feature | Wire and cable Right: The
process section of an MX105
co-kneader by Buss. The
Swiss company is a major
supplier to the wire and cable sector
is an improvement in compound quality because heating the polymer several times is avoided. It is also no longer necessary to store grafted polymer in an intermediate storage phase, avoiding the risk of unwanted reaction in ambient humidity. Buss says reducing the process to one step from two also improves productivity, and offers better logistics and lower maintenance costs as well as providing better energy usage as intermediate cooling, pelletising and secondary melting of the polymer is avoided. Martinez claims that cable compound manufac-
tures can also benefit from access to more flexible compounding equipment, as this can help open up new business opportunities. “Flexibility in compounding means that cable manufacturers can introduce new products and address
developing markets with a controlled risk. Buss has developed its kneader technology to give the
greatest flexibility with the minimum possible configu- ration changes,” he says.
“Finally, market competition provides the necessary
stimulus for commercialising input emerging from all the other innovation drivers. This adds a strong incentive for developing new materials that fulfil the regulations starting with material manufacturing through to recycling or disposal, as well as achieving better performance and lower cost compounds,” he adds. According to Edgar von Gellhorn, Head of the
Process Department at Buss, these new drivers are resulting in demand from compounders to be able to handle new additives and fillers with specific and demanding requirements, such as nanoclays, carbon nanotubes, and natural fillers with special aspect ratios. One specific example requiring a delicate balance to be struck between different process parameters is the compounding of silane cross-linkable HFFR materials. “Buss has developed a ‘one-step’ process that
Right: Flexibil- ity is a key
requirement
for a modern cable com- pounding line, claims Buss
improves the standard process based on two production steps – grafting of silane to the polymer chain followed by the addition of fire retardant fillers and additives. This can now be achieved through silane grafting in the first section of the kneader, with the incorporation of fillers and additives in the remaining section,” he says. “This process requires precise control of several conflicting parameters to avoid negative interactions and to create the right conditions for reactive extrusion without thermal degradation of sensitive components, as well as achieving uniform grafting and good dispersion of all the ingredients.” According to Buss, its streamlined process for
production of silane crosslinked HFFR materials provides a number of advantages. Prime among these
46 COMPOUNDING WORLD | May 2016
www.compoundingworld.com
Power infrastructure From a materials perspective, compounding remains robust due to ongoing global demand for wire and cables for new and rehabilitated power infrastructure, as well to meet continued growth in data transmission and wireless communications, according to Robert Tarimo, Associate Marketing Director, Dow Electrical & Telecommunica- tions. “On the power side, compounds that go into cable constructions that deliver long, reliable service life for power transmission and distribution networks will continue to see growth,” he says. “Connecting renewable energy resources to the grid will also be a growth area. For telecommunications, compounds that help protect wires and cables - particularly for fibre optic applications - will continue to see demand. In addition, compounds that cater to high performance data centre cables will continue to grow.”
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