Cost-effective alternatives charger cable for electric vehicles

29-Jun-12

Manufacturers of charger cable for electric vehicles (EVs) now have more cost-effective alternatives to other elastomers in both insulation and jacketing with two Flexalloy® PVC elastomer compounds from Teknor Apex Company. The new compounds are Flexalloy 89504-90, a 90 Shore A formulation for insulation, and Flexalloy 9610-78 for jacketing, with Shore A hardness of 78. The materials exhibit brittle points of -46 and -38 ºC, respectively, and are both rated for a maximum continuous operating temperature of 105 ºC. Unlike standard flexible vinyl, Flexalloy compounds are based on ultra high molecular weight PVC resin. They exhibit improved toughness, abrasion resistance, and low temperature properties and provide elastomeric resilience and resistance to compression set, according to Mike Patel, wire and cable industry manager for the Vinyl Division of Teknor Apex. The compounds can be processed on standard PVC equipment. Teknor Apex developed these two new Flexalloy products especially to meet the requirements of UL Type EVE for the high production volumes and rugged end use performance posed by EV charger cable,” said Patel. “They provide cost-effective alternatives to premium-priced elastomers such as TPUs.”