Thermal/Current limits of copper wire (embedded in FR4 or insulator):
The upper limit of a copper wire is more complicated than only the limit of the wire itself. The wire is almost always embedded in some other material with a lower smoke or burning temperature than the melting point of copper.
There are also human factors limitations
Failure points along the way to melting copper (max to min):
Temp (C) | . |
1085 | Copper Melt Point |
300 | IC Package Compromise (epoxy) |
160-190 | PVC wire insulation |
130-170 | FR-4 Tg (glass transition point) |
50-100 | Hot to the touch |
25 | Room temp |