Why are Cable Insulation Tensile Strength and Breaking Elongation important and how are they determined?

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Cable Insulation Tensile Strength and Elongation are key indicators of the life of the cable, its ability to bear physical stresses during installation, work-life, service etc. The standard values are specified for different types of insulation materials and cable manufacturers need to perform these tests in-house or from third party to ensure that their finished product matches the standard values.  Below are some standard values for the two most commonly used insulation materials; PVC and XLPE.

Material Density g/cm3 Tensile Strength N/mm2 Breaking Elongation %
PVC 1.35 15 250
PVC Heat Resistant 1.35 18 200
XLPE 0.92 22 300

 

Test Equipment & Procedure

Both Tensile Strength and Elongation at Break Point are performed on a Force Testing Machines which apply the load mechanically by a screw and gears, or hydraulically with a pump and motor. The purpose of the machine is to test the materials in tension, compression or bending. The main objective is to create a stress strain curve i.e plot of tensile force vs tensile elongation with respect to the known specimen dimensions.

Test procedures are generally in accordance with an internationally recognized standard procedure like the one mentioned in ASTM D638-14 so that results are consistent between labs. But all standards like ASTM E8 (metals) and D638 (plastics) more or less follow the following steps:

Step 1 : Note the specimen dimensions including length, thickness and cross sectional area.

Step 2: Insert a sample of a material between two fixtures or grips.

Step3: Select speed and load parameters in accordance to the standard

Step 4: Apply force to the material through the use of a universal test machine (UTM) or force testing machine.

Step 5:  Increase the force while measuring the change in length of the sample