CABLE DESIGN, MATERIAL AND

PROCESSING
SCHEDULE OF TESTS - MEDIUM VOLTAGE CABLES
Test

1 Conductor
Conductor examination and
electrical resistance
2 Conductor screen
(a) Volume resistivity of
extruded screen

Criteria

Category of test

The Conductor form, material and resistance shall

comply with appropriate requirements of IEC 228.

Routine

Max.volume resistivity at 90 + 2oC: 500 .m

Type

(b) Thickness of extruded

Screen

Minimum thickness at any point: 0.3 mm or as

specified and as appropriate.

Special

(c) Elongation at rupture on

Laboratory prepared
sample of extruded
material, after ageing in
an air oven

After 168 h at 100 + 3oC, minimum elongation at

rupture: 100%

Type

Any projections or irregularities at the conductor

screen/insulation interface, shall not protrude more
than 0.25 mm into the insulation.

Special

The minimum average thickness and the minimum

thickness at any point, shall comply with the
requirements and as appropriate.
After 1 h at 130 + 3oC, maximum shrinkage: 4%

Special

(d) Projection or
irregularities
at conductor screen/
insulation interface
3 Insulation
(a) Thickness
(b) Shrinkage
(c) Determination of
(i) size of voids;
(ii) size of contaminants
iii) size of discoloured
translucents, XLPE
only;
(iv) number of voids;
and
(v) number of
contaminants

Voids: < 0.08 mm

Contaminants: < 0.15 mm

Special
Special

Discoloured translucents: < 1.25 mm

Voids: < 30 per 16 cm3
Contaminants: < 15 per 16 cm3

(d) Mechanical tests without

ageing:
(i) Tensile strength

Type
Minimum tensile strength: 12.5 N/mm2

(ii) Elongation
(e) Mechamical tests after
ageing in an air oven:
(i) Tensile strength
(ii) Elongation

Minimum elongation at rupture: 200%

After 168 h at 135 + 3oC, minimum percentage of
values found in the unaged specimens:
XLPE: 75
XLPE: 75

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Type

CABLE DESIGN, MATERIAL AND

PROCESSING
Test

(f) Hot set test:

Duration
Temperature
Load:
(i) Elongation under load
(ii) Residual elongation
after cooling
(g) Insulation resistance
4 Insulation screen
(a) Volume resistivity of
extruded screen
(b) Strippable of handstrippable extruded screen
(c) Adhesion of hand
strippable extruded screen

(d) Thickness
5 Individual or collective
screen
(a) Diameter of wires
(b) Cross-sectional area
6 Separation and non-metallic
sheath
(a) Thickness

(b) Mechanical tests without

ageing:
(i) Tensile strength
(ii) Elongation

Criteria

15 min
XLPE: 200 + 3oC

Category of test

Special

20 N/mm2
Maximum:175%
Maximum 15%
Minimum insulation resistance constant (ki)
at 20oC XLPE: 40 000 G.m
at 90oC XLPE: 40 G.m

Type

Maximum volume resistivity at 90 + 2oC: 500 .m

Type

Semiconductive material shall peel cleanly from

insulation for 300 mm without tearing

Special

Required force to remove 10 mm wide strips shall

be 4 to 45 N
The screen shall be removable without damaging
the insulation, leaving no semiconductive material
which cannot be readily removed

Special

As specified and as appropriate

As specified and as appropriate

Special
Special

As specified and as appropriate

Special

The minimum average thickness, and the minimum

thickness at any point, shall comply with the
requirements and as appropriate

Special

Type
Minimum tensile strength:
PVC: 12.5 MPa
HDPE: 22.0 MPa
Minimum elongation at rupture:
PVC: 150%
HDPE: 400%

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CABLE DESIGN, MATERIAL AND

PROCESSING
Test

(c) Mechanical tests after

ageing in an air oven:
(i)Tensile strength, PVC
only.
(ii) Elongation
(d) Loss of mass, PVC only

Criteria

Category of test

Type
After 168 h at 100 + 2oC, minimum 75% of the
value found in an unaged specimen
PVC: After 168 h at 100 + 2oC, minimum 75% of
the value found in an unaged specimen
HDPE: After 336 h at 110 + 3oC, min 300%
The median loss of mass related to specimen
surface: maximum 1.5 mg/cm2

Type

(e) Pressure test at elevated

temperature, PVC only

Maximum indentation at 90 + 2oC: 50%

Type

(f) Heat shock, PVC only

The sheath shall show no signs of cracking or

flaking either when initially wound on the mandrel
or after the test

Special

(g) Melt flow index, HDPE

only

Maximum 0.4 g/600 s

Type

(h) Environmental stress crack

resistance, HDPE only, on
specimens 1.75 2.00 mm
thickness, with notch
depth of 0.30-0.40 mm

After 250 h immersion in the reagent, there shall

be no sign of failure in any of the 10 specimens

Type

(i) Carbon black content,

HDPE only
(j) Compatibility test for
PVC/HDPE combination only
7 Metal sheath thickness

Minimum carbon black 2%

Type

Under consideration

Type

The minimum average thickness, and the minimum

thickness at any point, shall comply with specified
requirements and as appropriate.
The nominal diameter of armour wires shall comply
with the requirements and as appropriate

Special

The magnitude of discharge shall not exceed 10pC

Routine

No breakdown of the insulation shall occur

Routine

No breakdown of the sheath shall occur, when

applying 3.5 kV between the adjacent metallic
layers separated by the sheath

Routine

8 Armour wire diameter

9 Cable
(a) Partial distance test (See
Note 1)
(b) High voltage a.c. test for
5 min.
(c) High voltage a.c. test for
1 min, on separation
sheath

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Special

CABLE DESIGN, MATERIAL AND

PROCESSING
Test

Criteria

Category of test

(d) Partial discharge test

after bending

The magnitude of discharge shall not exceed 5 pC.

Type

(e) DDF (tan )

measurement as a
function of the voltage at
ambient temperature

Maximum tan at Uo:

XLPE insulated cable: 40 x 10-4
Maximum increment of tan between 0.5 and
2 Uo: 20 x 10-4

Type

(f) DDF (tan )

measurement as a
function of the
temperature at 2 kV a.c.

Maximum tan at ambient temperature:

XLPE insulated cable: 40 x 10-4

Type

Maximum tan at 90 + 3oC:

XLPE insulated cable: 80 x 10-4

(g) Partial discharge test

after heat cycling

The magnitude of discharge shall not exceed 5 pC.

Type

(h) Impulse withstand test

followed by a high
voltage a.c. test for 15
min.

No breakdown of the insulation shall occur

Type

(i) High voltage a.c. test for

4 hour

No breakdown of the insulation shall occur

Type

(j) Spark test of nonmetallic sheath

No breakdown of the sheath shall occur

Routine

(k) Water-blocking test

There shall be no evidence of water leakage at the
(applicable only to cables cable ends
incorporating waterblocking measures)
NOTES:
1) Applicable to XLPE cables of designated voltage above 1.9/3.3 (3.6) kV
2 ) Applicable to cables of designated voltage above 3.8/6.6 (7.2) kV

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Type