TECHNOLOGY | WIRE AND CABLE
Right: Benvic describes its Linkflex HF polyolefin cable com- pounds as cost-effective LV cable grades
data transmission capacity continues to rise, fibre optic cable is rapidly replacing traditional copper communication cables. Avient says Mordor Intelligence, for example, forecasts the optical fibre cable market will see a 12.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) by 2025. This growth will, in turn, drive the demand for high performing wire and cable materials. The Eccoh LSFOH 6153 UV and 6154 UV grades
extend Avient’s low smoke, fume, zero halogen portfolio, which is focused on applications where smoke mitigation is of particular concern, including communication and data cables. The new grades are intended primarily for gel-filled loose tubes, micro-modules, and tight buffered optical fibre cable applications. Suitable for dry as well as wet applications, Avient says the materials offer good chemical and UV resistance, and are compatible with a variety of filling compounds and gels used to protect optical fibres. Primarily known for its PVC products, Benvic is
now extending its polymer slate and has developed the Linkflex HF series of polyolefin HFFR compounds for the manufacture of cables and sheathing. The materials are said to provide full compliance with the latest Construction Product Regulations (CPR) currently being implemented in Europe. Strongest demand for Linkflex HF products is
currently coming from the low voltage cable market in building and construction, according to Benvic. “Pricewise this is a very challenging marketplace and so we are delighted to already be making inroads and proving our cost-competitive- ness with these buyers,” says Vinceç Mercade, the company’s Marketing Manager for New Products. The mechanical, chemical resistance and
climatic characteristics of the new Linkflex HF materials are said to have been optimised for flexibility and ease of use in installation and service. Particular care has been taken to optimise Linkflex HF for cost-effective cable manufacturing, primarily by lowering the amounts of polymer compound used while also improving the processing stability. “Because Benvic’s core PVC business made us a
relative latecomer to this market, we were able to offer it a completely fresh pair of eyes,” Mercade says. “We made sure to recruit experts from the cable industries and from the related plastics processing sectors. In this way the Benvic focus was always on creating value in the supply chain – mak- ing processability easier and more competitive, speaking the same language as the customers and OEMs and backing our compounds with customer support and all in a completely halogen-free package. Indeed, all in the building and electrical
28 COMPOUNDING WORLD | May 2021
industries now need to stay in line with legislative and regulatory requirements, such as CPR.” The current Linkflex HF range is currently based on supplying low voltage applications in buildings and data communications, but the company plans to extend this to industrial, utilities and heavy-duty applications. Looking further ahead, Mercade says the company will also offer crosslinked versions of the Linkflex HF compound. Italian compounder Padanaplast has extended
its products for the electric vehicle sector with a new experimental flame retardant cross-linked HFFR compound Cogegum GFR 1709-27 T4. “The surging development of complex hybrid, all-electric and fuel cell vehicles demand advanced automotive wires and cables to meet a range of voltages and performance criteria,” says Antonello Casale, R&I & Technical Service Chief Manager at the company. Cogegum GFR 1709-27 T4 is a silane cross-
linked polyolefin specifically developed for produc- tion of high voltage ultra-flexible battery cables requiring very good thermal and mechanical performance and resistance to automotive fluids.
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.busscorp.com �
www.evonik.com �
www.tolsa.com �
www.nabaltec.de �
www.viscospeed.com (Innospec Leuna) �
www.brucite.plus (Ecopiren) �
www.borouge.com �
www.hexpol.com �
www.alphagary.com �
www.avient.com �
www.benvicforcables.com �
www.padanaplast.com
Additional reporting by Chris Smith
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: BENVIC
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62