Thermomechanical and electrical characterisation of EVA polymer compounds for cable accessories

In this work, materials used in the field of accessories for electrical cables have been characterised from a thermomechanical and electrical point of view, so to offer a realistic picture of material behaviour under a service involving the combined application of electrical charges and thermo-mechanical stresses. In particular, both materials are based on ethylene-vinylacetate (EVA) blend with the introduction in one case of aluminium trihydrate, whereas in the other case, carbon black was added, the two materials being referred as insulating and semi-conductive, respectively. The two materials had different rheological and thermal characteristics, which had an effect on electrical behaviour: however, the application of levels of radiation up to 60 kGy did not prove to widely change the profile of either polymer blends.