What is Cable Insulation and Type of Insulation?

XLPE Cable

My last post was about what are electrical cable and its type? Today I will discuss cable insulation type. So let’s go.

First of all Cable Insulation:

The three most commonly available materials are used as insulation for any kind of power cable

Tape insulation such as impregnated paper or varnish paper,
Rubber or rubber-like Synthetic compounds such as Silicone rubber, butyl rubber, and oil-based rubber.
Thermo-plastics such as Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and Crosslinked poly ethylene’s (XLPE).

Now come to the insulating materials and it should have the following properties

High Resistivity
High Dielectric strength
High Tensile Strength and Plasticity
Always low water Absorption Tendency.
Non-inflammable
Excellent Heat Exchange Capacity
Chemically Stable (Free from any kind of hazardous gas)

Cable Insulation Shielding:

Insulation shielding confines the dielectric field within the cable to obtain the symmetrical radial distribution of voltage stress. If the shielding is grounded. It reduces the hazards as ground protection. Due to code shielding, we can distinguish the phase easily

Cable Bending Types:

Normally bending tapes are used in a cable to add mechanical strength. They are located at various places by the different manufacturers under the sheath, under the insulation or between the conductor and insulation material.

Cable Filler Type:

Suitable materials are used interstices of the cable as filler where necessary. The filler materials are hemp, rope, and synthetic rubber compound or thermoplastic materials

Cable Jacket Covering:

It is the final or finishing stage of a power cable. The jackets or sheaths are used for insulation & mechanical protection. Sheaths are made from rubber, PVC, thermoplastic, etc.

If you found this post is helpful then please share with your friends and let them know about the electrical cable insulation specification. In my next post, I will discuss cable classification. See you soon.