FAO Mr. WM

Hiya mate

As you know im going to be doing a dedicated mains supply soon, I was wondering if theres anything in this cable cyro treatment.
Ill be useing 4mm2 3 core SWA, is there any point in haveing the cable treated or is it not a worthwhile idea, and if it is whats a guestimate cost?

 

Personally, I think this could be a very bad idea. What happens to the plastic insulation during the cryo process? If it becomes brittle and cracks, you could have a very nasty electrical situation developing

 

oh yea
i forgot to ask the effect of the treatment on the cable insulation

 

Penance, we 'prefer' to treat the cables before covering, (a lot of companies don't) does make it difficult.
Our view is that with different materials, not just the main cable compostion, but diaelectrics/sheathing and outer casing all have different 'genetic make up's ' if you like, for example PVC (a coomon cable constructional component) has a safe lower limit of -20 C (-60 on artic cable), some what lower that the -190 degrees C that most cryo baths go, is the grain structure 'relaxing points' the same of PVC say as for gold or silver/copper or PTFE?, and what happens when you drop them down together, is the effect imediate?, does it happen at all?, can it degregate over a period of Time?
Intrestingly, most areospace cyro treatments are around the minus 55 degrees range
To be honest, I can't say it isn't or it is , if it were an i/c or speaker wire, then it's no biggy to change it, but interior wall mains wire, now thats a different cookie.
Cryo treating does work, no problemo, however the application is the key. WM

 

-55, Surely that's for choc ice's only!:ffrc: