Electric cable and a method for the production thereof

US6673448B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Borealis Technology Oy · FI

Inventors

• Bill Gustafsson · Stenungsund, SE
• Hans Eklind · Stenungsund, SE
• Ruth Dammert · Stenungsund, SE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 20, 2001
• Grant date: Jan 6, 2004
• Expiry date: Apr 20, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T428/2947
• WIPO field: Macromolecular chemistry, polymers
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A semiconducting composition for electric cables, an electric cable incorporating the composition, and a method of producing a cross-linked semiconducting layer of an electric cable are disclosed. The semiconducting composition comprises, based on the total weight of the composition,(a) 50-90% by weight of an ethylene copolymer,(b) carbon black in an amount at least sufficient to make the composition semiconducting,(c) 0-8% by weight of a peroxide cross-linking agent,(d) 0-8% by weight of conventional additives,characterised in thatthe ethylene copolymer (a) is a heterogeneous ethylene-alkyl(meth)acrylate copolymer, which besides ethylene moieties comprises 2-10 mole % of an alkyl(meth)acrylate comonomer moiety, chosen among methyl(meth)acrylate, ethyl(meth)acrylate, (iso-)propyl(meth)acrylate and butyl(meth)acrylate, and the melting point of which is at least 95° C. and is higher than (108.5−1.7×(mole % of alkyl (meth)acrylate comonomer)) degree centigrade. The copolymer is preferably obtained by high pressure radical polymerisation in a tubular reactor.