Electrical Cables

An electric cable is a group of one, two or more wires or optical fibers bound together, in a common protective jacket or sheath. Individual wires or fibers inside the jacket are usually covered or insulated. There are combination cables, made by manufacturers and may contain both electrical wires and optical fibers. Copper wires are most commonly used because of its excellent conductivity. Aluminum wires are also used as they are less expensive.

Electrical cables are sometimes made more flexible by stranding the wires. The process involves twisting or braiding the smaller individual wires to produce larger wires that are far more flexible. Small wires are also bunched before concentric stranding, thereby adding more flexibility.

Types of Cables
There are various types of electrical cables available depending on the end use. These cables find application across industries. Some of the popularly used cables are:

• Coaxial Cable
• Control Cable
• Armoured Cable
• Fiber Optic Cable
• Telephone Cable
• Industrial Cable
• Wiring Cable
• Medical Cables
• Flat Cable
• Flexible Cable
• Power Cable

Applications
There are a variety of electrical cables made by manufacturers. These cables are used in diverse applications and industries including:

• Telecommunications
• Agriculture
• Construction

Materials for Electrical Cable:
The electrical cables we use are made of various types of materials. A cable has several layers and different layers are made from different materials. The conductors in the cables are usually made of metals or metallic alloys because metals are good conductor of electricity and also they are strong, ductile and durable. Similarly, the insulation of cables are made of such materials which are heat resistant, flexible, durable and non conducting. So we can categorize the cables on the basis of materials with which they are made.

• Copper
• Aluminum
• Tungsten
• Teflon