Foamed PVDF Jacket for Power-Over-Ethernet Cables to Overcome Thermal Aging Challenges
Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) technology is gaining popularity as a means of transmitting electrical power and data to remote devices due to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. However, with the growing demand for higher power transmission levels, PoE cables can pose significant thermal challenges such melting and degradation of the cable components, resulting in system failures, safety hazards, reduced cable performance and a shortened lifespan. Previous studies have shown that polyolefin insulation and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) jackets exposed to heat may exhibit these issues. Some PVC jackets have shown significant degradation after aging at 136°C for 17 days, causing decay in the electrical performance of their 4-pair PoE (4PPoE) cables, and their lifespan was predicted to be less than 10 years at continuous use temperatures of 75°C or higher.