Mar 7 2014
Utilities looking for greater flexibility, reliability and single-failure tolerance for critical transmission lines now have an affordable carbon-fiber option in the new Southwire C7™ Overhead Conductor. The multi-stranded composite core using advanced polymers, resins and thermoplastics from Celanese delivers increased performance and a service life in excess of 40 years.
(PRNewsFoto/Southwire Company, LLC)
Southwire has been developing the C7 Overhead Conductor for the past seven years, creating a transmission conductor with nearly double the capacity and less sag than the same diameter ACSR. The new overhead conductor has a stranded continuous carbon-fiber thermoplastic composite core for rugged flexibility and reliability. The carbon fibers are embedded in a heat-resistant Fortron® PPS polymer matrix and capped with a layer of high-performance PEEK. The design allows for minimum sag at higher power transfer, and the stranded core means there is no single point of failure for the overhead conductor.
"Southwire has a 60-year history of quality and innovation when it comes to supplying utilities with transmission lines," said Mark Lancaster, Southwire Director of Overhead Transmission Engineering. "Our goal in creating the Southwire C7 Overhead Conductor was to give customers an alternative to our standard ACSR and HS285® transmission line solutions that offered flexibility, reliability and ruggedness to stand up to a variety of difficult environments."
Southwire partnered with Celanese, a leading manufacturer of carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics, to develop Celstran® CFR-TPR using high-performance Fortron PPS and PEEK thermoplastics. Conductor using this new high-performance material is engineered to provide performance, value and durability. C7 Overhead Conductor delivers superior thermal performance that cuts costs for new line installation or reconductoring.
The Southwire C7 Overhead Conductor's use of high-performance thermoplastics means long life in demanding applications. The conductor is crew friendly and can be installed using standard line tools on existing structures and foundations with traditional two-piece compression connectors.
About Southwire Company, LLC
A leader in technology and innovation, Southwire Company, LLC is one of North America's largest wire and cable producers. Southwire and its subsidiaries manufacture building wire and cable (including ROMEX® brand NMB cable), metal-clad (MC) cable, cord products (including Tappan™ sound, security, and communication cables through Tappan Wire & Cable Company. LLC), utility cable products, industrial power cable, OEM wire products, SCR® copper and aluminum rod, and continuous casting technology. Southwire also supplies MAXIS® Contractor Equipment and Southwire™ Electrician's Tools to the commercial, industrial, retail, electrical wholesale outlet, and utility construction markets. To learn more about Southwire's products, community involvements, and its vision for a sustainable Southwire, please visit Southwire on the web at www.southwire.com.
C7™ is a trademark of Southwire Company, LLC.
About Celanese
Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. With sales almost equally divided between North America, Europe and Asia, the company uses the full breadth of its global chemistry, technology and business expertise to create value for customers and the corporation. Celanese partners with customers to solve their most critical needs while making a positive impact on its communities and the world. Based in Dallas, Texas, Celanese employs approximately 7,400 employees worldwide and had 2013 net sales of $6.5 billion. For more information about Celanese Corporation and its product offerings, visit www.celanese.com or our blog at www.celaneseblog.com.