Conductivity and quality of semi-conductive materials in MV cable accessories

The quality of the external semi-conductive (SC) layer of separable deadbreak connectors designed for MV was assessed with a view to use them in outdoor applications. EPDM and SIR based connectors were exposed during 1000 hours to an artificial accelerated weathering. The external SC layers were characterized and evaluated by means of chemical, material, mechanical and electrical analyses before and after weathering. There is no clear advantage of using SIR rather than EPDM as matrix. However, according to this study, connector 2 (EPDM) showed the best behavior, followed by connector 5 (SIR) and connector 1 (EPDM). Connector 3 (SIR) and 4 (EPDM) are not advised for outdoor application.