Performance Survey of PVC Insulation of LC/Gecamines Electrical Cables Subjected to Ageing and Its Life Span Evaluation

International audienceConsidering the insulators ageing in a mixture of PVC and dye, set following operating conditions and time to ensure proper operation and perfect safety of industrial installations using insulated conductors. The results showed that the insulation carried out by the L.C main office was a good quality (on thermal aspect), because the resistance of the insulation is so high (i.e. 3940 Mega Ohms under normal conditions). The results showed a lifespan of 50 years at a temperature of 40˚C (close to ambient temperature), plus minus 33 years at a temperature of 70˚C; plus minus 22 years at a temperature of 100˚C and 12 years at a temperature of 160˚C. Furthermore, information on chemical attack, the results showed that PVC cables have poor resistance to sulfuric acid attack (having a pH of 1.5 and a density of 1.84 g/cm 3). LC/Gecamines is able to produce locally a good quality of electrical cables