MULTI-LAYER INSULATED CONDUCTOR HAVING IMPROVED SCRAPE ABRASION RESISTANCE

• US 20140190724A1
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: MEHAN, Ashok K., CABREY, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,496,070 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/120.SR
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/288 comprising polyketones
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/322 comprising halogenated polyolefins, e.g. PTFE
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 3/36 condensation products of phenols with aldehydes or ketones
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 3/427 Polyethers
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 3/445 from vinylfluorides or other fluoroethylenic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/0275 comprising one or more extruded layers of insulation

Abstract

An insulated conductor and method for making it are disclosed. The insulated conductor includes an elongate conductor and a multi-layer insulation system. The multi-layer insulation system has a first insulating layer including an aromatic thermoplastic material overlying the elongate conductor and a second insulating layer including a perfluoropolymer adjacent the first insulating layer. The first and second insulating layers are each applied to a thickness such that the multi-layer insulation system exhibits a scrape abrasion resistance that is significantly greater than sum of the scrape abrasion resistance of the first and second insulating layers individually at that thickness.

Claims

1. An insulated conductor comprising:

an elongate conductor; and

a multi-layer insulation system having

an extruded first insulating layer comprising an aromatic thermoplastic material overlying the elongate conductor; and

an extruded second insulating layer comprising a perfluoropolymer in contact with the first insulating layer, wherein the first and second insulating layers are each of a wall thickness such that the multi-layer insulation system exhibits a scrape abrasion resistance that is at least 50% greater than the sum of the scrape abrasion resistance of the first and second insulating layers individually at that thickness when the scrape abrasion resistance is measured in accordance with a predetermined needle abrasion test.

2. The insulated conductor of claim 1, wherein the first insulating layer has an average wall thickness in the range of about 0.003 inches to about 0.006 inches.

3. The insulated conductor of claim 1, wherein the second insulating layer has an average wall thickness in the range of about 0.002 inches to about 0.009 inches.

4. The insulated conductor of claim 1, wherein the first insulating layer comprises a polyaryleneetherketone.

5. The insulated conductor of claim 4, wherein the polyaryleneetherketone is selected from the group consisting of polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), polyetherketone (PEK), polyetherimide (PEI), and blends thereof.

6. The insulated conductor of claim 1, wherein the first insulating layer comprises PEEK.

7. The insulated conductor of claim 1, wherein the perfluoropolymer comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of perfluoroalkoxy polymers (PFA), fluorinated ethylene propylene polymers (FEP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoromethylalkoxy polymers (MFA), perfluorinated polyethers (PFPE), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) and blends thereof.

8. The insulated conductor of claim 1, wherein the second insulating layer comprises PTFE or FEP.

9. The insulated conductor of claim 1, wherein the first insulating layer comprises PEEK and the second insulating layer comprises PTFE or FEP.

10. The insulated conductor of claim 9, wherein the first insulating layer has an average wall thickness of about 0.003 inches and the second insulating layer has an average wall thickness of about 0.003 inches.

11. The insulated conductor of claim 10, wherein the second insulating layer overlies the first insulating layer.

12. The insulated conductor of claim 1, wherein the elongate conductor is a stranded conductor.

13. The insulated conductor claim 1, wherein the elongate conductor is a braided cable.

14. The insulated conductor of claim 1, wherein the first insulating layer is annealed.

15. The insulated conductor of claim 1, wherein the predetermined needle abrasion test employs a needle having a predetermined diameter scraped a predetermined length across the insulated conductor under a predetermined load at a rate of a predetermined number of strokes per minute.

16. The insulated conductor of claim 15, wherein the predetermined needle diameter is 0.020 inches, the predetermined stroke length is 0.394 inches, the predetermined rate is 110 strokes per minute and the predetermined load is 1.1 pounds.

17. The insulated conductor of claim 16, wherein the multi-layer insulation system exhibits a scrape abrasion resistance that is at least 100% greater than the sum of the scrape abrasion resistance of the first and second insulating layers individually at that thickness.

18. An insulated conductor comprising:

an elongate conductor; and

a two-layer insulation system having

an extruded first insulating layer comprising PEEK overlying the elongate conductor and having an average wall thickness of about 0.003 inches; and

an extruded second insulating layer comprising PTFE overlying and in contact with the first insulating layer and having an average wall thickness of about 0.003 inches.

19. An insulated conductor comprising:

an elongate conductor comprising a braided cable; and

a two-layer insulation system having

an extruded first insulating layer comprising annealed PEEK overlying the elongate conductor and having an average wall thickness of about 0.0055 inches; and

an extruded second insulating layer comprising FEP overlying and in contact with the first insulating layer and having an average wall thickness of about 0.0085 inches.