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EXPERTISE 01 / 04

Materials & insulation

Cable compound selection and development for AC and DC power cables — insulation, semi-conductive layers and how materials interact with processing.

Polypropylene cable cross-section from the Eifelkabel project
Polypropylene cable insulation project

Polypropylene insulation

Eifelkabel has developed a thermoplastic insulation system based on polypropylene, covering conductor screens, insulation, strippable insulation screens and weather-resistant layers.

Reported tests to IEC 60502: 110 °C conductor temperature, installation at −20 °C, short-circuit test at 250 °C. Suitability for another cable design requires its own assessment.

Manufacturing energy & recyclability

Thermoplastic processing is an alternative to peroxide-crosslinked insulation, with lower reported manufacturing energy than conventional crosslinkable cables.

Material concept and production requirements should be considered together.

Thermal conductivity

Polymer thermal conductivity varies with temperature, so material-specific data matter when evaluating a cable.

Laboratory work aims to improve the thermal conductivity of XLPE compounds.

Water-tree-resistant compounds

Wet-ageing performance depends on compounds, semi-conductive materials, construction and production parameters.

Advice covers compound selection, processing conditions and test interpretation.

Project background: Eifelkabel’s existing technical portfolio.

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