EoW November 2010

50 / 114

EuroWire – November 2010 48
Compounds & colourings
A return to rubber
compounds?
Mixer began manufacturing cable compounds in 1996 to meet the specific demands
of the wire and cable industry. Fully automated production lines and advanced testing
facilities maintain consistent quality of an annual production of over 20,000 metric
tons of cable compounds. Banbury internal mixers and strainer extruders are used to
manufacture compounds in granular (pellet) form.
The company now produces insulation, sheathing, bedding and masterbatch cable
compounds with both rubber and thermoplastic. The trademark Ekopren® products
are based on halogen-free polymers and additives with low toxicity and clear smoke
emission. The Mixer range includes heavy metal free, high LOI and fire, oil and ozone
resistant compounds.
Mixer is now producing a new line of colour masterbatches especially designed for
cable producers who may use half the normal concentration rates because of the high
pigment concentration and high dispersion rate. These products can be used in any
type of polymer, eliminating the need to purchase several masterbatch types of the
same colour.
Several recent technical studies are said to have demonstrated the advantages of EPDM
insulation over XLPE for medium voltage cable insulation. EPDM continues to be the
top insulation choice due to its record of long service life, flexibility and performance
in the medium voltage cable market. Mixer offers a range of EPDM medium voltage
insulation compounds to supply this returning market trend to rubber compounds.
Mixer’s on-site laboratory is at customers’ disposal for testing material properties and
behaviours. Clients can request tests of their products in order to verify the correct
cross-linking of materials, the correct extrusion behaviour and whether their product
complies with standards. Technical assistance is available to optimise the operational
parameters of existing extrusion equipment.
Mixer SpA – Italy Fax: +39 0545 47038
Email: Website:
Compounds for every demand
AlphaGary has developed wire and cable materials for electrical, mechanical, thermal
and fire performance for over twenty years, taking into account all the most rigorous
codes, testing procedures and global standards, and the challenges encountered by
customers involved in copper and fibre optic cable design.
AlphaGary’s comprehensive product portfolio offers solutions in sheathing and
insulating materials, including low smoke vinyl alloys, halogen-free olefin blends,
fluoropolymer compounds, thermoplastic urethanes and a variety of thermoplastic
elastomers.
AlphaGary’s range includes:
Smokeguard • ® FP (with DuPont Teflon® ) and Smokeguard® HP fluoropolymer
compounds
Smokeguard • ® LSFR PVC low smoke, fire retardant vinyl alloys
Megolon • ® halogen free sheathing and insulation materials for low smoke and fume
emissions
Garaflex • ® thermoplastic elastomer compounds, including styrenic, nylon, vinyl,
olefin/EPDM, and vulcanizate blends
Garathane™ thermoplastic urethane flame retardant blends and alloys •
Fire retardant vinyl compounds (GW Series) •
Sheath and insulation/buffer compounds for communication, industrial, automotive •
and power transmission applications
Colour concentrates to support all compound types, either custom-matched or to
•
standards such as Munsell or RAL
AlphaGary Corporation – USA
Fax: +1 978 537 8385
Email:
Website: