Our COLDflex Ground Cable™ product line is specifically designed for flexible, low-temperature ground cable applications. Tested for cold weather flexibility down to -40ºC, COLDflex Ground Cables™ are UV resistant and have operating voltages up to 5kV.
Cold Weather Flexibility & High Dielectric Performance
Manufactured using highly stranded bare copper conductors, COLDflex Ground Cable™ standard conductor sizes and constructions are listed below. Ultra flexible stranded conductors are also available in a variety of conductor materials. Please contact our design team for more specific information or to discuss your specific requirements.
Our high performance compounds are specifically formulated for use where cold weather flexibility, UV resistance and high dielectric strength are required. Standard jacket colors include: white, black, red, green, yellow, blue, brown, orange, gray and violet. Custom colors and printing are available upon request.
Product Advantages:
- Tested for cold weather flexibility down to -40ºC
- UV Resistant
- Operating voltages up to 5kV
- High dielectric strength
- Standard bare copper conductors; also available in a variety of other conductor materials
- Standard sizes 250 kCMA – 4 AWG – Other sizes available upon request
- Available in 10 standard colors
- Standard and custom surface printing available
Engineers Ask: COLDflex Ground Cable™ FAQs
Does extreme cold affect ground cables enough to justify a specialty product?
At extreme cold temperatures many thermoplastic insulations reach their Glass Transition Temperature, where the material’s molecules lose kinetic energy, vibrate less, constrict, and shrink. The result causes the molecules to condense tightly, making the material stiff, brittle, and prone to cracking.
In addition, the rate at which the conductor and insulation contract in extreme cold is different, causing additional mechanical stress on the cable.
Some negative impacts of extreme cold:
- Increased risk of cracking, or flaking of the insulation
- Exposure of the conductor at termination points, or where insulation failures occur
- Increased challenges and potential for damage, both in flexing the cable and pulling the cable during installation
- Greater potential for thermal shock, either during initial energizing, or if the cable performs as a grounding lead. Rapid electrical load can quickly heat the conductor, causing conductor expansion while the insulation may still be in its brittle phase.
COLDflex utilizes materials that are rated to -40°C making the cables easy to handle and deploy in harsh conditions and improving installation speed and safety in environments like substations, utilities, and industrial maintenance.
Which conductor materials are available for use in COLDflex?
A variety of conductor materials are available including plated options, aluminum, and alloys. In the temperatures we are talking about (around -40°C), most all conductors maintain a reasonable flexibility. By far the limiting factor is the insulation.
