A heat-shrinkable protective element having at least one protective layer is obtained from a polymeric composition having a polymer material, where the polymeric composition additionally has an electrically conducting filler having a BET specific surface of at least 100 m.sup.2/g according to Standard ASTM D 6556.

In one aspect, the present invention relates to a communications cable, which comprises a support separator providing a plurality of channels for receiving transmission media, said support separator comprising a first polymeric material, at least one optical fiber disposed in one of said channels, at least an electrical conductor capable of carrying at least about 10 watts of electrical power disposed in another one of said channels, an insulation at least partially covering said electrical conductor, a jacket surrounding said support separator and said transmission media, said jacket comprising a second polymeric material. In some embodiments, the first and second polymeric materials can be the same material, and in other embodiments, they can be different materials.

A cable for communicating electrical signals includes an outer sheath comprised of a polymeric material including an electrically conductive substance mixed with the polymeric material and causing the outer sheath to be electrically semiconductive. The outer sheath includes a plurality of insulated wires extending through the interior of the outer sheath along the length of the outer sheath. Each insulated wire includes an electrically conductive core surrounded by an electrically non-conductive material. A sheath ground wire disposed within the interior of the outer sheath extends along the length of the outer sheath. The sheath ground wire includes an electrically conductive core in direct electrical contact with the interior of the outer sheath at a plurality of locations

Described herein are foamable compositions and methods of making foamed compositions. The foamable composition comprises at least one polymer and a foaming agent. The foaming agent comprises a talc or a talc derivative. The polymers described herein comprise a substantially non-halogenated polymer. One or more additives are added to render the compositions flame retardant and/or smoke suppressant. Also described are Power over Ethernet (PoE) cables, having at least one electrical conduit comprising an electrically conductive core, an insulation that at least partially surrounds said electrically conductive core and a polymeric separator extending from a proximal end to a distal end and having at least one channel adapted for receiving the at least one electrical conduit. The PoE cables are capable of carrying about 1 watt to about 200 watts of power.

A method of fabricating an electrically conductive loaded powder of thermoplastic polymers. The method comprises the steps of making an original powder containing cores made of thermoplastic polymers and of making the loaded powder by using electrically conductive submicrometer filaments and wax, forming a plurality of particulate compounds each comprising one of the cores together with at least one of the filaments and a protective membrane of the wax.

An electrical cable (1) is provided having (1) a conductive element (2), a first layer (3) having polyimide (PI) surrounding said conductive element (2), a second fluorinated layer (4) having at least one fluorinated compound, surrounding the first layer, and optionally at least one fluorinated semiconductor layer having at least one fluorinated compound, where the total thickness of the assembly of fluorinated layers is at least 0.4 mm.

A composite material structure that prevents a decrease in strength while interposing insulating resin portions between a conductive reinforced resin and a conductor, is provided. The composite material structure includes a conductive resin portion formed of an electrically conductive reinforced resin in which conductive fibers are contained in an insulating base material, a conductor which is formed of an electrically conductive material and a part of which is embedded in the conductive resin portion, and a plurality of layers of insulating resin portions which is layers of resin portions each including insulating fibers contained in an insulating base material, the plurality of layers of the insulating resin portions being embedded in the conductive resin portion so as to sandwich therebetween the at least the part of the conductor and so as to be interposed between the conductive fibers and the conductor.

A method of enhancing surface electrical conductivity of an article formed of a conductive polymer material, such as a conductive polymer film, includes the step of providing an article formed of a conductive polymer . The conductive polymer is made up of a dielectric polymeric material and conductive fibers. A desired pressure is applied to at least a portion of the article while simultaneously heating at least a portion of the article to a desired temperature. The desired pressure and the desired temperature are maintained on at least a portion of the article for a desired time period. This method reduces a polymer-rich skin layer on the surface of the conductive polymer material and helps to randomize the orientation of the conductive fibers on the surface.

Nanocomposite films comprising conductive nanofiller dispersed throughout a polymer matrix and further comprising at least two surfaces with differing amounts of filler and differing electrical resistivity values are provided. In particular, nanocomposites comprising polyvinyl alcohol as the polymer matrix and nanosheets and/or nanoplatelets of graphene as the conductive filler are provided. In addition, a process for forming the nanocomposites, methods for characterizing the nanocomposites as well as applications in or on electrical and/or electronic devices are provided.

An electrically conductive wire for deep water transmission includes a first wire portion and a second wire portion. The first wire portion makes up one end of the wire, and is formed from a first metal. The second wire portion is formed from a second metal. The first metal has a higher ultimate tensile strength than the second metal. The first wire portion is used to support the weight of the second wire portion, thereby allowing the electrically conductive wire to be used in underwater or subsea power cables which may be freely suspended from their origin for providing electricity to electrical devices located in deep water or ultra-deep water.