Research Developments in XLPE Nanocomposites and Their Blends: Published Papers, Patents, and Production

This chapter reviews the latest advances in research and development of cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) nanocomposites and blends, in terms of published articles, patents, and related products. The first part briefly introduces the development history of XLPE, research background and progress of XLPE nanocomposites and blends. The second part analyzes the research papers on XLPE nanocomposites and blends published by academic journals mainly from 2005 to 2020 in detail. A large number of current research on XLPE nanocomposites and blends aim to improve their properties in relation to the electrical, mechanical, and thermal ones as well as the microstructure, through chemical or physical methods. In the case of comprehensive electrical properties, the studies are distributed on dielectric properties, space charge behavior, and their applications in electrical engineering. The third part outlines the licensed patents about of XLPE nanocomposites and blends. The vast majority of patents related to XLPE nanocomposites and blends focuses on the compounding process and manufacturing technique, among which 35 representative patents are selected for discussion. The final part introduces several typical XLPE products. The potential advantages, product maturity, and market growth of XLPE nanocomposites or blends are analyzed in the application of cables, tubes, and foams.