ACR Copper Coil Tube for Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Applications
Product Overview
The ACR (Air Conditioning & Refrigeration) Copper Coil Tube is a precision-engineered continuous coil tube specifically designed for the air conditioning and refrigeration (ACR) industry. Manufactured by Wenzhou Jixing Metal Materials Co., Ltd, this product represents a critical component in the thermal exchange systems of commercial and residential HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) equipment. The coil tube is supplied in large-diameter coil form to facilitate automated downstream processing, including cutting, bending, brazing, and assembly into evaporators, condensers, and heat exchangers.
This product is classified under the technical literature and standards learning category, reflecting its alignment with industry-recognized specifications governing copper tubing performance in refrigeration circuits. It serves as a foundational material in China's rapidly expanding ACR sector, where thermal efficiency, corrosion resistance, and dimensional consistency are paramount.
Material & Properties
Base Material
The coil tube is fabricated from high-purity copper conforming to the C12200 (UNS) / Cu-DHP (Deoxy Copper High Conductivity) designation, or alternatively C22000 (Cu-Fe-P) for applications requiring enhanced strength at elevated temperatures. The deoxidized copper alloy ensures excellent thermal conductivity, superior electrical conductivity, and outstanding resistance to dezincification and stress corrosion cracking.
Key Physical & Mechanical Properties
- Thermal Conductivity: 399–401 W/(m·K) at 20°C — ensuring rapid heat transfer across the tube wall
- Electrical Conductivity: ≥ 58% IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard)
- Tensile Strength: 210–290 MPa (annealed condition)
- Yield Strength: 35–70 MPa (annealed condition)
- Elongation: ≥ 45% — providing excellent formability for tight-radius bending
- Density: 8.94 g/cm³
- Melting Point: 1083°C
- Surface Finish: Bright, clean, oxide-free internal and external surfaces
Chemical Composition (Typical)
| Element | Specification (%) |
|---|---|
| Copper (Cu) | ≥ 99.90 |
| Phosphorus (P) | ≤ 0.010 |
| Iron (Fe) | ≤ 0.010 |
| Lead (Pb) | ≤ 0.005 |
| Antimony (Sb) | ≤ 0.005 |
| Other impurities (total) | ≤ 0.10 |
Specifications
| Parameter | Specification / Range |
|---|---|
| Product Name | ACR Copper Coil Tube (盘管 / Coil Tube) |
| Product Code | 1358 |
| Standard Reference | GB/T 17791-2008, GB/T 18033-2011, ASTM B280, EN 12735-1 |
| Outer Diameter (OD) | 3.00 – 15.88 mm (1/8" – 5/8" imperial equivalents) |
| Wall Thickness | 0.30 – 0.70 mm (subject to OD and pressure rating) |
| Coil Diameter | Typically 200 – 500 mm (customizable) |
| Coil Length | 200 – 600 m per coil (standard); up to 1000 m upon request |
| Hardness Condition | Soft (Annealed), Half-Hard, or Hard — per customer specification |
| Surface Treatment | Uncoated (standard); optional internal tin coating for brazing enhancement |
| Pressure Rating | Up to 2.5 MPa (design-dependent; verified per ASME BPVC Section VIII) |
| Operating Temperature Range | −40°C to +200°C |
| Packaging | Wooden pallet or export-grade steel frame; moisture-absorbent desiccant included |
Manufacturing Process
The production of ACR copper coil tubes follows a rigorous, multi-stage manufacturing sequence to ensure dimensional accuracy, metallurgical integrity, and surface quality:
- Copper Ingot Casting: High-purity electrolytic copper cathodes are melted in a vacuum or controlled-atmosphere furnace. The molten copper is cast into seamless round bars or extruded billets.
- Hot Extrusion / Drawing: Billets are hot-extruded or cold-drawn through precision tungsten carbide dies to achieve the target outer diameter and wall thickness with tight tolerance control (±0.05 mm).
- Intermediate Annealing: Periodic annealing at 600–650°C in a hydrogen or nitrogen atmosphere relieves cold-work hardening, restoring ductility for continued drawing operations.
- Final Cold Drawing: Multi-pass cold drawing through progressively smaller dies achieves final dimensional specifications and desired hardness condition (soft, half-hard, or hard).
- Final Annealing (if soft condition required): Continuous or batch annealing at 600–650°C produces the fully annealed microstructure with maximum elongation and minimum yield strength.
- Internal Cleaning & Drying: The tube bore is cleaned via high-pressure water flushing or chemical descaling to remove oxide scale, followed by hot nitrogen drying to prevent re-oxidation.
- Coiling: The continuous tube is wound onto a precision coiling mandrel to produce a uniform, damage-free coil of the specified diameter and length.
- Non-Destructive Testing (NDT):strong> 100% ultrasonic testing or eddy-current inspection verifies wall thickness uniformity and detects subsurface defects.
- Hydrostatic Pressure Testing: Each coil is pressure-tested at 1.5× the design pressure to confirm leak-tightness and structural integrity.
- Final Inspection & Packaging: Dimensional verification (OD, wall thickness, coil diameter), surface quality audit, and protective packaging prior to dispatch.
Applications
ACR copper coil tubes are indispensable components across a wide spectrum of thermal management systems:
- Residential & Commercial Air Conditioners: Evaporator and condenser coil assemblies in split systems, central air handlers, and rooftop units.
- Refrigeration Systems: Compressor discharge lines, suction lines, liquid lines, and capillary tubes in walk-in coolers, freezers, and cold storage facilities.
- Heat Pumps: Ground-source and air-source heat pump coil assemblies requiring high thermal exchange efficiency.
- Chillers: Shell-and-tube and plate-fin heat exchanger circuits in commercial refrigeration chillers.
- Automotive AC Systems: Condenser and evaporator tubing in vehicle air conditioning units.
- Industrial Process Cooling: Precision temperature control loops in pharmaceutical, food processing, and semiconductor manufacturing facilities.
The continuous coil form factor enables automated coil-cutting and tube-bending machinery to achieve high production throughput with minimal material waste, making it the preferred supply format for high-volume OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) assembly lines.
Quality Certifications & Standards Compliance
Wenzhou Jixing Metal Materials Co., Ltd maintains a comprehensive quality management framework ensuring full traceability and regulatory compliance:
- ISO 9001:2015 — Quality Management System certification for manufacturing operations
- ISO 14001:2015 — Environmental Management System certification
- GB/T 17791-2008 — Chinese national standard for copper and copper alloy tubes for air conditioning and refrigeration
- GB/T 18033-2011 — Chinese national standard for seamless copper tubes for refrigeration applications
- ASTM B280 — American standard specification for seamless copper tubing, refrigeration, air conditioning, and similar service
- EN 12735-1 — European standard for copper and copper alloy tubes for air conditioning, refrigeration, and heat pump applications
- JIS H 3300 — Japanese Industrial Standard for seamless copper tubing for refrigeration
- RoHS Compliance — Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive (EU 2015/863)
- REACH Compliance — Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (EU Regulation 1907/2006)
Each production batch is accompanied by a Mill Test Certificate (MTC) / En 10204 3.1 Certificate documenting chemical composition, mechanical properties, dimensional measurements, and NDT results, providing full traceability from raw material to finished coil.
Unique Selling Points
- Superior Thermal Performance: High-conductivity copper alloy (≥ 99.9% Cu) delivers exceptional heat transfer rates, directly contributing to improved Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) and Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) in end-use equipment.
- Excellent Formability: Annealed condition provides ≥ 45% elongation, enabling tight bend radii (as low as 1.5× OD) without cracking — critical for compact heat exchanger designs.
- Outstanding Corrosion Resistance: Copper's natural patina formation provides inherent resistance to atmospheric, aqueous, and refrigerant-induced corrosion, ensuring service life exceeding 20 years in typical ACR applications.
- Leak-Free Brazing: Clean, oxide-free internal surfaces facilitate reliable capillary-action brazing with phosphorus-copper filler alloys, minimizing field service failures.
- Continuous Coil Supply: Eliminates butt-weld joints in downstream processing, reducing potential leak points and improving manufacturing cycle time.
- Full Traceability: Batch-level chemical and mechanical documentation supports regulatory compliance, warranty claims, and quality audits across global supply chains.
- Customizable Specifications: Flexible OD, wall thickness, coil diameter, and hardness condition options accommodate diverse OEM design requirements and regional standard mandates.
Technical Note: The selection of appropriate wall thickness and hardness condition should be based on the design pressure, refrigerant type (R-134a, R-410A, R-32, R-1234yf, ammonia R-717, etc.), operating temperature range, and applicable pressure vessel codes. Wenzhou Jixing Metal Materials Co., Ltd provides engineering consultation to assist customers in optimizing material selection for their specific application parameters.