Crosslinked Layer With Polyhedral Particles For Cable Insulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The use of peroxide crosslinking in electrical cables leads to the formation of harmful by-products like methane and water, increasing the risk of cable breakdown and explosiveness, and existing solutions to mitigate these issues are costly and inefficient, especially for thick crosslinked layers.

Innovation Solution

A crosslinked layer using a polymer composition with polyhedral structure particles, such as POSS, which limits the presence of crosslinking by-products and maintains optimal electrical and mechanical properties, reducing the need for organic peroxide and enhancing environmental friendliness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If peroxide crosslinking is used to achieve good electrical and mechanical properties, then crosslinking efficiency is improved, but harmful by-products (methane, water) are generated increasing breakdown risk

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecrosslinking efficiencyVSAvoidcrosslinking by-products
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameters of the crosslinking system by replacing peroxide with silane-based crosslinking agents and catalysts. This parameter change transforms the crosslinking mechanism from free-radical (peroxide) to condensation polymerization (silane), eliminating harmful by-products while maintaining crosslinking efficiency and improving cable reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the traditionally harmful peroxide crosslinking process into a beneficial one by using silane crosslinking that produces water as the only by-product instead of methane and other harmful substances. The water by-product is harmless and can even contribute to the cable's fire resistance properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Object-generated harmful factors

If thermal treatment is applied to evacuate methane from thick crosslinked layers, then methane removal is improved, but manufacturing cost and process complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemethane removalVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the methane generation problem entirely from the crosslinking process by replacing peroxide with silane-based crosslinking. This eliminates the need for additional thermal treatment steps to remove methane, simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing costs while maintaining thick crosslinked layer integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Strength

If peroxide crosslinking is used to ensure good mechanical properties, then crosslinking density is improved, but long-term stability deteriorates due to by-product formation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanical propertiesVSAvoidcable service life
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters from peroxide-based to silane-based crosslinking system. This parameter change maintains high crosslinking density for excellent mechanical strength while eliminating the formation of harmful by-products that cause long-term degradation, thereby extending cable service life.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a composite crosslinking system combining silane-modified polymers with metal oxide catalysts. This composite approach achieves high crosslinking density for mechanical strength while the silane-based chemistry ensures long-term stability by avoiding harmful by-products that would otherwise degrade the cable over time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution significantly reduces the presence of harmful by-products, ensuring better mechanical and electrical properties throughout the cable's life while minimizing the use of organic peroxide, thus addressing the drawbacks of traditional crosslinking methods.

Implementation Method 1

the particles have a melting point of at most 200°C

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhase change: Phase Change

Data Source

PatentEP3198613B1Electrical device comprising a cross-linked layer
Publication Date: 2021.02.17 NEXANS SA
  • EP3198613B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3198613B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3198613B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The present invention relates to an electrical device (1, 20, 30) comprising a cross-linked layer (3, 4, 5) obtained on the basis of a cross-linkable polymer composition comprising a polymer material and particles with polyhedric structure, characterized in that the particles have a melting point of at most 200°C.