Here's the scoop: Aluminum is less conductive than brass and copper,
however, the fins in copper radiators have to be soldered/brazed to the
copper tubes. The lead-based braze is FAR less conductive than copper
or aluminum, which makes it hard for the heat to go from the tubes to
the fins. Therefore the conductivity of an aluminum radiator (which is
welded with aluminum) is much better than the average conductivity of
the copper/lead system. If they could find a way to friction-weld
copper fins to tubes, a copper radiator would be much better. However,
with the recent uptick in copper prices, we probably couldn't afford it.
James "useless trivia" Jewell
Paul Hunt wrote:
Modern ali radiators are usually left shiny. I think they are a matter of
greatly reduced cost - as long as they can get one of the required size in -
rather than greater efficiency. It is a factor of the greater efficiency of
modern *engines* that in fact radiators with *less* heat output are required
today. However they may also have a greater density of tubes for a given
surface area, and a greater number of smaller tubes will give greater
output. They also tend to be thinner, front to back, as each extra row of
tube front to back has progressively less effect. I've heard tell of
plastic radiators, being an order of magnitude cheaper again.
PaulH.
----- Original Message -----
So can anyone tell me just exactly how much better an
aluminum rad is.
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