Polyethylene (PE)
Characteristics: Polyethylene is divided into low-density (LDPE), medium-density (MDPE), and high-density (HDPE). It has excellent low-temperature resistance (remaining flexible at -60°C), excellent chemical resistance, low water absorption, and good electrical insulation properties. HDPE also has high strength and excellent weather resistance.
Advantages:
Suitable for outdoor, buried, submarine, and high-altitude environments, such as communication cables, fiber optic cables, and offshore wind power cables.
Environmentally friendly and recyclable, with minimal environmental impact.
MDPE and HDPE, after carbon black stabilization treatment, have outstanding UV resistance and are suitable for long-term exposure to sunlight.
Limitations: Untreated PE is flammable and has poor flame retardancy, so it is not recommended for indoor locations with high fire safety requirements.
Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH/LSOH)
Characteristics: LSZH (Low Smoke Zero Halogen) materials are usually based on polyolefins, with aluminum hydroxide or magnesium hydroxide added as flame retardants. They produce extremely low smoke concentrations during combustion and do not release halogen-containing toxic gases.
Advantages:
High safety: Designed for densely populated or enclosed spaces, such as subways, tunnels, data centers, hospitals, high-rise buildings, and public transportation systems.
Minimal corrosive gas emissions during combustion, reducing secondary damage to equipment and personnel.
Complies with modern building and industrial safety standards, and is an environmentally friendly upgrade alternative to PVC.
Limitations: Higher production costs than PVC and PE, and more complex processing technology, resulting in higher cable prices.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Characteristics: PVC is one of the most widely used sheath materials, with low cost, good flexibility, acid and alkali resistance, and a certain degree of flame retardancy.
Advantages:
Economical and practical: High cost-effectiveness, easy to process, suitable for indoor wiring, low-voltage power cables, and general industrial cables.
Good mechanical protection and insulation performance, suitable for fixed installation in general environments. Limitations:
It softens easily at high temperatures (the typical long-term operating temperature does not exceed 80°C), and may become brittle at low temperatures.
It contains halogens, and when burned, it produces a large amount of dense smoke and toxic gases such as hydrogen chloride, which does not meet the high safety standards of modern buildings.
It is not suitable for places with strict requirements for environmental protection and smoke toxicity.
