WIRE & CABLE | MATERIALS
Europe but available globally. Avient says that aside from the good performance, the new formulations can provide manufacturing efficiency gains for cable producers by allowing one grade to be used for both cable insulation and jacket coating. In addition, they are said to offer high processing speeds and up to 50% reduction in catalyst usage compared with typical technologies.
Above: ECCOH XL 8148 from Avient is formulated for photovoltaic cable applica- tions
challenges in terms of recycling. Borealis has been working to overcome this through the use of its Borcycle C pyrolysis chemical recycling process. The company says crosslinked polyolefins such as XLPE and PEX can be recycled back to feedstocks for the production of high performance PE grades for use in wire and cable applications using its pyrolysis technology. All Borcycle C polyolefins are ISCC PLUS certified using mass balance methodology. Borealis is also looking to expand its mechani-
cally recycled cable grades. Borcycle M grades will contain up to 50% recycled waste plastic content. The first product announced is Borcycle M ME7153SY, which is a natural fully formulated MDPE jacketing compound for low and medium voltage applications. The company says the grade is easy to colour and offers good processability and a smooth surface finish. Other characteristics include good environmental stress cracking resistance (ESCR), UV resistance, and low water permeability.
Right: This Borcycle M cable sheath- ing grade contains
mechanically recycled polymer
Solar formulations With heavy investment underway in solar photovol- taic (PV) generating capacity,Avient has developed a new line of cross-linkable cable insulation formulations. The new ECCOH XL cross-linkable grades are REACH compliant and rated for permanent outdoor use. According to the company, UV and weather resist- ance of the new materials passes IEC 60216-1 Arrhenius lifetime prediction tests. Electrical performance is suitable for both DC and AC power supplies, while flame retardant performance meets EN 50618 and IEC 60332-1 standards. The new grades are manufactured in
32 COMPOUNDING WORLD | May 2023
Rapid degassing Endurance HFDD-4201 is the latest addition to Dow Chemical’s PE resin offering for production of HV and EHV XLPE cable insulation. A key benefit of the new grade is its rapid degassing in PEX-a cable production systems. The company says the new resin can cut the time required for removal of crosslinking by-product methane, which it says can take several weeks in current typical HV cable production systems, by up to 80%. It says this can help manufacturers to reduce manufacturing cycle times and inventory and energy costs. Last year saw a number of new additions to
Evonik’s range of silanes for improving the process- ing and performance of wire and cable compounds, particularly halogen-free flame retardant grades. The company has extended both its Accurel DS line of dry silanes, which improve resin to filler bonding and includes AMEO, GYLMO, and VTEO types, and its Accurel CL cross-linker masterbatch family, which includes TMPTMA, TAIC, and TAC. It also introduced Dynasylan Silfin 301, a silane
grade specially formulated for production of heavily filled PEX-b cable compounds for the two-stage Sioplas moisture-curing method. “Our new Dynasy- lan Silfin 301 is a ready-to-use system which makes it easier for cable manufacturers to process their products in an extruder and simplifies the subse- quent crosslinking,” says Helmut Büsser, Director Marketing at Evonik’s Silanes business line.” The vinylsilane and peroxide formulation is said to be optimised for Sioplas crosslinking of heavily filled polyolefins. According to Evonik, it reacts up to ten times more slowly than typical vinylsilane alternatives, which means reduced moisture sensitivity so premature crosslinking is avoided. It is also said to improve the electrical and mechanical properties of HFFR compounds. Evonik’s organo-modified siloxane (OMS) chemistries, which are marketed under the Tegomer and Tegopren brand names, are also suitable for cable and wire applications, where they can enhance flame retardance, increase filler loading levels, and lift compound output on larger extruders. Long known for its PVC compounds,
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IMAGE: AVIENT/GETTY IMAGES
IMAGE: BOREALIS
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