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Oil Resistant Cables: What they are? Features & Application


Oil can inflict molecular damage on the compounds used for cable insulation and jacketing that will ultimately result in cable failure, downtime and replacement costs. Of all the chemical exposures that can affect the life and performance of electrical cables, oil is one of the most damaging. Used as a coolant and lubricant in many industrial and infrastructure settings, oil can inflict molecular damage on the compounds used for cable insulation and jacketing. Awareness of oil damage has been on the upswing in recent years, thanks to regulatory changes and the increased performance characteristics in renewable energy, automotive assembly and other advanced production facilities. Fortunately, there are oil resistant cables that have been designed from the ground up to resist the effects of cooling and lubricating oils.
Oil resistant cables can be used in locations in which fuel, organic compounds or oil scatter. They are used for analog/digital electric signal transmission and viscosity/flow sensing by encoders and various types of control.
Oil resistant cables’ specific application will determine if oil is used as a lubricant, coolant or both. Acting as a lubricant, oil might be applied to a gear system driven by motors to prevent premature wear down and ensure smooth operation. Acting as a coolant, oil might be applied during the machine lathing process to keep metal from becoming too hot.
Oil exposures can happen in infrastructure applications as well as in factories. In wind turbines, for example, cables high up in the nacelle can potentially see constant exposure to lubricating and cooling oils for very long periods of time. Temperature extremes and other chemical exposures can exacerbate the damage caused by oils. Wind turbine applications, for example, subject cables not just to oils but also to temperature extremes. Oil rarely makes up the sole threat to cables. Instead, it works in concert with other degradation mechanisms, including temperature. In general, the greater the intensity of the oil exposure and ambient temperatures, the faster oil will start the deterioration process.
Once it gets underway, oil damage is not reversible, but it can be prevented by selecting cables with inherent oil resistance. Without a deep knowledge of the specific polymer compounds used in the cable you’re considering, it can be difficult to know which products can stand up to oils. That’s why testing is so important. To avoid oil resistance problems, engineers should pay close attention to UL tests, which help determine how a cable will react in the industrial oil environment. These tests are more commonly referred to as the Oil Res I and Oil Res II tests, which involve continuous immersion of the cable samples in IRM 902 oil at elevated temperatures for a specified period of time. Passing results are determined by the evaluation of mechanical properties and observations of physical damage caused by the oil exposure. In 2000, Lapp approached UL about creating tougher standards, which resulted in the creation of AWM style 21098, which takes oil resistance to a new level.

Oil resistant cables have now become a critical performance parameter when electrical contractors, engineers and installers specify cables. As time moves forward, superior oil-resistant cables will become standard rather than the exception.
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