Irradiation cables

Specimens used in tests were sections of cables with PVC outer coating. PVC was plasticized with DOF softener. The materials considered were exposed to the radiation and thermal aging. The samples have been irradiated at room temperature by hard gamma rays with 10 rad/sec dose power. A number of samples had been heated for long different times at 90°C. Besides a special specimens were cut out from outer coating for test on tensile machine like "Instron". The total doses of irradiation, times of heating and elongations at break obtained with "Instron" are listed in Table 1. 

Vulcanised (cross-linked) polyethylene is being used for cable application where service temperatures up to 90°C are encountered. Typical cross-linking agents for this purpose are peroxides such as dicumyl peroxide. The use of such agents is significantly cheaper than irradiation processes for the cross-linking of the polymer. An alternative process involves the use of vinyl silanes (see Section 10.9). 

Over the last few decades, the use of radiation sources for industrial applications has been widespread. The areas of radiation applications are as follows (i) Wires and cables (ii) heat shrinkable tubes and films (iii) polymeric foam (iv) coating on wooden panels (v) coating on thin film-video/audio tapes (vi) printing and lithography (vii) degradation of polymers (viii) irradiation of diamonds (ix) vulcanization of mbber and rubber latex (x) grain irradiation. 

A report (37) on the effect of different types of radiation on the elongatlon-at-break of certain commercial cable Insulating materials pointed to several aspects requiring fundamental Investigations on well-characterised materials under defined conditions. It showed the Importance of antl-oxldant stabilisers, particularly In relation to long term ageing. It was concluded that the differences observed could be attributed to dose rate effects rather than to the types of radiation studied. The Irradiated samples were standard dumb hell shaped tensile samples. 

The formation of carbon-carbon cross-links is by far the most important effect and is the basis of the applications in wire and cable industry and for heat-shrinkable products. The factors affecting the changes of polyethylene by irradiation are the molecular weight distribution, branching, degree of unsaturation, and morphology. °... 

PVC, another widely used polymer for wire and cable insulation, crosslinks under irradiation in an inert atmosphere. When irradiated in air, scission predominates.To make cross-linking dominant, multifunctional monomers, such as trifunctional acrylates and methacrylates, must be added. Fluoropolymers, such as copol5miers of ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), or polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), are widely used in wire and cable insulations. They are relatively easy to process and have excellent chemical and thermal resistance, but tend to creep, crack, and possess low mechanical stress at temperatures near their melting points. Radiation has been found to improve their mechanical properties and crack resistance. Ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) has also been used for wire and cable insulation. When blended with thermoplastic polyefins, such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), its processibility improves significantly. The typical addition of LDPE is 10%. Ethylene propylene copolymers and terpolymers with high PE content can be cross-linked by irradiation. ... 

Irradiation cross-linking of small wires and cables with insulation thickness around 1 mm (0.040 in.) is done under a scanner. The wire or cable is strung between two drums to form a figure eight (see Figure 8.1) and is irradiated on both sides. The dose is controlled automatically by a servolink. 

Radiometers for spot cure monitor the performance (irradiance), measure fhe light guide degradation, determine optimum positioning of fhe lighf guide cable, and compare the efficiency of spot curing systems. An example of a... 

Irradiation of polyolefins, particularly the family of polyethylenes, represents an important segment of the radiation processing. Polyolefins can be irradiated in many forms, such as pellets and powders, films, extruded and molded parts or as wire and cable insulation. 

PVC, another polymer widely used for wire and cable insulation, cross-links under irradiation in an inert atmosphere. When irradiated in air, scission predominates.32 33... 

Ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) has been also used for wire and cable insulation. When blended with thermoplastic polyefins such as LDPE its processibility improves significantly. The typical addition of LDPE is 10%. Ethylene propylene copolymers and terpolymers with high PE content can be cross-linked by irradiation.34... 

The electrical cables between the control room, the modulator room, and the irradiation cell are in pipes below the floor. A cable trough is being installed in the labyrinth to increase the cable capacity between the cell and the control room. 

The fact that neutron irradiation of hydrogen and carbon produces no significant radioactivity makes Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) a very sensitive analytical technique for detecting impurities in polymer cable insulation and has been extensively used for this purpose. It is therefore of some interest to compare PIXE with NAA. 

The use of radiation to modify the physical properties of polymers has become a very important industry with products such as electrical cables with insulation capable of withstanding high temperatures and heat-shrinkable polyethylene. However, of direct relevance to this symposium was the recognition in the early 1970 s that electron beam irradiation of pol3mier films could provide an important lithographic tool for the manufacture of microelectronic components. For consideration of the general principles of these processes see, for example, references (66) and (67). The products required In this field are complex requiring both microscopic... 

The crosslinking efficiency of benzophenone could be due to the formation of a more active radical site and/or to a more efficient sensitization of hydroperoxide decomposition. The insulating electrical wire and cable made of EPR were irradiated with 200 Mrad y-ray [78] for vulcanisation purposes. The changes in... 

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