A conductor for use as an overhead electrical cable comprises one or more wires 10 clad with a sheath 11 of plastics material which incorporates at least one electrically conductive material and at least one hydrophilic material. The sheath is thus rendered partially conductive and also hydrophilic, causing any water on the conductor to distribute uniformly as a thin film, thus promoting rapid evaporation and lessening the usual corona discharges and accompanying noise. The conductive material may be C black and the hydrophilic material an ester of a fatty acid e.g. sorbitan monostearate, or of a polyoxyethylene glycol or polyvinyl alcohol. The plastics material may comprise PVC or polyethylene together with dioctyl phthalate and other additives. IMAGE
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