Wire and Cable Glossary of Terms

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5525 UNION CENTRE DR.
WEST CHESTER, OH 45069
(513) 860-1800 Fax: (513) 860-8818
Glossary of Terms
AL:
The chemical symbol for aluminum.
Abrasion Resistance:
Ability for a material or cable to resist
surface wear.
Accelerated Life Test:
A test in which certain factors such as
voltage, temperatures, etc., to which a
cable is subjected are increased in
magnitude above normal operating values
to obtain observable deterioration in a
reasonable period of time and thereby
afford some measure of the portable cable
life under operating voltage, temperatures,
etc.
A.C. Resistance:
The total resistance offered by a device in
an alternating current circuit due to
inductive and capacitive effects, as well as
the direct current resistance.
Active Current:
In an alternating current, a component in
phase with the voltage; the working
component as distinguished from the idle or
watt-less component.
Active Pressure:
In an A.C. circuit, the pressure, which
produces a current, is distinguished from
the idle or watt-less component.
Adhesion:
The state in which two surfaces are held
together by interfacial forces, which may be
chemical or mechanical in nature.
Aging:
The irreversible change in properties or
appearance of a material with time and
under specific conditions (usually
accelerated representations of
environmental states, such as high
temperature, oxygen or other various
conditions).
Alloy:
A metal formed by combining two or more
different metals to obtain desirable
properties.
Alternating Current (AC):
Electrical current that continually reverses
its direction. It is expressed in cycles per
second (hertz or Hz).
Alternating Voltage:
The voltage developed across a resistance
or impedance through which an alternating
current is flowing.
Ambient Temperature:
Any all-encompassing temperature within a
given area.
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American Wire Gauge:
A standard used to describe the physical
size of a conductor.
Ampacity:
The maximum current an insulated wire or
cable can safely carry without exceeding
either the insulation or jacket material
limitations. (Same as Current Carrying
Ampacity)
Ampere:
The unit of current. One ampere is the
current flowing through one ohm of
resistance at one volt potential.
Ampere's Law:
Ampere's Law states that for any closed
loop path, the sum of the length elements
times the magnetic field in the direction of
the length element is equal to the
permeability times the electric current
enclosed in the loop.
Anneal:
The process of controlled heating and
cooling of metal to achieve predetermined
characteristics as to tensile strength and
elongation. Annealing copper renders it less
brittle.
ANSI:
The American National Standards Institute.
Appliance Wire and Cable:
Appliance wiring material is a classification
of Underwriters Laboratories Inc., covering
insulated wire and cable intended for
internal wiring of appliances and
equipment.
Area of Conductor:
The size of a conductor cross-section,
measured in circular mils, square inches,
etc.
ASA:
The American Standards Association;
former name ANSI.
ASME:
The American Society of Mechanical
Engineers.
ASTM:
The American Society for Testing and
Materials.
AWG:
Abbreviation for American Wire Gauge. A
standard system used in the United States
for designing the size of an electrical
conductor based on geometric progression
between two conductor sizes. Based on a
circular mil system. 1 mil equals .001 inch.
AWM:
Designation for appliance wiring material.
Balanced Circuit:
A circuit so arranged that the impressed
voltages on each conductor of the pair are
equal in magnitude but opposite in polarity
with respect to ground.
Bare Conductor:
A conductor having no covering. A
conductor with no coating or cladding on
the copper.
Bending Radius:
A term used to denote the minimum radius
that an insulated cable or cables may be
safely bent during insulation.
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Binder:
A helically-applied tape or thread used for
holding assembled cable components in
place awaiting subsequent manufacturing
operations.
Breakdown of Insulation:
Failure of an insulation resulting in a flow
of current through the insulation. It may be
caused by the application of too-high
voltage or by defects or decay.
Breakdown Voltage:
The voltage at which the insulation between
two conductors break down.
Breakout:
The point at which a conductor or group or
conductors breaks out from a multiconductor cable to complete circuits at
various points along the main cable.
B&S:
Abbreviation for "Brown and Sharp Wire
Gauge" same as American Wire Gauge.
Building Wire:
Wire used for light and power, 600 volts or
less, usually exposed to outdoor
environments.
Bunch Stranding:
A group of wires of the same diameter
twisted together without a predetermined
pattern.
Buried Cable:
A cable installed directly into the earth
without use of underground conduit. Also
called "direct-burial cable."
Bus:
Wire used to connect two terminals inside
of an electrical unit.
Butt:
Joining of two conductors end to end, with
no overlap and with the axes in line.
Butt-Splice:
A splice in which two wires from opposite
ends butt against each other, or against a
stop, in the center of a splice.
0C:
Degrees Celsius
Cable:
A group of individually insulated conductors
in twisted or parallel configuration, with or
without an overall coating.
Cable Assembly:
A completed cable and its associated
hardware ready to install.
Cable Filler:
The material used in multiple conductor
cables to occupy the spaces formed by the
assembly of components; thus forming a
core of the desired shape (normally
cylindrical).
Cabling:
The twisting together of two or more
insulated conductors to form a cable.
Capacitance:
Storage of electrically-separated charges
between two plates having different
potentials. The value depends largely on
the surface area of the plates and the
distance between them.
Certificate of Compliance (C of C):
A certificate that shows the product being
shipped meets customer specifications.
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Certified Test Report (CTR):
A report providing actual test data on a
cable. Tests are normally run by the Quality
Control Department, which shows that the
product being shipped conforms to test
specifications.
Charge:
The quantity of electricity held statically in
a condenser or an insulated conductor.
Charging Current:
Current produced when a DC voltage is first
applied to conductors of an un-terminated
cable. It is caused by the capacitive
reactance of the cable and decreases
exponentially with time.
Circuit:
The complete path through which flows or
part of the complete path, such as one
conductor. A popular term for building wire
sizes 14 through 10 AWG.
Circular Mil:
The area of a circle one mil. (.001") in
diameter, 7,854 x 10-7 sq. inches. Used in
expressing wire cross sectional area.
Coating:
A material applied to the surface of a
conductor to prevent environmental
deterioration, facilitate soldering, or
improve electrical performance.
Cold Test:
Any test to determine the performance of
cables during or after subjection to a
specified low temperature a specified time.
Color Code:
A system for a circuit identification through
use of solid colors and contrasting tracers.
Combination Unilay:
A stranding configuration that uses two
strand sizes to achieve a 3% reduction into
the conductor diameter without
compression.
Compact Stranded Conductor:
A unidirectional or conventional conductor
manufactured to a specified diameter,
approximately 8 to 10% below the nominal
diameter of a non-compact conductor of
the same sectional area.
Compatibility:
The ability of dissimilar materials to exist in
mutual proximity or contact without
changing their physical or electrical
properties.
Compressed Stranding:
A stranding configuration with concentric
strands, in which either all layers or the
outer layer only is passed through a die to
reduce the conductor diameter by 3%.
Compound:
An insulating or jacketing material made by
mixing two or more ingredients.
Concentric Stranding:
A central wire surrounded by one or more
layers or helically-wound strands in a fixed,
round, geometric arrangement.
Concentricity:
In a wire or cable, the measurement of the
location of the center of the conductor with
respect to the geometric center of the
surrounding insulation.
Conductivity:
The capability of a material to carry
electrical current, usually expressed as a
percentage of copper conductivity (copper
being 100%)
Conductor:
An uninsulated wire suitable for carrying
electrical current.
Conduit:
A channel for holding and protecting
conductors and cables made of metal or an
insulating material, usually circular in cross
section, as in pipe.
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Connector:
A device used to physically and electrically
connect two or more conductors.
Contact:
The part of a connector that actually carries
the electrical current and that is touched
together or separated to control the flow.
Continuity Check:
A test to determine whether electrical
current flows continuously throughout the
length of a single wire or individual wires in
a cable.
Control Cable:
A mulit-conductor cable made for operation
in control or signal circuits.
Cord:
A small, flexible, insulated cable.
Core:
In cables, a component or assembly of
components over which additional
components (shields, sheath, etc.) are
applied.
Corrosion:
The deterioration of a material by chemical
reaction or galvanic action.
CPE:
Jacketing compound based on chlorinated
polyethylene.
Cross-Sectional Area:
The area of a conductor exposed by cutting
the conductor perpendicular to its
longitudinal plane, expressed in circular
mils, square inches. Or square millimeters.
Crosstalk:
Signal interference bonds between longchain thermoplastic polymers by means of
chemical or electron bombardment. The
properties of the resulting thermosetting
material are usually improved.
CSA:
Abbreviation for Canadian Standards
Association. The Canadian counterpart of
the Underwriters Laboratories.
Cu:
The chemical symbol for copper.
Current:
The flow of electricity in a circuit, measured
in amperes.
Current-Carrying Capacity:
The maximum current an insulated
conductor or cable can continuously carry
without exceeding its temperature rating. It
is also called ampacity.
Cut-Through:
Resistance of solid material to penetration
by an object under conditions of pressure,
temperature, etc.
Cycle:
The complete sequence of alteration or
reversal of the flow of an alternating electric
current.
Damp Location:
An outdoor location that is partially
protected from weather or an indoor
location, subject to moderate degree of
moisture, such as a barn or basement.
Derating Factor:
A factor used to reduce the current carrying
capacity of a wire when used in
environments other than that for which the
value was established.
Die:
A device used in the drawing of the wire;
that element through which the wire is
drawn to achieve a predetermined
diameter. A mold used to form the plastic
compound around a wire or cable.
Dielectric:
Any insulating material between two
conductors that permits electrostatic
attraction and repulsion to take place
across it.
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Dielectric Absorption:
The property of an imperfect dielectric
whereby there is an accumulation of electric
charges within the body of the material
when it is placed in an electric field.
Dielectric Breakdown:
The voltage at which a dielectric material is
punctured, which is divisible by thickness to
give dielectric strength.
Dielectric Constant (K):
The ratio of the capacitance of a condenser
with dielectric between the electrodes, to o
the capacitance when air is between the
electrodes. Also called Permittivity and
Specific Inductive Capacity.
Dielectric Test:
A test in which a voltage higher than the
rated voltage is applied for a specified time
to determine the adequacy of the insulation
under normal conditions.
Direct-Burial Cable:
A cable installed directly into the earth.
Direct Capacitance:
The capacitance measured directly from
conductor to conductor through a single
insulating flyer.
Direct Current (DC):
An electric current that flows in only one
direction.
Direct Current Resistance (D.C.R.):
The resistance offered by a circuit to the
flow of direct current.
Drawing:
In wire manufacturing, pulling the metal
through a die or series of die to reduce
diameter to a specified size.
Duct:
An underground or overhead tube for
carrying electrical conductors.
Eccentricity:
Like concentricity, a measure of the center
of a conductors location with respect to the
circular cross-section of the insulation,
expressed as a percentage of displacement
of one circle within the other.
EIA:
Electronic Industries Association
Elastomer:
An elastic, rubber-like substance.
Elongation:
The amount that a conductor can stretch
before breaking when a pulling force is
applied.
Embossing:
A marker identification by means of thermal
identification leaving raised lettering on
sheath of cable.
Emergency Overload:
Load that occurs when larger-then-normal
currents are carried through a cable or wire
over a certain period.
Ends:
In braiding, the number of essentially
parallel wires or threads on a carrier.
Energize:
To apply rated voltage to a circuit or device
in order to activate it.
Equilay:
More than one layer of helically laid wires
with the direction of lay reversed for
successive layers, both with the length of
lay the same for each layer.
ERQ:
Economic Run Quantity
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Extrusion:
The process of continuously forcing both a
plastic or elastomer and a conductor core
through a die, thereby applying a
continuous coating of insulation or jacket to
the core or conductor.
Feeder:
The circuit conductor between the service
equipment and the final branch circuit over
current device.
Field:
A region of space characterized by the
existence of a force generated by electric
charge.
Filled Cable:
A telephone cable or construction in which
the cable core is filled with a material that
will prevent moisture from entering or
passing through the cable.
Filler:
1.) A material used in multi-conductor
cables to occupy large interstices formed by
the assembled conductors.
2.) An inert substance added to a
compound to improve properties or
decrease cost.
Fixture Wire:
A conductor used in lighting or similar
equipment, or used to connect a lighting
fixture to branch circuit conductors.
Common types include TF, TFN, AND
TFFN.
Flame Resistance:
The ability of a material to restrict the
spread of combustion to a low rate of travel,
so that the flame will not be conveyed.
Flame Retardant:
A chemical added in insulation materials to
make them less combustible, such as
antimony oxide (to PVC) or alumna
trihydrate.
Flammability:
The measure of the material's ability to
support combustion.
Flammability Test:
A test to determine the ability of a cable to
resist ignition when placed near a source of
heat or flame and to self-extinguish when
removed from this source.
Flat Cable:
A cable with two smooth or corrugated, but
essentially flat surfaces.
Flat Conductor:
A wire having a rectangular cross section,
as opposes to round or square conductors.
Flat Conductor Cable:
A cable with a plurality of flat conductors.
Flex Life:
The measurement of the ability of a
conductor or cable to withstand repeated
bending.
Flexible:
The quality of a cable or cable component
that allows for bending under the influence
of outside force, as opposed to limpness,
which is bending due to the cable's own
weight.
Flexibility:
The ease with which a cable may be bent.
FPM:
Feet Per Minute
FT-1:
A flammability rating established by
Underwriters Laboratories for wires and
cables that pass a specially designed
vertical flame test. This designation has
been replaced by VW-1.
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Frequency:
Number of times an alternating current
reverses itself in one second. Expressed on
Hertz (Hz), which is one cycle per second.
Gauge:
A term used to denote the physical size of a
wire.
Ground:
A conducting connection between an
electrical circuit and the earth or other large
conducting body to serve as an earth, thus
making a complete electrical circuit.
Hard-Drawn Copper Wire:
Copper wire that has not been annealed
after drawing.
Harness:
An arrangement of wires and cables,
usually with many breakouts, with have
been together or pulled into a rubber or
plastic sheath, used to interconnect an
electric circuit.
Hash-Mark Stripe:
A non-continuous helical stripe applied to a
conductor for identification.
Heat Distortion:
Distortion or flow of a material of
configuration due to the application of heat.
Heat Endurance:
The time of heat aging that a material can
withstand before failing a specific physical
or electrical test.
Heat Resistance:
Ability of a substance to maintain physical
and chemical identity and electrical integrity
under specified temperatures.
Heat Shock:
A test to determine stability of a material by
sudden exposure to a high temperature for
a short period of time.
Helical Stripe:
A continuous, colored stripe applied to a
conductor for circuit identification.
Hertz (Hz):
A term that has replaced cycles-per-second
as a unit of energy.
Hi Pot:
A test designed to determine the highest
voltage that can be applied to a conductor
without electrically breaking down the
insulation.
High Voltage:
Generally, a wire or cable with an operating
voltage of over 35,000 volts.
Hook-Up Wire:
A single insulated conductor used for low
current, low voltage (usually under 600
volts) applications within enclosed
electronic equipment.
ICEA:
Insulated Cable Engineers Association
(formerly IPCEA)
IEC:
International Electro-technical Commission.
Similar to the ISO in structure and scope.
IEEE:
Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers
Impedance:
The total opposition that a circuit offers to
the flow of alternating current or any other
varying current at a particular frequency. It
is a combination of resistance R and
reactance X, measured in Ohms.
Induced Current:
An electric current set up in a circuit by
cutting lines of force. A current caused by
electromagnetic induction.
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Inductance:
The property of a circuit or circuit element
that opposes a change in current flow, thus
causing current changes to lag behind
voltage changes. (Measured in Henry's.)
Insulation:
A material having high resistance to the
flow of electric current. Often called a
dielectric in radio frequency cable.
Insulation Level-100%:
Cable for use on grounded systems or
where the system is provided with relay
protection such that ground faults will be
cleared as rapidly as possible, but in any
case within one minute.
Insulation Level-133%:
Cable for use on grounded systems or
where the faulted section will be deenergized in a time not exceeding one hour.
Insulation Resistance (I.R.):
The resistance offered by insulation to an
impressed DC voltage, tending to produce
a leakage current through the insulation.
Insulation Thickness:
The wall thickness of the applied insulation.
ISO:
International Standards Organization
Jacket:
An outer covering, usually non-metallic,
mainly used for protection against the
environment.
Jumper Cable:
A short, flat, cable interconnecting two
wiring boards or devices.
KCMIL:
One thousand circular mils.
Kilo:
A numerical prefix denoting 1,000
KV:
Kilovolt (1000 volts)
KVA:
Kilovolt
KW:
Kilowatt
Lay:
The axial distance required for one cabled
conductor or conductor strand to complete
one revolution about the axis around which
it is cabled.
Lay Direction:
The twist in the cable as indicated by the
top strands while looking along the axis of
the cable away from the observer.
Described as "right hand" or "left hand".
Leakage Current:
The undesirable flow of current through or
over the surface of insulation.
LEED:
Leadership in Energy & Environmental
Design; program of the U.S. Green Building
Council.
Life Cycle:
A test to determine the length of time before
failure in a controlled and usually
accelerated environment.
Listed:
Conductors or other equipment included in
a list published by a nationally recognized
testing laboratory.
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Longitudinal Wrap:
Tape applied longitudinally with the axis of
the core being shielded.
MC Cable (Metal-Clad):
Type MC cables have 2 or more solid or
stranded copper conductors in sizes 18
AWG and larger. The construction of 600
Volt MC cable consists of copper circuit and
grounding conductors covered with
thermoplastic insulation, an overall
polypropylene cable assembly tape and an
outer galvanized steel or aluminum
interlocked armor.
MCM:
One thousand circular mils.
Megaohm:
One million ohms.
Megohmmeter:
A testing device that applies a DC voltage
to a conductor and measures the resistance
(in millions of ohms) offered by the
conductors insulation.
Member:
A group of insulated wires to be cabled with
other stranded groups into multiplemembered cable.
Messenger:
The linear supporting member, usually a
high-strength steel wire, used as the
supporting element of a suspended aerial
cable. The messenger may be an integral
part of the cable or exterior to it.
Metal-Clad Cable:
Type MC. A multi-conductor cable, similar
to type AC, in which the conductors are
twisted together under aluminum or steel
armor. (With or without an overall PVC
covering.)
MHO:
The unit of conductivity. The reciprocal of
an ohm.
MHz:
Megahertz (one million cycles per second).
Formerly mc.
Mil:
A unit used in measuring diameter of a wire
or thickness of insulation over a conductor.
One one-thousandth of an inch (.001").
Moisture Absorption:
The amount of moisture, in percentage, that
a material will absorb under specific
conditions.
Moisture Resistance:
The ability of a material to resist absorbing
moisture from the air or when immersed in
water.
Monomer:
The basic chemical unit used in building a
polymer.
MTW:
Thermoplastic-insulated machine tool wire.
(900C to 1050C 600V).
Multi-Conductor:
More than one conductor within a single
cable complex.
Mutual Capacitance:
Capacitance between two conductors when
all other conductors, including ground, are
connected together and then regarded as
an ignored ground.
National Electrical Code (NEC):
A consensus standard published by the
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
and incorporated in OSHA regulations.
NBFU:
National Bureau of Fore Underwriters
NBS:
National Bureau of Standards
NEC:
National Electrical Code
NEMA:
National Electrical Manufacturers
Association
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NFPA:
National Fire Protection Association
NM-B:
Type NM, Non-metallic Sheathed Cable. A
cable assembly consisting of insulated
conductors jacketed with a nonmetallic
material (usually PVC).
Nominal O.D.:
The desired diameter for a cable that is
established within a ± tolerance.
Non-Contaminating PVC:
A polyvinyl Chloride formulation that does
not produce electrical contamination
through plasticizer migration.
Nylon:
A group of polyamide polymers that are
used for wire and cable jacket.
O.D.:
Outside diameter
Off-Center:
Conductor displaced within the crosssection of its insulation.
Ohm:
Unit of resistance such that a constant
current of one ampere produces a force of
one volt.
Oil Aging:
Cable aged in an accelerated manner by
placement in an oil bath and heated to a
pre-set temperature for a slated time.
Oil Resistance:
The ability of a conductor or cable insulation
to resist physical degradation caused by
exposure to oil.
OSHA:
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration
Overall Diameter:
Finished diameter over wire and cable.
Overlap:
The amount the trailing edge laps over the
leading edge of a tape wrap.
Oxidation:
The process of uniting a compound with
oxygen, usually resulting in an unwanted
surface degradation of the material or
compound.
Pair:
Two insulated wires of a single circuit
associated together.
Pairing:
The union of two insulated single
conductors through twisting.
. Parallel Cable:
Two insulated conductors side-by-side in a
cable.
. Peak Voltage:
The maximum instantaneous voltage.
Pay-Off:
The process of feeding a cable of wire from
a bobbin, reel, or other package. In
addition, a device used for paying out wire
or cable into a piece of equipment or
machinery.
Pigment:
A chemical added to the insulation
compounds to impart color for a circuit
identification.
Percent Conductivity:
Conductivity of a material expresses as a
percentage of that of copper.
Plastic Deformation:
Change in dimensions under load that is
removed.
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Plasticizer:
A chemical agent added to plastics to make
them softer and more pliable.
Polyester:
Polyethylene terephthalate that is used
extensively in the production of a highstrength, moisture-resistant film used as a
cable core wrap.
Polyethylene:
A thermoplastic material having the
chemical identity of polymerized ethylene.
Polymer:
A substance made of many repeating
chemical units or molecules. The term
polymer is often used in place of plastic,
rubber, or elastomer.
Polypropylene:
A thermoplastic polymer of propylene.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC):
A thermoplastic material composed of
polymers of vinyl chloride, which may be
rigid or elastomeric, depending on specific
formulation.
Power Factor:
The ratio of resistance to impedance. The
ratio of the actual power of an alternating
current to apparent power. Mathematically,
the cosine of an angle between the voltage
applied and current resulting.
PPE:
Portable Power Elastomer. Same as type
W, except that it is a thermoplastic
elastomer insulation and jacket, whereas
type W is all thermoset.
Primary Insulation:
The first layer of non-conductive material
applied over a conductor, whose prime
function is to act as electrical insulation.
Pulling Eye:
A device fastened to a cable to which a
hook may be attached in order to pull the
cable into, or from, a duct.
Pulse Cable:
A type of coaxial cable constructed to
transmit repeated high-voltage pulses
without degradation.
Put-Up:
Refers to packaging of wire and cable. The
term itself refers to the packaged product
that is ready to be stored or shipped.
PVC:
See Polyvinyl Chloride.
Quad:
A four-conductor cable.
Rated Temperature:
The maximum temperature at which an
electric component can operate for
extended periods without undue
degradation or safety hazard.
Rated Voltage:
The maximum voltage at which an electric
component can operate for extended
periods without loss of its basic properties.
Registration:
Alignment of one object with relation to
another. Also called register.
Reinforcement:
A material used to reinforce, strengthen, or
give dimensional stability to, another
material.
Resin:
An organic substance of natural or synthetic
origin characterized by being polymeric in
structure and predominantly amorphous.
Most resins, though not all, are of high
molecular weight and consist of a long
chain or network molecular structure.
Resistance:
In DC circuits, the opposition a material
offers to current, measured in ohms. In AC
circuits, resistance is the real component of
impedance, and may be higher than the
value measured at DC.
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RH:
Type RH. A rubber or XLPE-insulated
conductor for use at 750C in dry locations.
RHH:
Type RHH. A rubber or XLPE-insulated
conductor for use at 90
0 C in dry locations.
RHW:
Type RHW. A rubber or XLPE-insulated
conductor for use at 750 C in dry and wet
locations.
RHW-2:
Type RHW-2. A rubber or XLPE-insulated
conductor for use at 900 C in dry and wet
locations.
Ridge Marker:
One or more ridges running laterally along
the outer surface of a plastic insulated wire
for purposes of identification.
Ringing Out:
The process of locating or identifying
specific conductive paths by means of
passing current through selected
conductors.
RMS or rms:
Root Mean Square
Rockwell Hardness:
A test for determining hardness in which a
hardened steel ball or diamond point is
depressed into a material and measured.
R0HS:
European directive for the Restriction of
Hazardous Substances.
Round Conductor:
A conductor whose cross-section is
substantially circular.
Rupture:
In breaking strength or tensile strength
tests, the point at which the material
physically comes apart, as opposed to
elongation, yield strength etc.
S:
Heavy-duty, flexible, rubber-insulated and
jacketed portable cord, 600V.
SAE:
Society of Automotive Engineers
Secondary Insulation:
A high-resistance dielectric material that is
placed over primary insulation to protect it
from abrasion.
Self-Extinguishing:
The characteristic of a material that is
extinguished after the igniting flame is
removed.
Semi-Conducting Tape:
A tape of such resistance that when applied
between two elements of a cable, the
adjacent surfaces of the two elements will
maintain substantially the same potential.
Separator:
A layer of insulating material such as textile,
paper, polyester, etc., used to improve
stripping qualities, flexibility, mechanical or
electrical protection to the components.
Sheath:
The outer covering or jacket of a multiconductor cable.
Shield:
A metallic layer placed around a conductor
or group of conductors to prevent
electrostatic interference between the
enclosed wires and external fields.
Shock Test:
A test to determine the ability of a cable to
withstand a violent physical concussion
such as might occur during handling or use.
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Shore Hardness:
An instrument measure of the surface
hardness of an insulating or jacket material.
SIS:
Indicates single conductor having synthetic
thermosetting insulation of heat-resistant,
moisture-resistant, flame-retarding grade.
Also made with chemically cross-linked
polyethylene insulation. Used for
switchboard wiring only, 900C.
SJEOOW:
Same as type SJEW, except oil-resistant
insulation and oil-resistant jacket.
SJEW:
Junior hard service, rubber-insulated
pendant, or portable cord. Same
construction as type S, but 300V. Jacket
thickness is different. Weather, water, and
sunlight resistant.
SJT:
Junior hard service, thermoplastic, or
rubber-insulated conductors with overall
thermoplastic jacket. 300V, 600C to 1050C.
SJTO:
Same as SJT, but with an oil-resistant,
thermoplastic outer jacket. 600C.
Skin Effect:
The tendency of alternating current, as its
frequency increases, to travel only on the
surface of a conductor.
SO-SEO:
Hard service cord, same construction as
type S, except with an oil-resistant,
neoprene jacket, 600V, 600C to 900C.
Solid Conductor:
A single unit not divided into parts.
Spacing:
Distance between the closest edges to two
adjacent conductors.
Spark Test:
A test designed to locate imperfections
(usually pin-holes) in the insulation of a wire
or cable by application of a voltage for a
very short period of time while the wire is
being drawn through the electrode field.
Specific Gravity:
The ratio of the density (mass per unit
volume) of a material to that of distilled
water.
Spiral Wrap:
The helical wrap of a material over a core.
ST:
Hard-service, jacketed, same as type S,
except all plastic construction. 600V, 600C
TO 1050C
.
Stabilizer:
A metallic compound added to PVC to
maintain the integrity of the insulation
compound during processing and use.
STO:
Same as ST, but with oil-resistant,
thermoplastic outer jacket. 600V, 600C.
STOW/STOW:
Service cord with oil-resistant,
thermoplastic jacket and weather resistant.
STOW meets CSA approval for outdoor
use. Can be water resistant. UL 600V.
STW/STW:
Service cord with thermoplastic and
weather-resistant jacket, but not oilresistant. Can be UL water resistant. STW
meets CSA approval for outdoor use. 600V.
Strand:
A single uninsulated wire.
Stranded Conductor:
A conductor composed of individual groups
of wires twisted together to form an entire
unit.
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Sunlight Resistance:
The ability of a conductor or cable
insulation to resist degradation caused by
exposure to ultraviolet rays.
Take-Up:
The process of accumulating wire or cable
onto a reel, bobbin, or some other type of
pack. Also, the device for pulling wire or
cable through a piece of equipment or
machine.
Tank Test:
A voltage dielectric test in which the test
sample is submerged in water and voltage
is applied between the conductor and
ground.
Tape Wrap:
A spirally applied tape over an insulated or
uninsulated wire.
TC:
Tray Cable
Tear Strength:
The force required to initiate or continue a
tear in material under specified conditions.
Temperature Rating:
The maximum temperature at which an
insulating material may be used in
continuous operation without loss of its
basic properties.
Tensile Strength:
The pull stress required to break a given
specimen.
Terminals:
Metal wire termination devices designed to
handle one or more conductors and to be
attached to a board, bus, or block with
mechanical fasteners or clips.
Test Lead:
A flexible, insulated lead wire used for
making tests, connecting instruments to a
circuit temporarily, or for making temporary
electrical connections.
TEW:
Canadian Standards Association-type
appliance wires. Solid or stranded single
conductor, plastic insulated. 600V, 1050C.
TFFN:
Fixture wire; thermoplastic covered,
stranded with a Nylon sheath, 900C
Thermal Aging:
Exposure to a thermal condition or
programmed series of condition for predescribed periods.
Thermal Rating:
The maximum and/or minimum temperature
at which a material will perform its function
without undue degradation.
Thermal Shock:
A test to determine the ability of a material
to withstand heat and cold by subjecting it
to rapid and wide changes in temperatures.
Thermocouple:
A device consisting of two dissimilar metals
in physical contact, which when heated will
develop an emf output.
Thermoplastic:
A material that softens when heated and
becomes firm on cooling.
Thermoset:
A material that hardens or sets by heat,
chemical, or radiation cross-linking
techniques and that, once set, cannot be
resoftened by heating:
THHN:
900C, 600V, Nylon-jacketed building wire
for dry and damp locations.
THHN-2:
Incorrect reference, commonly misapplied
when TWHN-2 is called out.
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THW:
Thermoplastic, vinyl-insulated building wire.
Flame retardant, moisture and heat
resistant. 750C. Dry and wet locations.
THWN:
750C, 600V, Nylon-jacketed building wire for
dry or wet locations.
THWN-2:
900C, 600V, Nylon-jacketed building wire
for dry or wet locations.
Tinned Copper:
Tin coating added to aid in soldering and
inhibiting corrosion.
Tray:
A cable tray cable is a unit or assembly of
units or sections and associated fitting
made of non-combustible materials forming
a rigid structural system used to support
cables.
Tray Cable:
A factory-assembled, multi-conductor or
multi-pair control, signal, or power cable
specifically approved under the National
Electrical Code for insulation trays.
Tubing:
A tube of extruded, non-supported plastic or
metallic material.
Twisted Pair:
A twisted pair is composed of two small
separately insulated wires twisted together
without a common covering.
UF:
Thermoplastic underground feeder and
branch circuit cable.
UL:
Abbreviation for Underwriters Laboratories
Inc., a not for profit independent
organization that operates a listing service
for electrical and electronic materials and
equipment.
Unidirectional Concentric Standings:
A stranding where each successive layer
has a different lay length, thereby retaining
a circular form migration of strands from
one layer to another.
Unilay:
More than one layer of helically laid wires
with the direction of lay and length of the lay
the same for all layers.
USE:
Underground Service Entrance cable,
rubber-insulated, neoprene or XLPE
jacketed.
Valley:
Any void between the insulated conductors
of a cable or between a cable core and its
covering.
Volt:
A unit of electrical pressure. One volt is the
amount of pressure that will cause one
ampere of current in one ohm of resistance.
Voltage:
Electrical potential or electromotive force
expressed in volts.
Voltage Drop:
The amount of voltage loss from original
input in a conductor of given size and
length or over a connection such as a
termination.
Voltage Levels:
Power-limited 0-300 volts. Low voltage 600-
2000 volts. Medium voltage 5000-69000
volts.
Voltage Rating:
The highest voltage that may be
continuously applied to a wire in
conformance with standards or
specifications.
Volume Resistivity (Specific
Insulation Resistance):
The electrical resistance between opposite
faces of a 1-cm cube of insulating material,
commonly expressed in ohms/centimeter.
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Vulcanization:
An irreversible process during which a
rubber or polymeric compound changes in
its chemical structure (for example, cross
linking) to become thermoset.
VW-1:
A flammability rating established by
Underwriters Laboratories for wires and
cables that pass a specially designed
vertical flame test, formerly designated FR1. Multi-conductor flat or round portable
power cables without a grounding
conductor.
Wall Thickness:
The thickness of the applied insulation or
jacket.
Water Absorption:
Water, by percent weight, absorbed by a
material after a given immersion period.
Watt:
A unit of electrical power. One watt is
equivalent to the power represented by one
ampere of current under a pressure of one
volt in a DC circuit.
Wire:
A single conductor, typically with a covering
of insulation.
Wire Gauge:
A measure of the diameter or size of wires.
The sizes are expressed by numbers.
Working Voltage:
See Voltage Rating.
XHHW-2:
High Temperature (900C), chemically crosslinked, polyethylene jacketed, small
diameter building wire.
XLPE:
Cross-linked polyethylene.
Yield Strength:
The minimum stress at which a material will
start to physically deform without further
increase in load.
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