A new era in cable designs and materials to resolve environmental issues

In recent years, environmental issues have had a profound influence on power cable designs and materials used in cable construction. This paper addresses the issues concerned with the effects of cables on the environment, as well as the effects of environmental conditions on cable performance and reliability. Effects on the environment include release of toxic materials and contamination of ground water. Environmental effects on cables are related to the presence of moisture, chemicals, ions, oils or solvents. All such issues must be considered in the evolution of environmentally-safe cables. This also extends to the manufacturing processes for producing cable insulation, jacketing and sheathing materials, as well as the cable manufacturing process itself. New cable designs and materials have been developed to mitigate many of the more serious environmental issues now associated with cable applications. Such designs and associated materials are reviewed in this paper. Emphasis is placed on the safeguards protecting the environment and on extending cable life and performance. These safeguards include technological advances in insulation, shielding, jacketing and sheathing materials, as well as new cable designs that cable specifiers should take into consideration when properly selecting and applying power cables for petroleum and chemical plant installations. Other user concerns that include cable diameter, short-circuit withstand, mechanical performance, installation, splices and terminations are briefly reviewed as they relate to current cable technology.