Comparison of Production Processes and Performance Between Polypropylene-Insulated and Crosslinked-Polyethylene-Insulated Low-Voltage Cables

Yunping He, Zeguo Pan (), He Song, Junwang Ding, Kai Wang, Jiaming Yang and Xindong Zhao
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Yunping He: Guangdong Xinyaguang Cable Co., Ltd., Qingyuan 511500, China
Zeguo Pan: Guangdong Xinyaguang Cable Co., Ltd., Qingyuan 511500, China
He Song: Guangdong Xinyaguang Cable Co., Ltd., Qingyuan 511500, China
Junwang Ding: Guangdong Xinyaguang Cable Co., Ltd., Qingyuan 511500, China
Kai Wang: Key Laboratory of Engineering Dielectrics and Its Application, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150080, China
Jiaming Yang: Key Laboratory of Engineering Dielectrics and Its Application, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150080, China
Xindong Zhao: Key Laboratory of Engineering Dielectrics and Its Application, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150080, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 16, 1-10

Abstract: Traditional crosslinked-polyethylene (XLPE) insulation suffers from high recycling costs and low efficiency due to its thermosetting properties. In contrast, thermoplastic polypropylene (PP), with advantages of melt recyclability, low energy consumption, and excellent comprehensive performance, has emerged as an ideal alternative to XLPE. This study conducts a comparative analysis of low-voltage cables insulated with PP, silane-crosslinked XLPE (XLPE-S), and UV-crosslinked XLPE (XLPE-U), focusing on production processes, mechanical properties, thermal stability, and electrical performance. Tensile test results show that PP exhibits the highest elongation at break (>600%) before aging, and its tensile strength (>20 MPa) after aging outperforms that of XLPE, indicating superior flexibility and anti-aging capability. PP exhibits a lower thermal elongation (<50%) at 140 °C compared to XLPE, and its high-crystallinity molecular structure endows better heat-resistant deformation performance. The volume resistivity of PP reaches 9.2 × 10 15 Ω·m, comparable to that of XLPE-U (3.9 × 10 15 Ω·m) and significantly higher than XLPE-S (3.0 × 10 14 Ω·m). All three materials pass the 4-h voltage withstand test, confirming their satisfied insulation reliability. PP-insulated low-voltage cables demonstrate balanced performance in production efficiency, energy consumption cost, mechanical toughness, and electrical insulation. Notably, their recyclability significantly surpasses traditional XLPE, showing potential to promote green upgrading of the cable industry and providing a sustainable insulation solution for low-voltage power distribution systems.

Keywords: thermoplastic polypropylene; crosslinked polyethylene; low-voltage power cable; environmentally friendly cable (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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