Controversy over Air Conditioning Replacing Copper with Aluminum: Industry Divergence and Technological Gaming Upgrade
Published Time:
2025-12-18
The debate over "aluminum replacing copper" in the air conditioning industry will continue to heat up in 2025, with the core contradiction concentrated on the balance between cost and quality.
The debate over "aluminum replacing copper" in the air conditioning industry will continue to heat up in 2025, with the core contradiction concentrated on the balance between cost and quality. The comprehensive cost of aluminum is only 1/10 of that of copper, and China's electrolytic aluminum production accounts for 60% of the world's total. The supply stability is much higher than that of copper materials that rely on 80% imports. Coupled with copper prices exceeding $10000 per ton, enterprises have strong motivation to reduce costs. Currently, the penetration rate of "aluminum replacing copper" in household air conditioners has reached 28%, and commercial air conditioners has risen to 40%.
But the technological bottleneck has not yet been overcome: copper has significant advantages in physical properties such as thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance, aluminum welding processes are complex, and long-term reliability is questionable. The industry has formed two major camps: some companies insist on using copper, believing that they will not compromise until the technology meets the standards; Another group of companies adopt aluminum connecting pipes in their mid to low end products, advocating for technological upgrades to achieve substitution. The development of standards is accelerating, and group standards such as the "Construction Specification for Aluminum Tube Fin Heat Exchanger Production Line for Room Air Conditioner" have been released. The national standard revision discussion meeting is expected to be held in January 2026. For consumers, material labeling has become a core concern, and this game will have a long-term impact on the industry landscape.
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