US2004104535A1PendingUtilityA1

Self-healing cables

39
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Aug 8, 2001Filed: Aug 7, 2003Published: Jun 3, 2004
Est. expiryAug 8, 2021(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Mark R. Easter
H02G 15/003H01B 7/288Y10T428/12063
39
PatentIndex Score
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Claims

Abstract

A self-healing cable comprising a conductor and a water-swellable composition surrounding said conductor is disclosed. When the cable is damaged and water ingress reaches the water-swellable composition, the water-swellable composition expands and fills in any void, puncture or crack present, thus sealing the damage in the cable. In one embodiment, the water-swellable composition is formed from an admixture of a substantially non-water-swellable polymer and a water-swellable filler. In another embodiment, the water-swellable composition is formed from a water-swellable polymer.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A self-healing cable comprising a conductor and a water-swellable composition surrounding said conductor, said water-swellable composition comprising: 
 a) a substantially non-water-swellable polymer; and    b) a water-swellable filler admixed to the polymer, wherein said water-swellable filler is selected from the group consisting of bentonite, lignite, alumina trihydrate, barytes, calcium carbonate, chlorite, clays, pyrophyllite, talc, polyacrylic acid, cellulose esters, ethylene vinyl chloride, acrylic resins, alkyd resins, polyethylene oxide, collagens, gelatins, and ethylene acrylic acid.    
     
     
         2 . The self-healing cable of  claim 1 , wherein the water-swellable filler is capable of causing a swelling of the water-swellable composition of from about 5 percent to about 200 percent by weight.  
     
     
         3 . The self-healing cable of  claim 2 , wherein the water-swellable filler is capable of causing swelling of the water-swellable composition from about 15 percent to about 150 percent by weight.  
     
     
         4 . The self-healing cable of  claim 1 , wherein the Brookfield viscosity of the water-swellable composition at 300° F. is from about 3,000,000 cps to about 13,000,000 cps.  
     
     
         5 . The self-healing cable of  claim 1 , wherein the water-swellable filler is sodium bentonite.  
     
     
         6 . The self-healing cable of  claim 5 , wherein the water-swellable composition is from about 10 percent to about 70 percent by weight of sodium bentonite.  
     
     
         7 . The self-healing cable of  claim 6 , wherein the water-swellable composition is from about 20 percent to about 50 percent by weight of sodium bentonite.  
     
     
         8 . The self-healing cable of  claim 1 , wherein the water-swellable filler is sodium polyacrylate.  
     
     
         9 . The self-healing cable of  claim 8 , wherein the water-swellable composition is from about 2 percent to about 20 percent by weight of sodium polyacrylate.  
     
     
         10 . The self-healing cable of  claim 1 , wherein the water-swellable composition is from about 2 percent to about 70 percent by weight.  
     
     
         11 . The self-healing cable of  claim 1 , wherein the conductor comprises a plurality of wires.  
     
     
         12 . The self-healing cable of  claim 8 , wherein the water-swellable composition directly surrounds the conductor.  
     
     
         13 . The self-healing cable of  claim 12 , wherein the water-swellable composition further fills the interstices between the wires.  
     
     
         14 . The self-healing cable of  claim 1 , wherein the water-swellable composition is disposed between two polymeric sheets.  
     
     
         15 . The self-healing cable of  claim 1 , wherein the water-swellable composition is surrounded by an insulator.  
     
     
         16 . The self-healing cable of  claim 1 , wherein an insulator is disposed between the water-swellable composition and the conductor.  
     
     
         17 . The self-healing cable of  claim 1 , wherein the water-swellable composition directly surrounds the conductor.  
     
     
         18 . The self-healing cable of  claim 17 , further comprising a polymeric sheet surrounding the water-swellable composition.  
     
     
         19 . The self-healing cable of  claim 1 , wherein a layer of polymeric sheet separates the conductor from the water-swellable composition.  
     
     
         20 . A self-healing cable comprising a conductor and a water-swellable polymer surrounding said conductor.  
     
     
         21 . The self-healing cable of  claim 20 , wherein the water-swellable polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene vinyl chloride, polyacrylic resins, polyalkyd resins, polyethylene oxide, and polyethylene acrylate.  
     
     
         22 . The self-healing cable of  claim 20 , wherein said water-swellable polymer has a molecular weight from about 100,000 to about 8,000,000.  
     
     
         23 . The self-healing cable of  claim 22 , wherein said water-swellable polymer has a molecular weight from about 100,000 to about 1,000,000.  
     
     
         24 . The self-healing cable of  claim 20 , wherein said water-swellable polymer has a melt index of about 1 to about 500.  
     
     
         25 . The self-healing cable of  claim 24 , wherein said water-swellable polymer has a melt index of about 200 to about 400.  
     
     
         26 . The self-healing cable of  claim 20 , wherein the conductor comprises a plurality of wires.  
     
     
         27 . The self-healing cable of  claim 26 , wherein the water-swellable polymer directly surrounds the conductor.  
     
     
         28 . The self-healing cable of  claim 27 , wherein the water-swellable polymer further fills the interstices between the wires.  
     
     
         29 . The self-healing cable of  claim 20 , wherein the water-swellable polymer is disposed between two polymeric sheets.  
     
     
         30 . The self-healing cable of  claim 20 , wherein the water-swellable polymer is surrounded by an insulator.  
     
     
         31 . The self-healing cable of  claim 20 , wherein an insulator is disposed between the water-swellable polymer and the conductor.  
     
     
         32 . The self-healing cable of  claim 20 , wherein the water-swellable polymer directly surrounds the conductor.  
     
     
         33 . The self-healing cable of  claim 32 , further comprising a polymeric sheet surrounding the water-swellable polymer.  
     
     
         34 . The self-healing cable of  claim 20 , wherein a layer of polymeric sheet separates the conductor from the water-swellable polymer.  
     
     
         35 . A method of making a self-healing cable comprising providing a conductor and surrounding the conductor with a water-swellable composition, said water-swellable composition comprising: 
 a) a substantially non-water-swellable polymer; and    b) a water-swellable filler admixed to the polymer, said water-swellable filler are selected from the group consisting of bentonite, lignite, alumina trihydrate, barytes, calcium carbonate, chlorite, clays, pyrophyllite, talc, polyacrylic acid, cellulose esters, ethylene vinyl chloride, acrylic resins, alkyd resins, polyethylene oxide, collagens, gelatins, and ethylene acrylic acid.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the water-swellable filler is capable of causing a swelling of the water-swellable composition of from about 5 percent to about 200 percent by weight.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the water-swellable filler is capable of causing swelling of the water-swellable composition from about 15 percent to about 150 percent by weight.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the Brookfield viscosity of the water-swellable composition at 300° F. is from about 3,000,000 cps to about 13,000,000 cps.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the water-swellable filler is sodium bentonite.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the water-swellable composition is from about 10 percent to about 70 percent by weight sodium bentonite.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the water-swellable composition is from about 20 percent to about 50 percent by weight of sodium bentonite.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the water-swellable filler is sodium polyacrylate.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the water-swellable composition is from about 2 percent to about 20 percent by weight of sodium polyacrylate.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the water-swellable composition is from about 2 percent to about 70 percent by weight.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the conductor comprises a plurality of wires.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the water-swellable composition directly surrounds the conductor.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the water-swellable composition further fills the interstices between the wires.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the water-swellable composition is disposed between two polymeric sheets.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the water-swellable composition is surrounded by an insulator.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein an insulator is disposed between the water-swellable composition and the conductor.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the water-swellable composition directly surrounds the conductor.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 55 , further comprising a polymeric sheet surrounding the water-swellable composition.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein a layer of polymeric sheet separates the conductor from the water-swellable composition.  
     
     
         54 . A method of making a self-healing cable comprising providing a conductor and covering the conductor with water-swellable polymer.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the water-swellable polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene vinyl chloride, polyacrylic resins, polyalkyd resins, polyethylene oxide, and polyethylene acrylate.  
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein said water-swellable polymer has a molecular weight from about 100,000 to about 8,000,000.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein said water-swellable polymer has a molecular weight from about 100,000 to about 1,000,000.  
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein said water-swellable polymer has a melt index of about 1 to about 500.  
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein said water-swellable polymer has a melt index of about 200 to about 400.  
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the conductor comprises a plurality of wires.  
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the water-swellable composition directly surrounds the conductor.  
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the water-swellable composition further fills the interstices between the wires.  
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the water-swellable composition is disposed between two polymeric sheets.  
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the water-swellable composition is surrounded by an insulator.  
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein an insulator is disposed between the water-swellable composition and the conductor.  
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the water-swellable composition is directly surrounds the conductor.  
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 66 , further comprising a polymeric sheet surrounding the water-swellable composition.  
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein a layer of polymeric sheet separates the conductor from the water-swellable composition.

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