Patent ID: 8650742

Claim:
A process for preparing a crosslinked cable, comprising: applying one or more layers comprising a polymer composition on a conductor, wherein at least one layer comprises one or more free radical generating agents, so as to form an uncrosslinked cable; crosslinking by radical reaction said at least one layer comprising said one or more free radical generating agents to obtain a crosslinked cable; cooling the obtained crosslinked cable under pressurized conditions; and reducing or removing the content of volatile decomposition products(s), at ambient or in elevated temperature, from said crosslinked cable obtained from said cooling step, characterized in that said process comprises one or two of the following features (i) or (ii): (i) said reduction or removal step is carried out in more than 50% shorter period of time than the time period required for a reference cable which is a crosslinked and cooled cable having the same structure and layer material in each of said one or more layers, and prepared using the same process steps and conditions thereof, as well as the same degree of crosslinking, as said claimed crosslinked and cooled cable, but using a dicumyl peroxide as the free radical generating agent, in order for said reference cable to obtain the same content of said volatile decomposition product(s) as said claimed cable by using the same reduction or removal conditions as said claimed cable; or (ii) said reduction or removal step is carried out in a lower temperature than the temperature required for a reference cable which is a crosslinked and cooled cable having the same structure and layer material in each of said one or more layers, and prepared using the same process steps and conditions thereof, as well as the same degree of crosslinking, as said claimed crosslinked and cooled cable, but using a dicumyl peroxide as the free radical generating agent, in order for said reference cable to obtain the same content of said volatile decomposition product(s) as said claimed cable.