Copper tape has countless applications in electronics from creating low-profile traces for electrical components to RF-shielding and antenna-making. Copper tape is even used to join things together using solder, like the stained glass on Tiffany lamps.
This copper tape is backed by a conductive adhesive, is 5mm wide and comes in rolls of 50 feet. Perfect for more precise projects.
The 5mm copper tape is a great option for making paper circuit traces. It's a better option compared to using the 2" copper tape. Here's an example from the Light Up Valentine Cards tutorial:
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Based on 5 ratings:
The project I used this for was a partial success. Making consistently working connections was tricky and finicky. It worked eventually but it took many tries.
My students were able to build circuits with the conductive tape. However the tape would crinkle easily and once it crinkled it would not work as expected.
I’ve used this tape with my students for the past 4 years to make a light up Valentine card. It’s great!!
Copper tape is great for doing things with Makey Makey or prototyping circuits on paper. Definitely get the version with conductive adhesive if that is your application. Even though I find the adhesive to not be very conductive, it's better than nothing! Use caution when using with kids - the edges of any copper tape are pretty sharp and they can easily cut themselves if they run their fingers along the edge.
My only suggestion on this is to somehow improve how conductive the adhesive on the back is. When components are taped to the top with regular tape, things work very well, I just find it finicky and difficult to use when taping components down and expecting the adhesive to provide a good connection.
It does two things at once!
What is the difference between your conductive adhesive and adhesive back copper tape??
The difference is in the adhesives. The conductive adhesive is exactly that; if you lay one piece of tape over another, the conductive adhesive will allow the two strips to conduct to each other. The non-conductive adhesive is insulating; if you lay one piece over another, they will not conduct to each other.
The conductive adhesive tape is great for paper circuits; it lets you easily make circuits from multiple pieces of tape rather than having to carefully bend a single long piece for each connection.
Can this copper tape be used to make LiPo battery packs? In other words what current will it handle. I have 18650 battery holders that slide together but they don't have any leads or tabs for connecting the batteries. I'm hoping this tape could be used and not have to solder wires across the tops.
The copper itself can probably handle around 5 amps, but it's going to heat up carrying that much. Possibly more heat than you might consider acceptable. The conductive adhesive on the other hand likely won't be able to pass more than a few hundred mA. I'm afraid that this tape likely would not do well in an application like this.