Water absorption of extruded cable components

Abstract

The water absorption of various kinds of cable insulation and shields has been studied. The three water tree crosslinked polyethylene (WTRXLPE) materials absorb a large amount of water compared to ordinary XLPE, probably because of the polar character of the WTR material. One WTRXLPE seems to lose its effectiveness at 80/spl deg/C. EPR has also a great water content capability but less than the WTRXLPE. It is clear from this work that new cable insulation and shields absorb much more water than conventional ones.