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IMC Metals America

  • 135 Old Boiling Springs Road Shelby, NC 28152-0648
  • (704) 482-8200
  • (704) 482-8200
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Copper for Data Centers: ETP and OF Copper Rod Solutions for AI-Scale Infrastructure

HIGH-RELIABILITY MATERIAL

Copper Rod for High-Density Data Centers and Artificial Intelligence Workloads

Copper for data centers means high-conductivity ETP and OF copper rod used to manufacture the power cables, bus bars, conductors, connectors, grounding systems, and cooling components that keep AI, cloud, and high-density facilities running. IMC Metals America supplies these copper grades to the manufacturers, OEMs, wire and cable producers, bus bar fabricators, electrical equipment makers, EPC firms, and contractors responsible for data center design, construction, and material procurement.

Copper is foundational in modern data centers because power distribution, connectivity, grounding, and thermal management all depend on it at very large scale. AI and GPU facilities can incorporate hundreds to thousands of tonnes of copper, with leading sites consuming tens of megawatts, and by 2030 data centers could use more than 500,000 tons of copper annually as AI and cloud capacity expand. This article explains where copper is used in data center infrastructure, the performance and application requirements behind ETP and OF copper rod, the supply and sourcing considerations buyers need to manage, and how IMC Metals America supports data center projects with copper solutions tailored to these demands.

Industry Overview

Why Data Centers Are Increasingly Copper-Intensive

Data centers already consume about 1.5% of global electricity supply, and that number is climbing. Over the past couple of years, artificial intelligence AI training and inference workloads have pushed power density and copper usage sharply higher, reshaping the global copper market. Data centers have become central to our daily lives, powering everything from streaming to enterprise cloud computing.

Modern data centers utilize a hybrid architecture of copper for power and fiber optic cables for data transmission. Copper cables and busbars handle power distribution, grounding, and cooling, while fiber optics manage high-bandwidth requirements. Copper’s total contribution in data centers may represent around 47% of copper-in-data-center revenue by 2025.

Where copper shows up in a modern data center:

  • Power distribution: transformers, switchgear, bus bars, power cables, and server racks

  • Cooling: heat exchangers, cold plates, liquid cooling loops, and chillers

  • Connectivity and grounding: short-distance copper links, grounding grids, bonding conductors

To illustrate the scale, Microsoft’s Chicago data center reportedly used 2,177 tons of copper, roughly 27 tonnes per megawatt. AI data centers using high-performance GPUs demand significantly more power and more copper per megawatt than legacy facilities. Global copper demand is expected to surge 24% by 2035, and a 30% copper supply deficit could occur by that time if production does not keep pace. Copper consumption in data centers may increase sixfold by 2050, with growth also driven by electric vehicles, renewable energy, and other critical minerals demand. Capital markets are watching this rise closely, and data center expansion is accelerating across the Middle East, North America, and APAC.

OUR PRODUCTS

Key Applications of Copper Rod in Data Center Infrastructure

IMC Metals America copper rod feeds into cable mills, bus bar fabricators, and component suppliers that manufacture finished products for data center projects. Here are the primary application categories:

Power distribution

ETP and OF copper rods form the core windings in electric motors, where copper's low resistance improves torque delivery and creates a stronger magnetic field. Higher copper fill in motors leads to increased power density, enabling smaller and lighter EV motors without compromising output. Using high-purity copper reduces energy loss as heat, contributing directly to extended driving range.

Grounding and bonding

Copper rods are processed into busbars that connect battery cells and modules, ensuring consistent energy flow with minimal voltage drop. A typical EV contains three to four times more copper than ICE vehicles, and reliable busbar connections play a pivotal role in overall pack performance, durability, and safety under vibration.

UPS and battery systems

The measurable impact is clear: copper's high thermal performance supports effective heat management, copper components lower electrical resistance resulting in enhanced efficiency, and copper's high power density contributes to optimized EV performance. Research on EV power modules with Cu clip bonding shows thermal resistance increases of only ~20% after 70,000 power cycles at Tjmax of 175 °C—demonstrating the long-term reliability manufacturers require.

Cooling systems

The measurable impact is clear: copper's high thermal performance supports effective heat management, copper components lower electrical resistance resulting in enhanced efficiency, and copper's high power density contributes to optimized EV performance. Research on EV power modules with Cu clip bonding shows thermal resistance increases of only ~20% after 70,000 power cycles at Tjmax of 175 °C—demonstrating the long-term reliability manufacturers require.

Rack-level power

The measurable impact is clear: copper's high thermal performance supports effective heat management, copper components lower electrical resistance resulting in enhanced efficiency, and copper's high power density contributes to optimized EV performance. Research on EV power modules with Cu clip bonding shows thermal resistance increases of only ~20% after 70,000 power cycles at Tjmax of 175 °C—demonstrating the long-term reliability manufacturers require.

Short-distance connectivity

The measurable impact is clear: copper's high thermal performance supports effective heat management, copper components lower electrical resistance resulting in enhanced efficiency, and copper's high power density contributes to optimized EV performance. Research on EV power modules with Cu clip bonding shows thermal resistance increases of only ~20% after 70,000 power cycles at Tjmax of 175 °C—demonstrating the long-term reliability manufacturers require.
OUR PRODUCTS

Industry Challenges and Performance Requirements for Data Center Copper

Hyperscale and colocation operators are pushing for higher power density, efficiency, and uptime, which sets demanding requirements on every copper conductor and component in the facility.

Electrical conductivity

Copper maintains high electrical conductivity of 59.6 x10^6 S/m. High-purity ETP and OF copper support low resistance, reducing energy loss across long cable runs and dense bus bar systems, improving energy efficiency and PUE.

Thermal conductivity

Copper has high thermal conductivity of 401 W/(m·K), critical in bus bars, connectors, and cooling hardware near servers generating massive amounts of heat.

Reliability

Copper provides reliable and stable electrical connections in data centers. Copper connections are less prone to mechanical failures compared to other metals, supporting Tier III/IV uptime targets in a combination of demanding conditions.

Formability

Copper is ductile and durable, making it easy to work with in installations. Good drawability supports wire mills and fabricators producing complex profiles and laminated bus bars.

Corrosion behavior

Compatibility with coatings, plating, and mating materials is crucial for terminations, grounding, and liquid-cooled components across decades of service.

Supply continuity

Large data center programs run on multi-year timelines, so consistent copper rod availability is leading procurement teams to prioritize reliable suppliers.
HIGH-RELIABILITY MATERIAL

IMC Metals America Copper Rod Solutions for Data Centers

IMC Metals America manufactures ETP copper rod and oxygen-free (OF) copper rod used across data center power and cooling supply chains.

  • ETP copper rod is typically selected for general electrical conductors, power cables, bus bars, and grounding where high conductivity and cost efficiency are priorities. Copper offers higher conductivity than aluminum, requiring thinner wires for the same load.

  • OF copper rod serves demanding applications including precision bus bar components near high-temperature zones, certain liquid-cooling components and cold plates, and specialized assemblies that undergo brazing or high-vacuum processing.

IMC Metals America works with cable producers, bus bar manufacturers, and electrical OEMs that serve hyperscale, colocation, and enterprise data centers. Data center infrastructure is copper intensive, and the rapid growth in AI workloads means these supply chains need vast amounts of quality rod on predictable schedules.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. IMC has the manufacturing capacity and scale to supply multi-ton orders of ETP and OF copper rods with consistent quality. Our ISO/TS 16949 certification ensures our quality management system aligns with automotive industry requirements for traceability, process control, and continuous improvement.

Copper wire improves motor efficiency and reduces energy loss by minimizing I²R losses. Our OFHC and ETP rods, with conductivity ≥ 100% IACS, ensure that more electricity reaches the motor as useful torque rather than being lost as heating. Copper rods also increase slot fill factor to 70–80%, boosting power density and enabling more compact motor designs. Future EVs may contain as much as 72 kg of copper, and the purity of that copper directly impacts overall vehicle efficiency.

IMC maintains ASTM B49 compliance, ISO/TS 16949 automotive quality certification, UL and IEC electrical safety standards, and full UNS designation traceability for C10200, C11000, and C10100 grades.

Absolutely. We specialize in custom diameters, cross-sectional shapes, and alloy formulations—including Cu-Cr-Zr variants engineered for anti-softening performance in wiring harnesses and high-temperature applications. Our engineering team works directly with OEMs to create specifications that match exact motor, battery, or connector designs. Additionally, copper wire manufacturing involves drawing, annealing, twisting, and stranding, and we support the full process from rod to finished wire form.

Copper offers roughly double the conductivity of aluminum per unit volume, along with superior thermal stability and fatigue resistance. While aluminum provides weight savings, copper's excellent conductivity and reliability make it ideal for high-performance motors, battery interconnects, and sensors where energy efficiency is non-negotiable. The choice often depends on balancing performance, cooling requirements, and cost for each specific application.

Contact Us

Need a Reliable Copper Supplier? Let’s Talk.

Whether you need a quote, have technical specifications to review, or are looking for a more dependable supply partner, our team is ready to help. IMC works with engineers, manufacturers, and procurement teams to deliver high-quality copper products and specialty metals with the reliability your operation depends on.
  • 135 Old Boiling Springs Road Shelby, NC 28152-0648
  • (704) 482-8200
  • (704) 482-8038