Electrical cable having crosslinked insulation with internal pulling lubricant

A method of forming a crosslinked polyethylene electrical power cable sheath having pulling lubricant at a surface thereof after formation of an electrical cable and available at the time of installation to reduce pulling force necessary to install the electrical cable, comprising:

• blending a crosslinkable silane-ethylene copolymer resin and a pulling lubricant selected from the group consisting of silicone and fatty acid amides to form a first polymeric blend, the crosslinkable silane-ethylene copolymer resin containing silane prior to blending with the pulling lubricant;
• mixing in a single extruder the first polymeric blend, and a silane pre-grafted polyethylene as a second polymeric blend, together with a third polymeric blend comprising polyethylene, a flame retardant and a catalyst that is kept separate from the first polymeric blend and the second polymeric blend until the time of extrusion;
• forming into a sheath for an electrical power cable by cooling with cooling water after forming the sheath;
• and
• crosslinking the sheath by moisture exposure to crosslink at least some of the first polymeric blend and some of the second polymeric blend to form the crosslinked polyethylene electrical power cable sheath for the electrical power cable,
• wherein the pulling lubricant does not deleteriously interfere with crosslinking and, in a finished electrical cable is available at the surface of the crosslinked polyethylene electrical power cable sheath to reduce pulling force necessary to install the finished electrical cable.