| Abstract: | Oxidative stability and retained operational utility of polymers used as insulation for electrical cables, such as ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) and crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE), may be assessed by oxidation induction time (OIT) analysis. OIT is measured directly with a differential scanning calorimeter. Using a simplified kinetics model, Gimzewski demonstrated that it is possible to calculate the OIT from measured values of oxidation induction temperature and the activation energy for petroleum lubricants. In the present research, directly measured OITs are compared with OITs calculated from measured oxidation induction temperatures and activation energies for EPDM and XLPE cable insulation. Good agreement between the two methods was demonstrated for these materials. |
