Building on their extensive cable design & manufacturing capabilities, Hydro Group has introduced various new cable jacket options to their standard range of polyurethane sheathing materials. These are designed to increase the company’s capability to supply a variety of Defence, Renewable and Oil & Gas applications. 

The standard jacket material currently offered is a polyether-based polyurethane with hydrolysis resisting abilities. This type of PU can be used in underwater applications as well as humid and damp situations where increasing temperatures would normally cause hydrolytic degradation. Polyether PUs can be stable in water as warm as 122°F (50°C) for long periods. 

As an alternative to this standard material, Hydro Group are now also able to extrude a higher shore hardness version of this PU where increased mechanical properties are required. 

For applications requiring high levels of abrasion resistance, Hydro Group offers High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) cable jackets. This type of jacket is also used widely in the manufacture of armoured cables as both inner and outer sheaths. In addition, Hydro Group has created a bespoke system of PE moulding to allow connector termination to PE jacketed cables.

One of the new materials now on offer is a low-smoke, zero halogen, flame retardant SHF material to IEC60092 designed for use in shipboard & topside applications, allowing us to supply customers with a complete cable solution which transitions from subsea to the topside. 

Ian Walters, Head of Engineering commented: 
“Many of the current topside cable designs on the market are standard constructions with little or no opportunity for customisation. The introduction of this new outer sheath allows Hydro Group to offer its highly bespoke design service used for subsea cables, for topside applications.” 

To support applications in harsh acidic conditions, Hydro Group has developed a low-density TPV cable jacket with excellent chemical resistance coupled with high flex fatigue resistance. This product has now been successfully deployed in defence applications and in cathodic protection systems where these conditions can occur. 

Heather Andrade, Head of Sales commented:
“As we see a move to ever more complex subsea connection systems, Hydro Group are committed to constant innovation in the materials we use. New developments are on the horizon for next-generation high tensile, low weight armouring materials and high flex RF cables.” 

Features & benefits

• High levels of abrasion resistance
• Bespoke system of PE moulding to allow connector termination to PE jacketed cables
• Low-smoke, zero halogen, flame retardant SHF material to IEC60092
• Complete cable solution which transitions from subsea to the topside
• Outer sheath allows highly bespoke design service used for subsea cables, for topside applications
• Developed low-density TPV cable jacket with excellent chemical resistance, high flex fatigue resistance

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Hydro Group