Cable Material Definitive Guide: Key Properties and Applications

In electronic devices and electrical systems, the cable materials show an important importance. They contribute to the secure and reliability of the entire system while transferring power and signals. This blog will provide a thorough introduction to their main characteristics, their practical applications, and the factors that should be considered when choosing them.

What is the cable material?

Cable materials generally refer to the materials that make up the insulation, sheath, shield, etc. of a cable, as shown in the figure. Normally, they must have very good electrical insulation, mechanical strength and even environmental resistance.

There are many different types of cable materials on the market, which are used in different areas of cable making, according to their own specific physical or chemical properties. The most common materials are polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), rubber, silicone rubber, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).

1. PVC: A low-cost, flexible material. This material generally has heat resistance, oil resistance, and its certain other properties can be improved/decreased by adding additives. It is a thermoplastic material used for low-voltage cables and is commonly used in the design and manufacture of low-voltage cables in terms of uniform standards.
2. PE: An environmentally friendly material which is free of halogens, but it is harder and more costly than PVC. It has very good chemical resistance and is commonly used in applications that need to be high temperature, chemical and hydrolysis resistant.
3. Rubber: More robust, more flexible and therefore more expensive. It is used for cables that require greater flexibility, such as fixed industrial installations and mobile services.
4. Silicone Rubber: Better heat resistance and flexibility, but less durable and more expensive. It is suitable for high temperature environments, such as cables connecting photovoltaic panels and DC/AC converters.
5. PTFE、PVDF: Commonly used in high-performance cables because they usually have more excellent heat, chemical and abrasion resistance; PTFE is commonly used in high-frequency applications and extreme chemical environments due to its non-stick surface and excellent electrical dielectric properties. PVDF is known for its excellent chemical and UV resistance.

Main Wire cable material types and critical properties :

1. Conductor materials: The most common is copper, which is often used for its excellent electrical conductivity. Copper conductors are available in single and double wire varieties, with double wires being more flexible and more fatigue resistance for applications requiring frequent bending. Aluminum conductors are also used because they are lightweight and lower cost. They are not as conductive as copper conductors, but have a lower density, which is an advantage in some applications, such as overhead transmission lines.
2. Insulating materials: PVC, PE, and XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene), among others. ① PVC is widely used because of its better electrical insulation properties and chemical resistance, but is not suitable for some high-temperature environments; ② PE generally offers better temperature and chemical resistance; ③ XLPE has higher heat resistance and mechanical strength so that it is usually used in which higher thermal and mechanical properties are required.
3. Shielding materials: Such as aluminum or copper braids, which are used to reduce EMI(electromagnetic interference ) in cables. Shielding can be single or multi-layer and provide varying degrees of EMI protection; aluminum and copper braids are often used as shielding materials to reduce EMI.
4. Shielding materials: such as aluminium and copper braid, which are used for cable shielding to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI). Shielding can be single or multi-layer to provide different levels of EMI protection. Shielding Materials: Aluminium and copper braids are commonly used for cable shielding to reduce EMI.
5. Cable sheath: PVC, TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) and other sheath materials are used to provide mechanical protection and environmental resistance; PVC outer sheath is resistant to chemical corrosion and cost-effective, while TPE has excellent heat resistance and flexibility.

Application areas of cable Harness materials :

The cable harness materials are widely used in many fields such as power transmission, telecommunications, industrial automation, automotive, the aerospace industry and many others. The following are some major application scenes :

1. Automotive industry: With the development of electrification and intelligence in automobiles, cable materials are increasingly used in automobiles. They are used in a variety of parts such as engines, gearboxes, brake systems, lighting, air conditioning, seat heaters, and instrument panels. Automotive cable materials need to be resistant to high temperatures, oils, and chemicals to ensure reliability and safety in vehicle operation. Our cable materials are used in a wide range of applications in a number of fields, particularly in the automotive industry, where our high-temperature, oil- and chemical-resistant cable materials play an important role in a number of automotive components as cars become electrified and smarter.
2. Aerospace: Aerospace cable materials are extremely demanding because they need to maintain performance under extreme temperatures, pressures and radiation. Applications of cable materials in aerospace include internal wiring of aircraft, control systems, communication systems, and cables that provide power and signal transmission to the aircraft. Draka Fileca manufactures cables that are designed to meet these requirements in aerospace and are resistant to severe mechanical, electrical, chemical, temperature and radiation constraints.
3. Architectural Coatings: Kynar® PVDF resins are also used in a wide range of architectural coatings, particularly in coil and profile coatings.Kynar 500® PVDF resin coatings protect commercial, industrial and residential buildings worldwide for more than 50 years with their outstanding performance. These coatings are mainly used as durable protective coatings for substrates such as aluminium alloys, galvanised steel and aluminised steel.
4. lithium-ion batteries: In lithium-ion batteries, Kynar® PVDF is used as an electrode binder and diaphragm coating. As an electrode binder, Kynar® PVDF offers the advantages of fast dissolution, high adhesion, reduced electrode resistivity and voltage stability. As a diaphragm coating, Kynar Flex® PVDF offers high adhesion, good voltage stability and dimensional stability, as well as compatibility with solvent-based and aqueous technical nanoceramics.

How to select Wire cable materials?

When selecting cable materials, you need to consider many different factors such as the application environment of the cable, the required electrical properties, mechanical strength, temperature resistance, chemical resistance, and cost.

1. Application environment: The cable material should be selected according to the application environment, including temperature resistance, humidity resistance, chemical resistance and other characteristics. For example, in humid or chemically corrosive environments, cables with additional protective layers, such as armour layers or special outer sheath materials, should be selected.
2. Mechanical properties: For mobile or frequently flexing cables, materials with high flexibility and mechanical strength should be selected to ensure their durability and reliability.
3. Electrical properties: The insulation level and the resistivity of the cable material directly influence the transmission efficiency and safety. The voltage resistance level of cables in AC system should meet the requirement of system insulation fit. The insulation level and resistivity of cable materials have a direct impact on transmission efficiency and safety. We provide cable materials with high insulation and low resistivity in this area, ensuring efficient and safe operation of electrical systems.
4. Safety and fire protection characteristics: In the crowded places or the places with some special requirements for safety, the cable materials with non-halogen and low smoke discharge should be chosen in order to reduce the toxicity and corrosiveness in case of the fire.
5. Eco-friendly requirements: With the improvement of environmental awareness, it has become more and more important to choose recyclable, non-polluting or low-toxicity cable materials. The characteristics of environmentally friendly cables are mainly including halogen-free, heavy metal-free, and not harmful to the environment when discarded. As environmental awareness increases, the choice of recyclable, non-polluting or low-toxicity cable materials has become particularly important. VOCSON, as a representative of environmentally friendly cable materials, has products that not only meet these environmental standards, but also excel in terms of performance.
6. Cost-effectiveness: Under the precondition of meeting technical requirements, you should consider the cost-effectiveness of cable materials and choose the cost-effective materials to limit the whole cost.

Concluding remarks

As a key component of electronic equipment, the performance and selection of the cable materials have a direct impact on the performance and safety of the electronic equipment. So understanding the characteristics of different cable materials can help us to better design and select the right cable to meet the needs of different application scenes. How to choose the right cable material is an important step to ensure system performance and safety.