Cable Compounds

Depending on requirements, cable insulation mass comprises various different plastics. They include soft PVC, TPE, PPE, EEFE, PVA, and various kinds of polyolefin.

The requirement profiles are characterized by a variety of influences. These include technological advances in end uses such as electromobility, DC technology, and global megatrends such as renewable energy and decentralization of energy supply. Also regulatory provisions including security of supply, flame retardance, substitution of problematic formulation ingredients, and product lifetime, can exert great influence. Supplying industries, businesses and private parties with fibre optic technology (FTTH or FTTB) is soon becoming the norm in data transmission, and the tightest installation conditions are increasingly a challenge. These can be mastered, for example, by means of highly flexible and minimalized layer thicknesses.

In the following segments, requirements are addressed with sophisticated solutions by the BUSS cable compounds compounding technology.

BUSS compounding technology is suitable for the following cable compounds

PVC

PVC has been used for cable insulation since 1930, originally as a replacement for rubber. Due to their relatively high dielectric strength, soft PVC cable insulation compounds are used at AC voltages of up to 10 kV.

HFFR

Polyolefins have outstandingly good insulation properties, but are so easily combustible that they have to be made flame-retardant accordingly. In the early 1980s the first alternatives to the PVC compounds were developed.

Silane Cross-Linkable

Cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) can be used at significantly higher operating temperatures, is mechanically stronger, more resistant to organic liquids, and enables thinner wall thicknesses. Silane cross-linkable cable compounds are also known as PEX-b or Sioplas®.

Semiconduktive

Medium- and high-voltage cable insulation is enclosed between two concentric semiconducting layers to homogenize the electrical field in the insulation material. These layers generally comprise ethylene-based polymers like EVA or EBA, with a high content of conductive materials.

Peroxide Cross-Linkable

Peroxide cross-linkable compounds have been used in the cable industry ever since the process was patented in the 1960s. Cross-linkable XLPE are increasingly used for medium and high voltage AC cable insulation. For HV DC cables they are the preferred insulation material.