Lead Free

EPDM Compounds
for MV Cables
Mixer SpA, Italy
Polymers in Cables 2013 Miami, Florida

About Mixer
Manufacturing: Rubber compounds since 1996
exclusively for wire and cable industry
Production capacity: 65 million pounds/year
Plant location: Northern Italy

Exporting to: Over 20 countries worldwide

Product range:
o
o
o
o

Insulation Jacketing Bedding

For LV, MV and HV power cables
Peroxide XL, Irradiation XL
Halogen free, FR, Low smoke, Oil resistant

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Raw material handling - Automatic, Online, Fully Integrated

ANALYSIS REPORT
LABEL WITH BAR CODE

INCOMING
RAW MATERIALS
INSPECTION
FOR
ACCEPTANCE

Polymers
Fillers
Oil/Plasticizers
Additives

TO
COMPOUNDING
LINES

ACCEPTED

STORAGE
REJECTED

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Compounding units Automatic and Fully Integrated

MANUAL CUTTING, DOSING
AUTOMATIC WEIGHING

POLYMERS (BALE FORM)

PEROXIDE

INTERNAL
MIXER
POLYMERS
(PELLET FORM)
FILLERS
OIL/PLASTICIZERS
ADDITIVES

AUTOMATIC
TRANSPORT
WEIGHING
DOSING

EXTRUDER
FILTRATION
GRANULATION

BIG CONTINUOUS
BLENDER
HOMOGENIZATION
COOLING
PEROXIDE SOAKING

EXTRUSION TEST
OUTPUT/PRESSURE
DISPERSIONS
SMOOTHNESS

SAMPLES

LAB ANALYSIS
REPORT

REJECTED

ACCEPTED
BARCODE LABEL

PACKAGING
& DELIVERY

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Lead free EPDM compounds for Medium Voltage power cables

EPDM based compounds combine superior mechanical and electrical
properties and for these reasons are used in a wide variety of voltages and
applications such as: low, medium and high voltages, control and
instrumentation cables, power cords, mining cables and cable accessories.

In EPDM compound the rubber resin is mixed with other additives to

improve the mechanical and electrical properties. Lead chemicals are used as
ingredients in todays commercially available EPDM compounds for Medium
Voltage (MV) insulations as stabilizers for long lasting performances.

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Lead Free EPDM Compounds for MV cables

Currently in the European Union, Red
Lead Oxide is listed in Reach SVHC
(Substances of Very High Concern)
forcing MV cable producers to
substitute the material with a nonleaded alternative.

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Research for the new recipe lead free

Mixer already has been producing MV cable compounds since 1996.
Main features:
Base polymers: EPR/EPDM.
Coated and uncoated mineral fillers.
Peroxide soaking process at low temperature.
Clean compounding process without contamination.

Whats new:
Stabilizer system: lead free synergistic mixture of organic and
inorganic additives with enhanced ion scavenging properties

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Optimization for the new recipe lead free

The following parameters have been taken into consideration:
Easy dispersion and compatibility of new stabilizers into polyolefin
matrix.
Good electrical properties of new stabilizers, especially in wet
conditions.
No interference between crosslinking system and lead free
stabilizing pack.
Final cost of the compound.

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Mechanical properties from compound extruded and crosslinked in laboratory

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Ageing resistance of compound extruded and crosslinked in laboratory

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Ageing resistance of compound extruded and crosslinked in laboratory

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Properties of Mixer compounds coming from MV cables extruded by EU customer

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Electrical properties of Mixer compounds designed for use in MV/HV

power cables up to 132 kV

*Ageing

conditions: Aged 136C Oven for 7 days and immersed for 2h in 100C water

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Morphology of MV LEADED compound

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Morphology of MV LEAD FREE compound

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Improvements in quality control, time, cost reductions

A multivariate analysis identified:

Property fluctuations
Comparison between measured and declared values
Correlation of ingredient properties
Correlation of compound properties
Ingredients affecting final compound quality
Most relevant ingredient properties for final compound performances
In the last 4 years Mixer has:
Reduced significantly the quantity of analysis
providing big benefits in terms of time and cost reductions
Improved the quality consistency
reduction of off-spec product from 3% to <0.6%
Definetively reduced customer complaints
from 2% to <0.2%

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Technical support for processing and for extrusion tools design

Collaboration with cable extrusion equipment

manufacturers/designers and cable manufacturers
to improve quality and to reduce costs thanks to
higher production speed.
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Summary
Mixer SpA has developed a MV EPDM compound that no longer
contains Lead. The material exhibits both electrical and physical
properties that are comparable to that of Leaded compounds.
Properties have been already tested on cables complying with 100%
of European specification requirements making this product available
since 2011.
Cable manufacturers are now able to produce cables with
environmentally friendly compounds that are code compliant and
reliable, at the same final cost of traditional leaded cables.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR

ATTENTION

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