Properties of Polyethylene Blend as a Non-crosslinked Insulating Material for Power Cable

From viewpoints of environmental protection and reduction in manufacturing cost, it is desirable to use non-crosslinked polyethylene as an insulating material for power cables. A new type polymerized polyethylene using a single-site catalyst has an advantage of its high melting point, but its processability is very poor because of its high viscosity. Therefore, blends of this polyethylene and conventional low-density polyethylene with different blending ratios are examined in this research. As a result, it has become clear that the blend with a blending ratio of 1:1 has an appropriate melting stress and an adequate viscosity at a shear velocity suitable for cable manufacturing. Furthermore, the blend has a superior thermal property and a high dielectric strength for both dc and impulse voltages.