What Does XLPE Cable Means?

XLPE insulated cable is one of the most sought-after cable forms for high-performance electrical projects. Because they don’t easily melt when high voltages are transmitted; they don’t corrode easily when exposed to corrosive acids, gasses and salts; and because they are high-performance, long-lasting insulation choices, XLPE underground cable is also a great choice for outdoor power transmission.

So, what exactly is XLPE cable, and what does XLPE mean?

Electrical cables sometimes have multiple names which identify the same cable. PVC XLPE cable is one such example. Depending on the manufacturer, XLPE wire may also be identified as PEX or XPE cable. All three abbreviations mean the same thing: XLPE cable.

To understand what XLPE cable means, we must first understand what the various parts of the abbreviation “XLPE” means. In this case, “PE” refers to the Polyethylene – the basic material that an XLPE cable manufacturer uses to produce the cable. And “XL” refers to Cross-Linked, a technique used by the XLPE cable manufacturer when producing the XLPE wire.

So, when we put these abbreviations together, we understand that XLPE cable means a cable that’s produced from a process of vulcanization or cross-linking Polyethylene strands my changing their molecular structure.