Ethylene-propylene-diene polymers(EPDM)are the most widely used rubbers in the range of available synthetic rubbers for non-tire applications.Due to the unsaturated backbone,EPDM can be employed in various applications,in which characteristics such as resistance to ozone,heat and moisture,flexibility at low temperatures,a wide range of tensile strength and hardness levels,and excellent electrical insulating prop-erties are important.The latter proper-ties,being particularly of interest in the electrical sector,have stimulated an in-creasing utilization of EPDM-based Compounds in medium voltage insula-tion for wire and cables(W&C).While this W&C market using EPDM-based in-sulation grew globally over the last few decades due in part to the overall cable market growth,it also resulted from the gradual replacement of cable that had previously used crosslinked Polyethylene(XLPE)and Polyvinylchloride(PVC)[1].EPDM-based insulation Compounds offer several key advantages over XLPE and PVC,such as a longer Service life [2],inherent water treeing resistance,better thermal stability at higher operating temperatures and significantly better flexibility that permits ease of installa-tion under all weather conditions.The electrical Performance of EPDM rubber in cable formulations plays an important role in the final decision for which voltage ranges they can be applied.
展开▼
