# US 2014/0197853 A1 · Use of a polymer mixture as a sensor mixture

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- Number: US 2014/0197853 A1
- Document ID: US20140197853A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/138,496
- Filed: 2013-12-23
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-17
- Assignees: Nexans
- Applicants: Nexans
- Inventors: Matthias Meyer; Jean Marc Gonnet; Anthony Combessis
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197853A1

## CPC

- G01N 27/041: {of a solid body}
- B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
- G01N 33/442: {Resins; Plastics}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES

## Abstract

A polymer mixture is provided suitable for use in a cable as a sensor polymer mixture for determining the mechanical and/or electrical stability or aging of a cable. The method may use the determination of changes in the polymer mixture, especially for determination of the aging and/or stability, for example as a measure for estimation of the wear or the remaining service life of a cable having the polymer mixture.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A polymer mixture capable of being a sensor mixture for determining the ageing of a cable, said polymer mixture comprising:
at least one polymer;
inorganic fillers;
processing aids;
0.2 to 6% by weight of carbon nanotubes;
optionally plasticizers;
optionally a crosslinking system; and
optionally dye.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Polymer mixture according to claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotubes have an average diameter of 8-10 nm, an average length of 1 to 5 μm, a carbon content of at least 90%, the remainder being metal oxides, and a BET surface area of 200 to 400 g/m2.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

Polymer mixture according to claim 1, wherein the polymer mixture contains up to 60% by weight of flame retardant.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

Cable having a polymer mixture according to claim 1, wherein the sensor mixture forms a sensor element, arranged around at least two conductors spaced apart from one another.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

Cable according to claim 4, wherein at least one optical fiber, arranged along the cable, is connected to an optical detector from which the measurements are sent to an evaluation unit connected to a measurement unit, said evaluation unit being set up to correlate measurements from the measurement unit with the measurements from the optical detector, at least one optical fiber having a glass composition whose optical properties are temperature-dependent and/or at least one optical, fiber having a glass composition whose optical properties can be varied by radioactive irradiation.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

Method for determining the aging of a cable constructed according to claim 4, wherein measurements of the conductivity, the resistance, the capacity and/or the dissipation factor of the sensor mixture are determined.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

Method according to claim 6, wherein an optical fiber arranged along the cable has temperature-dependent optical properties, and measurements of the temperature-dependent optical properties are taken, and/or in that the cable contains an optical fiber which is arranged along the cable and has optical properties dependent on radioactive irradiation, and measurements of the optical properties thereof dependent on radioactive irradiation are taken.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

Method according to claim 6, wherein the measurements of the conductivity, the resistance, the capacity and/or the dissipation factor of the sensor mixture, measurements of temperature-dependent optical properties and/or measurements of optical properties dependent on radioactive irradiation are compared in an evaluation unit with data which contain a predetermined correlation of the aging of at least one polymer mixture in the cable with this measurement.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

Method according to claim 6, wherein the sensor mixture is shaped into a sensor element containing at least two conductors spaced apart from one another, and the sensor element together with further elements of the cable is insert-molded with a polymer mixture for the sheath thereof.