Thermax | Glossary

Percent Conductivity - Conductivity of material expressed as a percentage of that of copper. Copper being 100%.

Percent Plating - Quantity of plating on a conductor expressed as percentage by weight; thus, for the same percentage, as the conductor diameter increases, so does the thickness of the plating.

Permittivity - Preferred term for dielectric constant.

Phase Shift - Change in phase of a voltage or current after passing through a circuit or cable.

Picks Per Inch - The number of times the carriers in a braid cross over each other in the same direction along the longitudinal axis for each inch of length.

Pitch Diameter - Diameter of a circle passing through the center of the conductors in any layer of multi-conductor cable.

Planetary Twister - A twisting machine whose payoff spools are mounted in rotating cradles that hold the axis of the spool in a fixed direction as the spools are revolved about one another so the wire will not kink as it is twisted.

Plasticizer - Chemical agent added to plastics to make them softer and more flexible.

Polyamide - A compound characterized by more than amide group. See nylon.

Polyethylene - A thermoplastic material composed of polymers of ethylene. A variety of types of polyethylene are used in wires and cables.

Polyimide - Available for wire insulation in both film form and as a coating over an insulation or jacket.

Polymer - A compound formed by polymerization which results in the chemical union of monomers or the continued reaction between lower molecular weight polymers.

Polypropylene - A plastic made by the polymerization of high-purity propylene gas in the presence of an organo metallic catalyst at relatively low pressures and temperatures. It is similar to polyethylene but stiffer.

Polytetrafluoroethylene - This is the most thermally stable and chemically resistant of all carbonaceous insulating compounds. It is unaffected by sunlight, moisture, and practically all chemicals. Temperature range is -90°C to +250°C and electrical properties are very constant over the temperature range and a wide range of frequencies. Insulation may be applied by extrusion, taping, dip-coating, and in cases where another material is used, by dispersion coating.

Polyurethane - This material can be used as a jacketing material and offers good abrasion and is very flexible.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) - A general thermoplastic material composed of polymers of vinyl chloride. PVC is widely used for primary wire insulation or jacketing.

Potting - Sealing of a cable termination or other part with a liquid composition which hardens into an elastomer or solid plastic material.

Power Factor - 1) In an alternating current circuit, it is the number of watts indicated by a watt meter, divided by the apparent watts, the latter being the watts as measured by a voltmeter and a meter. 2) It is the multiplier used with the apparent watts to determine how much of the supplied power is available for use. 3) That quantity by which the apparent watts must be multiplied in order to the true power. 4) Mathematically, the cosine of the angle of phase difference between current and voltage applied.

Propagation Delay - Time delay between input and output of signal usually measured in nanoseconds per foot of cable.

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