I am no chemical engineer but I think oxidation is primarily a result of
being in contact with the atmosphere over an extended time period.
Corrosion, to my way of thinking, is the actual destruction of the
material due to any number of factors. Consider a penny before 1984
(mostly copper instead of copper plated zinc now). A penny will
eventually actually disintegrate if left fo lie outside in the
dirt.....it may take years but it will happen. With a silver coin (90%
silver, 10% copper) the coin will turn black in color but won't decay as
much as purer copper. I believe also that copper loses its conductivity
over time whereas I read somewhere that silver will not.
So why do you think that a copper cable will corrode in a stereo system which is kept in a climate controlled atmosphere? At most, it will just oxidize.
