Silicones (polysiloxane polymers) find widespread use in the Transmission & Distribution (T & D) industry. The advantages of silicone make it a prime material for the use in middle, high and ultrahigh voltage applications. As a result, the industry has seen a clear trend towards replacing older technologies like glass and ceramic with high-consistency and liquid silicone rubber.1,2 Another type of application in the electrical field is the use of silicone for the fabrication of fire safety cable. Ceramifiable silicone elastomers offer a true alternative to the incumbent technology for fire safety cable that uses mineral-insulated cable. Silicone elastomers offer key advantages to the cable industry that range from excellent flexibility and high-speed productivity on the fabricator end all the way to ease of handling and installation on the end user side.
SPEAKER: Detlef Klingberg, Ph.D., Technical Manager, Wacker Chemical Corp.