technology | Wire and cable ADCA alternative for foaming
Borealis and Borouge have launched what they claim is the first material solution free of azodicarbonamide (ADCA) blowing agent for foamed communication cables. The new grade HE4883 grade has been developed in partnership with Brand-Rex, a leading developer of cabling solutions for network infrastructure and industrial applications. The European Chemical
Agency (ECHA) has classified ADCA as a “Substance of Very
High Concern” (SVHC) due to its respiratory sensitising properties. It has been recommended for inclusion on the ECHA Annex XIV list of compounds requiring prior authorisation for use. HE4883 can be used for
physically foamed data cables up to Category 8. Borealis says it yields an optimal cell structure that supports high frequency transmission characteristics and delivers increased resilience, enabling higher twisting speeds and jacketing line speed without
Fast XL, for the stabilisation of peroxide cross-linkable polyethylene insulation compounds used in the production of medium and high voltage power cables. Lowinox Fast XL can either be added during the production of the XLPE compounds themselves or on cable production lines running the Direct Peroxide Injection (DPI) process. To ensure high levels of cleanliness, liquid antioxi- dant solutions can be filtered prior to dosing into the compounding extruder or cable extruder,” Addivant says. “Furthermore, Lowinox Fast XL has been designed to minimise the interaction between the antioxidant and peroxide, which occurred with some previous stabilisa- tion solutions.” This allows faster crosslinking speeds to be achieved and higher maximum torques to be obtained during crosslinking. Cable producers can run their catenary continuous
vulcanisation (CCV) lines 5-7% faster without compro- mising technical performance when they use the new blend, Addivant says. In addition, lower peroxide dosage leads to reduced decomposition by-products, potentially reducing degassing times. Addivant claims that Lowinox Fast XL provides a
more robust technical solution than the traditional liquid solution, overcoming dosage inaccuracy effects during production, enabling a much broader processing window and reducing off-grade production by 2%. Use of traditional liquid antioxidants can also lead to the creation of ambers, which requires downtime for cleaning the extrusion equipment, Addivant claims. “Lowinox Fast XL provides improved thermal protection, reducing downtime for cleaning equipment, as well as increasing cable reliability and longevity.” The company
24 COMPOUNDING WORLD | May 2017
crush damage to cables. Com- pared with its predecessor HE4873, it has enhanced process stability with reduced preparation time, longer production runs, and less scrap. Higher line speeds of up to nearly 2000 m/min are possible. Borealis and Borouge say they
expect the HE4883 grade to become the material of choice for next- generation, higher category communication cables. ❙
www.borealisgroup.com ❙
www.borouge.com
estimates that a cable producer can increase profitabil- ity by $400,000 per line per year by moving to its product. Adeka has developed an advanced antioxidant ADK
Stab AO-26 which it says is highly suitable for use in XLPE power cable applications, where it meets demands for improvements in heat stability and cost effectiveness. The company says that, unlike conven- tional antioxidants, ADK Stab AO-26 does not interfere with the cross-linking reaction between XLPE and cross-linking agents such as DCP. As a consequence, less of the crosslinking agent is required. Last year, US-based S&E Specialty Polymers
introduced six new chlorinated PE compounds for wire and cable applications. Available in thermoplastic and cross-linkable grades, the new materials are said to offer exceptional chemical and thermal resistance over the temperature range from -50 to 105°. The company says the materials are designed to replace engineering grade elastomers in applications such as drilling, trans- portation and wind turbines. “While CPE’s have been used by the wire and cable
industry for many years, there has been very little modification or improvement to the formulations of these compounds. We’ve created a better line of CPE’s not only for wire and cable, but for other applications as well where chemical and temperature resistance is important,” says Duane Shooltz, S&E President and Managing Partner.
Direct power Among polymer suppliers, Borealis and sister company Borouge have been reporting notable success
www.compoundingworld.com
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