|  |
Introduction
Plasticized PVC is the single largest volume electrical insulating material in use today. It has good electrical properties, excellent abrasion and moisture resistance, and may be formulated to meet specific physical requirements.
Most wire and cable insulation is comprised of three layers:
- Primary Insulation:
Material applied directly to the electrical conductor - Jacketing:
An outer coating covering multiple insulated conductors to form a cable - Sheathing:
A tight fitting wrap, generally nylon, that covers the outer surface
ExxonMobil Chemical has developed Jayflex plasticizers that provide superior physical properties in both the primary insulation and jacketing layers.
Common Wire and Cable Applications that Use Jayflex Plasticizers:
- Building Wire
- Power Cables
- Appliance Wiring
- Communications Wiring
- Personal Electronics
- Automotive Wiring
Performance Requirements (see also Technical Information)
Wire and cable insulation is rated using guidelines defined by various national and international standards authorities (UL - USA, CSA - Canada, ANCE - Mexico, IEC - International Electrochemical Commission, CENELEC - Europe's Committee for Electronical Standardization, etc). Depending on the end use, wire and cable insulation must pass specific oven aging requirements defined by these standards authorities prior to being deemed acceptable for use in commercial products.
Deciding which plasticizer to use is the most critical factor in generating a wire and cable formulation. In addition to affecting secondary properties such as electrical volatility, low temperature performance, etc, the plasticizer directly affects the primary specification of wire and cable, retention of tensile properties after oven aging.
|
|
