THHN Electrical Wire Is Stiffer Than Welding Cable
THHN is designed much different than welding cable because they’re used in different applications that will affect the cable in different ways. They can both be used outdoors but THHN can be used in conduit while welding cable cannot. Welding cable is also handled by the user more frequently compared to THHN wire that is installed and forgotten about.
The literal reason for THHN THWN electrical wire being less flexible is due to the size of the copper strands. When the diameter of two copper cables is the same it means they have the same AWG size and, therefore, offer the same amount of power. However, when one of the two cables has smaller strands of copper it will make it much more flexible.
For instance, a 6 AWG THHN wire has 19 copper strands while a 6 AWG welding cable has 259 strands. They both meet the same diameter and offer the same amount of power but the welding cable will be much more flexible due to the use of smaller strands.
Another reason for the flexibility difference is due to the insulation. Thermoplastic High Heat Nylon insulation uses stiff PVC and a nylon coating similar to the clear piece at the end of a shoe lace. You can imagine how the clear nylon piece over the entire length of the wire will deem it less flexible. Welding cable uses a rubber EPDM insulation designed to be flexible because a welder will be using the cable daily instead of just installing it.
Manufacturers understand each application and how beneficial certain characteristics can be for the user or for the connection. In this case, they understand that installers want their THHN wire to be stiff in order to push it through conduit and snake it through walls. They also know that welders coil and uncoil their cable daily along with dragging it around the shop throughout the day. Flexibility is a big attribute to give welding cable due to the daily use of it.
The last step is for the engineers to actually create the electrical wire. Sure, it needs to resist water, but how? With what materials? I’ll leave that for them to explain but beware that there are more than just the cost of materials involved in pricing these electrical cables. Speak to your wire and cable supplier if you’re unsure of exactly what you need for your application. They might even save you a few dollars by recommending a similar cable.
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