Process for making crosslinked cable insulation using high melt strength ethylene-based polymer made in a tubular reactor and optionally modified with a branching agent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11674028-B2
Application number	US-202017091187-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2020
Priority date	Jun 17, 2015
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

An insulated wire or cable is made by a process comprising the steps of:
(A) extruding onto a covered or uncovered metal conductor or optical fiber a composition having a DF measured at 130° C. (60 Hz, 2 kV) or 120° C. (60 Hz, 8 kV) or 100° C. (60 Hz, 8 kV) of ≤0.5% and comprising:
(1) a high melt strength ethylene-based polymer made in a tubular reactor, and (2) a peroxide, and
(B) crosslinking the high melt strength ethylene-based polymer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wire or cable comprising:
a metal conductor or an optical fiber;
an insulation sheath extruded onto the metal conductor or optical fiber, the insulation sheath comprising a crosslinked composition polymer having gel content of greater than 30% and composed of
an ethylene-based polymer modified with at least one of poly(propylene glycol) allyl ether methacrylate (PPG AEMA), a chain transfer agent, or an asymmetrical polyene, wherein
(A) the crosslinked composition has a dissipation factor (DF) measured at 130° C. (60 Hz, 2 kV) of less than or equal to (≤)0.5%; and
(B) the ethylene-based polymer prior to crosslinking satisfies the following equation at a test temperature of 190° C.
Melt Strength= Ce −0.3(melt index with 2.16 kg load)
where the parameter C is greater than or equal to (>) 15.

2. The wire or cable of claim 1 wherein the ethylene-based polymer prior to crosslinking has a density from 0.9250 g/cc to 0.935 g/cc.

3. The wire or cable of claim 1 wherein the asymmetrical polyene is allyl ether methacrylate (PPG AEMA) with the following formula:

wherein n is from 1 to 50; R a is selected from hydrogen or an alkyl group; and R b is selected from hydrogen or an alkyl group.

4. The wire or cable of claim 1 comprising a cable that is a low-voltage cable.

5. The wire or cable of claim 1 comprising a cable that is a medium-voltage cable.

6. The wire or cable of claim 1 comprising a cable that is a high-voltage cable.

7. The wire or cable of claim 1 comprising a cable that is an extra high-voltage cable.

8. The wire or cable of claim 1 comprising a wire.

9. The wire or cable of claim 1 wherein the insulation sheath has a thickness from 5 mm to 27 mm.

10. The wire or cable of claim 1 wherein the ethylene-based polymer consists of (i) ethylene and (ii) at least one of poly(propylene glycol) allyl ether methacrylate (PPG AEMA), a chain transfer agent, or an asymmetrical polyene, as the only monomeric units.

11. The wire or cable of claim 10 wherein the ethylene-based polymer, prior to crosslinking, has
a density from 0.920 g/cc to 0.924 g/cc, and
an n-hexane extractables content of less than 4.0 wt %.

Assignees

• Dow Global Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Chaudhary Bharat I
• Eddy Christopher R
• Munjal Sarat
• Sehanobish Kalyan
• Brown Hayley
• Osby John O
• Ortega Jose

Classifications

• H01B3/307 Primary

  Other macromolecular compounds · CPC title

• C08F2/01

  characterised by special features of the polymerisation apparatus used · CPC title

• C08F283/065

  on to unsaturated polyethers, polyoxymethylenes or polyacetals · CPC title

• C08L23/26 Primary

  modified by chemical after-treatment (saponified copolymers C08L23/0861; unsaturated acid salts C08L23/0876) · CPC title

• C08K5/14

  Peroxides · CPC title