braided jackets for cables and wires and chemical contamination

[coppercone2]

So I find braided cables very appealing but I am curious about how they react to soaks.

Say there is a chemical in liquid form in the environment which is a hazard (but not extreme, i.e. if the insulation is exposed you can wipe it down quick and wash it/damp cloth and it can be considered OK so long you don't see cracking and stuff down the line.


Now, if a regular cable is exposed to it, i.e. dragged through a puddle, some builds up on the surface and either slowly evaporates or stays there.

If a braided cable is dragged through the same puddle, won't it absorb more chemical because of the wicking action of the braid and possibly expose the cable to more harmful vapors then can normally accumulate on it that would ordinarily drip off?

on the other hand the braid might distribute the contamination (i.e. some drips on a wire) over a wide surface area because of capillary forces and cause degradation of a wider area without compromising the seal.


on the other hand also, its more difficult to clean a soiled cable with a braid then it is a smooth cable, since you can't really do much unless you soak it in a bucket and wash it in the sink or something to that extent.

Thoughts on this?

[tautech]

Place either wire type into a continuous shrink sleeve and terminate the ends with lugs. Shrink onto the lugs.
Optional; run assembled cable in a ducting or hose for additional physical protection.
Problem solved.

Note, any wire carrying power (mains or LV) needs to comply with local regulations.

[coppercone2]

i just imagined a situation where you can maybe get something on a cable that would normally be washed off in time by rain but with the braid soaking it up it would linger long enough to damage it.

does most mining equipment actually use braids ?

what you describe is stiff.

[coppercone2]

here is something I debated before:

cover my home electrical extension cords with braid (some sort of high durability tech flex).

Is this a good idea? Say some kind of chain saw lubricant, engine oil, kerosene, gasoline, strong detergent or other crap is sprayed on it.

It does not make sense for the cable that goes out into the yard (long) because it will get real dirty, but it does make some sense for the cable that goes in front of the property because you might get crap around there like nails or gravel or metal scraps etc.

But it changes again if I decided to get or make a cable washer accessory for a garden hose. Typically I try to wipe down the cables after use anyway, so it might not be a big deal to put braid on cable that will get exposed to dirt, wood chips, etc. Might actually save me time.

Would you do this? It's much cheaper to replace in a few years then to get a new cord.


Also might not be a bad idea for a garden hose.

[coppercone2]

speaking of garden hoses there are hydraulic sleeves too that will prevent a water spray from a puncture or breakage which can be really nice if it prevents you being sprayed in the eye with burning hot water on a summers day, which can happen if you leave the hose out.

not sure what a good option for this would be. any ideas on what braid/weave/density would be good for stopping a water stream?

[tautech]

It's a multipurpose extension lead FFS, unless you're planning to spend top $ on armored cable @ x times the price forgetaboutit, consider them a consumable and get on with life.

[Ian.M]

As long as you aren't dragging them over rock, gravel or concrete etc. or running vehicles, trolleys, wheelbarrows etc over them,  extension leads made of good quality 'Arctic' grade cable^* will stand up to extended outdoor use.  If you look after them, a five to ten year lifespan would not be exceptional.  That means flaking rather than coiling so you don't build up twist, and walking the length carrying the flake as you lay it out or stow it rather than dragging it around.

However if you were to put them in a woven jacket, you can no longer inspect them for surface damage, it traps dirt against the cable increasing abrasion, and doesn't add any protection agaiinst crush damage + conceals the same.

IMHO full length or other fixed braided sleeving on a mains cable in a  dirty environment increases the risk of a dangerous defect to an unacceptable level so *DON'T* do it!

* Not all weatherproof cable is equal.  So-called 'Pondflex' is rated for continuous immersion but is typically nowhere near as abrasion resistant as 'Arctic' cable.

[coppercone2]

hmm abrasion by dirt ingress I never thought of that.

I obviously would not be asking by the way if my existing cables were not being damaged 

and it also protects against UV.

OK so whats the deal with mine applications on these braids then, are they talking about some kind of LV wiring or what? mines are utterly full of abrasives.

they are for sale commercially BTW but this is why i asked.

and you can inspect it still, you would need to remove the clamps and slide it out. i guess its not quick anymore or done as frequently.

I actually do end up using it on gravel and asphalt and woodchips. I try to be civil with it but there are limits to how much attention I can give a cable when I need to do very labor intensive yard work like hedge trimming and stuff.

I will contact tech-flex to see what they say about 'on the dirt' applications, most of their pictures do seem to be centered around protecting elevated equipment. But still a hydraulic hose can easily get splashed with mud and not washed (say on a scoop for a dozer). I wonder if it makes failure rates more.

[SeanB]

The braiding on mine cables is typically applied over an existing cable rated for heavy duty arduous conditions use, as an extra protection to provide another sacrificial layer against wear and sharp rocks, and it is often also there to allow the cable not to be pulled sharp around corners and to keep it reasonably kink free, especially at the ends. These cables are routinely inspected and replaced on a regular basis or when damage is noted.  the base cable is a lot tougher than the commercially available stuff, designed for underground use and certified, and also has inside braiding under the extrusion along with pull members to keep the cores from having strain on them.

Adding a braid the cable has to be able to survive prolonged immersion in the chemical as it will wick along the braids, however for strictly decorative use add the snakeskin braid if you want.

[coppercone2]

i wanted to use the heavy duty tech braid.

https://www.techflex.com/heavy-duty/dura-braid?part=DBN0.63BK

https://www.techflex.com/heavy-duty/dura-flex-pro

The biggest problem now though, is that the good stuff costs as much as a good cable (in my poor cable standards). might as well get a better cable lol.


whats a good recommendation for outdoor USA cord anyway? I like rigid brand.

I think these two might be plausible candidates based on cost and performance, not quite as good as the dura-flex but they offer other benefits like being sleek (which is important for outdoors work cables for doing yard work), for this experiment

https://www.cableorganizer.com/gorilla-braid/

or

https://www.cableorganizer.com/flexo-super-duty-sleeving/

I am not sure what 1/2 inch nominal means (can you get it slightly less? not sure what a typical cord is. The 1/2 inch stuff there is 60-70$ per 100 feet, with the flexo-super duty (not as appealing due to lack of super sleekness), with a 14 gauge cord it will basically double the price unless you buy alot, but for a 12 gauge cord (home depot prices) it is only 40% of the price or so, so it might be worth it.

If its really sleek it might be worth doubling the price of a cord (i am going by 50 foot cords).

i need to shop around more.. any ideas on other good brands?


I am actually thinking the mesh-style one is actually not great for outdoors hoses not only because of cleaning but it looks like it will get hung up on stuff and cause alot of friction. The gorilla one looks best.