition method. Simply put, copper materials are dissolved in sulfuric acid to form a copper sulfate electrolyte. Then, in the electrolytic cell of a foil - forming machine, under the action of direct current, the copper sulfate electrolyte is electrodeposited on the surface of the cathode roller to form primary foil. Through the continuous rotation of the cathode roller and the continuous stripping of the copper foil, the rolled copper foil is finally formed by winding. Although this process sounds a bit complicated, it is actually relatively simple to operate and has a lower cost.
Rolled copper foil, on the other hand, is manufactured through a physical rolling process. It requires heating the copper block and then rolling it repeatedly until the desired thickness is achieved. This rolling process makes the grain structure of rolled copper foil fibrous, giving it high ductility and flexibility. However, correspondingly, the production process of rolled copper foil is more complex and the cost is higher. At present, only a few companies in the world can mass - produce rolled copper foil, which also makes rolled copper foil more scarce and competitive in some fields.
In terms of physical properties, electrodeposited copper foil and rolled copper foil also have significant differences.
The grain structure of electrodeposited copper foil is columnar, with a relatively regular structure but high brittleness. This makes electrodeposited copper foil prone to cracks and fractures when bent or folded, resulting in relatively poor flexibility. In contrast, the grain structure of rolled copper foil is fibrous, and its flexibility is much better than that of electrodeposited copper foil. When bent or folded, rolled copper foil does not easily produce cracks, making it very suitable for flexible circuit board applications that require frequent bending.
In addition to flexibility, ductility is also an important indicator to measure the performance of copper foil. In this regard, rolled copper foil also performs well. It can withstand more stretching and deformation without breaking. In contrast, electrodeposited copper foil has poor ductility and is prone to cracking due to stretching during processing.
Moreover, in terms of surface finish, electrodeposited copper foil and rolled copper foil are also different. The surface of electrodeposited copper foil is relatively rough, which helps to increase the adhesion with other materials in some applications. However, for some precision circuit board applications, a smooth surface is often more popular. The surface of rolled copper foil is relatively smooth because it is subjected to mechanical compression during the rolling process, making it more suitable for occasions that require high - precision processing.
As a conductive material, the conductivity of copper foil is undoubtedly an important indicator to measure its quality. How do electrodeposited copper foil and rolled copper foil perform in this aspect?
Although the conductivity of electrodeposited copper foil and rolled copper foil is not much different, in some occasions with high requirements for conductivity, rolled copper foil is more favored because of its higher purity and better grain structure.
Of course, this does not mean that electrodeposited copper foil has no advantages in conductivity. Due to its lower manufacturing cost, electrodeposited copper foil still has a wide range of application prospects in some applications that are sensitive to cost. For example, in some simple display connectors or fixed flexible circuit parts, electrodeposited copper foil is favored because of its cost - performance advantage.
In terms of application scenarios, electrodeposited copper foil and rolled copper foil also have their own advantages.
Due to its low manufacturing cost, stable conductivity and strong corrosion resistance, electrodeposited copper foil is widely used in various electronic products. For example, it plays an important role in the manufacture of printed circuit boards (PCB), flexible circuit boards (FPC), LED lighting, liquid crystal screens, flat - panel TVs and so on. In addition, electrodeposited copper foil is also often used in the conductive layer of solar panels to improve the conversion efficiency and stability of the panels. In the field of semiconductor packaging, electrodeposited copper foil is also used as a metal substrate, with excellent heat dissipation, lead - carrying capacity and reliability.
Rolled copper foil, on the other hand, due to its good flexibility and fatigue resistance, is widely used in flexible circuit boards that require frequent bending, movement or curling. For example, in occasions that require high bending resistance such as foldable mobile phones, wearable devices and camera modules, rolled copper foil is undoubtedly the best choice. In addition, rolled copper foil is also widely used in flexible copper clad laminates (FCCL), 5G communication, electromagnetic shielding, heat dissipation substrates, graphene film preparation, aerospace, lithium batteries, smart cars, drones and other fields. In these fields, rolled copper foil has become an indispensable material with its unique advantages of high strength, high conductivity, high flexibility and low roughness.
In terms of cost and thickness selection, electrodeposited copper foil and rolled copper foil also have obvious differences.
Because the manufacturing process of electrodeposited copper foil is relatively simple, the cost is low, which makes it have obvious advantages in some applications that are sensitive to cost. For example, in some simple display connectors or fixed flexible circuit parts, electrodeposited copper foil is favored because of its cost - performance advantage.
The manufacturing process of rolled copper foil is more complex, and the cost is higher. This makes it more competitive in some applications that require high performance and high durability. For example, in occasions that require high bending resistance such as foldable mobile phones and wearable devices, rolled copper foil is highly praised for its excellent flexibility and fatigue resistance.
In terms of thickness selection, rolled copper foil can usually produce thinner copper foil, which is suitable for the design needs of some ultra - thin FPC. If the flexible circuit board needs to be bent frequently or used in a high - performance environment, rolled copper foil is undoubtedly a better choice. Although electrodeposited copper foil can also produce copper foil of different thicknesses, its performance may not be as good as that of rolled copper foil in some occasions that require ultra - thin and high - precision.
Through the above comparison and analysis, we can see that electrodeposited copper foil and rolled copper foil have obvious differences in manufacturing processes, physical properties, application scenarios, cost and thickness selection. Each of them leads the way in the copper foil industry with their unique advantages.
Electrodeposited copper foil is widely used in various electronic products due to its low manufacturing cost, stable conductivity and strong corrosion resistance. Rolled copper foil, on the other hand, plays an irreplaceable role in flexible circuit boards that require frequent bending, movement or curling with its good flexibility and fatigue resistance.
In today's rapid development of science and technology, as an important material in the manufacturing of electronic products, the performance and application prospects of copper foil are constantly expanding and upgrading. Both electrodeposited copper foil and rolled copper foil play important roles in their respective fields. They are like the "two heroes" in the copper foil industry, jointly promoting the development and progress of the electronic industry.
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