Power Cables & Wires Technical Manual

5.6 Resistance at Higher Frequency

Ampacity and resistance of cables to be operated at frequencies

higher than 60 hertz should be corrected. The inductive reactance
increases at high frequencies which may affect the voltage drop.
Insulated conductors should not be installed in metallic conduits or
run close to magnetic materials.

The correction factor for the resistance at frequencies other than 60

hertz is provided as follows:

where, f = frequency in hertz

Rdc = conductor DC resistance at operating temperature
in Ohm/1000 ft

6. INSULATION

Insulation is that part of the cable or wire which is relied upon to

insulate the conductor from other conductors or conducting parts or
from ground. Insulating materials are usually classified according to the
temperature they are able to withstand. The applied insulation must
perform adequately in the specified temperature range and its dielectric
strength should be sufficient to sustain the electrical stresses.

There are many insulating materials used in producing the various

cables to deliver electric power depending on their temperature limits,
such as cotton, silk, paper, mica, glass fiber, asbestos, rubber, silicone
elastomer, etc. Sometimes insulating materials, such as cotton, silk and
paper are impregnated or coated with a dielectric liquid, such as oil, to
enhance their insulating capabilities.

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Cable insulation should have the following properties:

1. High Dielectric strength

2. Low Dielectric Constant
3. Good mechanical capability
4. Resistance to ageing
5. High temperature withstandability

In recent times, synthetic polymers have replaced natural materials such

as paper, mineral oil and natural rubber for the insulation of wires/cables
and for the over-sheathing of cables. The range of polymers available is
extensive and variations in chemical composition enable specific
mechanical, electrical and thermal properties to be obtained. Where
appropriate, these properties may be further modified by the addition of
specific fillers, plasticizers, softness extenders, colorants, antioxidants
and many other ingredients.

In the cable industry, the term polymeric material is taken to signify

polymers which are rubbers or plastics. Rubbers are considered to be
solid materials, with elastic properties, which are made from latex
derived from living plants or synthetically and used in the
manufacture of rubber products. Plastics, on the other hand, are
materials based on synthetic or modified natural polymers which at
some stage of manufacture can be formed to shape by flow, aided in
many cases by heat and pressure. These two material groups are the
dominant means of insulating wires and cables.

6.1 Elastomers

An elastomer is a material which returns rapidly to approximately its

initial shape after substantial deformation at room temperature by a
weak stress and release of that stress. In cable technology, the terms
“rubber” and “elastomer” are used synonymously and
interchangeably, although “rubber” to some implies “natural rubber”.

Elastomeric materials are used for insulation and sheaths. They are
applied mainly where the product has to be particularly flexible. A
wide range of elastomers are nowadays available to the cable
industry. This makes possible the manufacture of compounds
with specific properties, such as abrasion and oil resistance,
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weather and heat resistance, and flame resistance, combined with

good electrical and mechanical characteristics.

The classical elastomeric material, natural rubber (NR), was the

first insulation to be used in the manufacture of electric cable. Its use
as an insulation has been declining in recent years. Rubber gave way
to other insulating materials like impregnated paper, PVC, XLPE,
etc. Rubber, though, is still considered the preferred
insulation for flexible cables and cables where very small bending
diameter is desired. Rubbers for cable insulation and sheath,
whether natural or synthetic, are normally crosslinked.

In place of rubber, synthetic elastomers produced by the co-

polymerization of ethylene and propylene, are constantly finding
new areas of application in cable engineering. These co-
polymers are generally known as Ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR).
Because of its superior performance, with suitability for continuous
operation at 90°C, EPR has gradually displaced butyl rubber for
insulation and is now being considered as over sheath material for
cable.

Polychloroprene (PCP), otherwise known as neoprene, was the first

commercial synthetic rubber. It has rarely been used by itself for
insulation but is often used blended with natural rubber. Its major
use is as a very tough flexible sheathing material.
Polychloroprene compounds have good abrasion and tear
resistance together with good resistance to swelling and to chemical
attack by a wide range of natural oils and aliphatic hydrocarbons.
They do not normally support combustion

Chlorosulphonated polyethylene rubber (CSP, CSM) have

superior electrical properties to compounds based on PCP and are
particularly advantageous for insulation and sheathing which is
required to be oil resistant. CSP also has good resistance to ozone
and weathering. When blended with EVA or EPR and filled with a
suitable carbon black, CSP compounds provide a strippable
dielectric screening material for XLPE and EPR cables in the 10-
30kV range.

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Acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR/PVC blends) is the

product of the co-polymerization of acrylonitrile with butadiene.
This range of polymers is characterized by good oil resistance. The
addition of PVC improves resistance to ozone, weathering and
abrasion. By suitable choice of plasticizers, improved
processability and flame retardance are also obtained. These
materials are used solely for sheathing.

Fluorocarbon rubbers find application for sheathing where very

good resistance to oils is required at high temperatures. The best
known material is a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and
hexafluoropropylene (Viton).

Ethylene-acrylic elastomers (EMA) are heat- and oil-resistant

non-halogen synthetic rubbers which can be compounded to
resist ignition in the presence of flame and have low smoke
generation when burned. They are suitable for service
temperatures of 40-170°C.

Silicone rubber is a material made from silicon and oxygen noted for
high heat resistance. This is very soft thermoset insulation extremely
flexible and fire resistant. It has excellent electrical properties plus
ozone and resistance, low moisture absorption, weather resistance,
and radiation resistance. It typically has low mechanical strength and
poor scratch resistance.

Table 8 shows the properties of thermoset insulation and jacket

materials

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Table 8: Properties of Thermoset Insulation and Jacket Materials

BUTADIENE NITRILE (NBR)

NITRILE//POLYCHLORIDE

POLYETHYLENE (XLPE)
ETHYLENE PROPYLENE
POLYETHYLENE (CSPE)
CHLOROSULFONATED

POLYETHYLENE (CPE)
STYRENE BUTADIENE

SYNTHETIC RUBBER

NITRILE OR RUBBER
NATURAL RUBBER
INSULATION OR

SILICONE RUBBER
POLY BUTADIENE
JACKET

CROSS-LINKED

CHLORINATED
RUBBER (SBR)

RUBBER (EPR)
MATERIAL

NEOPRENE

(NBR/PVC)
HYPALON
Oxidation Resistance F F G G G E F E E E E E

Heat Resistance F-G F F F G E G G E G E O

Oil Resistance P P P P G G G-E G P G G-E F-G

Low Temp. Flexibility F-G G E E F-G F F F G-E O F O

Weather, Sun
F F F F G E F-G G E G E O
Resistance

Ozone Resistance P P P P G E P G E G G-E O

Abrasion Resistance G-E E E E G-E G G-E E G F-G G-E P

Electrical Properties E E E E P G P F E E F-G O

Flame Resistance P P P P G G P G P P G O

Nuclear Radiation
F-G F-G F-G P F-G E F-G P G E G E
Resistance

Water Resistance G-E G-E E E E E G-E E G-E G-E G-E G-E

Acid Resistance F-G F-G F-G F-G G E G G G-E G-E E F-G

Alkali Resistance F-G F-G F-G F-G G E F-G G G-E G-E E F-G

Gasoline, Kerosene,
Etc. (Aliphatic
P P P P G F E G-E P F F P-F
Hydrocarbons)
Resistance

Benzol, Toluol, Etc.

(Aromatic
P P P P P-F F G G F F F P
Hydrocarbons)
Resistance
Degreaser Solvents
(Halogenated
P P P P P P-F P G P F P P-G
Hydrocarbons)
Resistance

Alcohol Resistance F G G F-G F G E G P E G-E G

P = Poor F = Fair G = Good E = Excellent O = Outstanding

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