Quote:
Originally Posted by e*clipse
One mystery to me is "why do certain plastics have significantly better voltage ratings as insulators than others?" For example, you can get big cables for cars, where they can handle hundreds of amps, but they are only rated for 60V.  You can then go to home depot and get a same guage wire with similar thickness insulation, and it will be rated for 600V. |
I don't feel qualified to comment on this topic. Materials science is not a strong point for me. I do know that the lower voltage rated insulation on the cables that I deal with is quite a bit easier to cut with a knife than the higher rated insulation is. I would assume that the lower rated insulation is also cheaper to produce. It makes sense to me that the manufacturers would use the least expensive product that does the job.
When our electricians are handling 5000V rated cable, or 15000V rated cable, the knives that they use to strip the insulation look positively wicked. It also appears that the insulation is less flexible.