Crosslinked Polyethylene: State-of-the-Art and New Challenges

Abstract

Crosslinking in thermoplastic polyethylene (PE) converts it into thermoset crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE or PEX). The superior physicochemical properties made XLPE obtain the major share of the plastic market in both developed and developing countries. Tuning the properties in XLPE material for desired applications can be obtained by different crosslinking methods like radiation, peroxide, silane, azo, etc. and also introduce crosslinks in PE with the new technique-click chemistry. A new technique called click chemistry is also used to introduce crosslinks in PE, which have a smaller amount of hazards than the traditional techniques. In addition to the defects in XLPE materials, the smaller number of recycling techniques and heavy disposal of XLPE wastes are the main environmental alarm today. This chapter will give an overview of the importance of XLPE and its products; various existing methods of crosslinking in PE suggest the appropriate crosslinking method for a specific application, the impact of crosslinking on the various grade of PE, patents in crosslinking techniques of PE and remedies for strengthening the weakness of XLPE products. Even though XLPE rules the power cable insulation market, it still has some flaws that have to be overcome.