Dow Wire & Cable Compounds (www.dowwireandcable.com) now offers commercial quantities of a new insulation compound, JQDB-2230 NT EXP1. The company says the compound displays "superior melt strength and competitive performance for thin-wall telecommunications insulating applications, including high-speed telephone cable, indoor local area network and other insulation applications."
Specifically, the compound's mechanical robustness, impact toughness, abrasion and cut-through performance, and deformation resistance make it beneficial for LAN cable applications. "The lack of deformation is beneficial to electrical transmission in the tightly twisted pairs for the Category 5 and 6 data-grade transmission use," the company said in a release announcing the compound's availability.
According to Dow, the compound's improved molecular structure benefits high-speed extrusion processing results by moderately reducing extrusion pressures and by providing excellent surface smoothness. Its high-melt-strength characteristics make it a candidate for other telecom cable applications, such as jacketing, profile extrusions, and potential for extruded foam applications, the company says.
Citing its applicability for both outdoor and indoor cables, Dow credits the compound's optimized antioxidant system with enabling it to meet the thermo-oxidative aging performance requirements of Telcordia GR-421-CORE and ICEA S-84-608-2001 cable telephone specifications.
