News Release
Celanese Corporation
222 West Las Colinas Blvd.
Suite 900N
Irving, Texas 75039
Celanese and Southwire Develop Utility Transmission Conductor
with Multi-Stranded Composite Core of Celstran® CFR-TPR
Celstran® from Celanese delivers greater reliability, capacity and performance
DALLAS, FRANKFURT and SHANGHAI (March 5, 2014) – Celanese Corporation (NYSE: CE), a
global technology and specialty materials company, and Southwire Company LLC, North America’s
largest wire and cable producer, today introduced an affordable option for utility transmission lines –
the new C7TM Overhead Conductor with a multi-stranded composite core of Celstran® continuous
fiber-reinforced thermoplastic rods (CFR-TPR) from Celanese.
“Designed for utilities that want greater flexibility, reliability and ease of installation, the C7
Overhead Conductor uses Celstran® CFR-TPR composite technology that involves an innovative
combination of carbon-fiber and a heat-resistant Fortron® PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) matrix that is
capped with a layer of high-performance PEEK (polyether ether ketone),” said Michael Ruby,
Celanese global composites business manager. “This combination of materials provides distinct
advantages compared to alternative High Temperature Low Sag (HTLS) technology and
conventional conductors.”
The Celanese- and Southwire-developed transmission conductor delivers nearly double the
capacity and exhibits less sag than the same diameter aluminum conductor steel-reinforced
(ACSR) conductor. The design allows for minimum sag at higher power transfer, and the stranded
Celstran® CFR-TPR core means there is no single point of failure for the overhead conductor.
“Southwire has a 60-year history of quality and innovation when it comes to supplying utilities with
transmission solutions,” said Mark Lancaster, director of overhead transmission engineering at
Southwire. “Our goal in creating the Southwire C7 Overhead Conductor was to give customers an
alternative to our standard ACSR and HS285 transmission line solutions that offers flexibility,
reliability and ruggedness to stand up to a variety of difficult environments.”
Thanks to innovative and patented Celanese engineered material technology, backed by advanced
and proprietary processing, the C7 Overhead Conductor with Celstran® CFR-TPR provides seven
key advantages:
•
Minimal Thermal Expansion – Lowest level available in a composite core for minimal sag
increase at high power transfer.
•
Lightweight – High strength-to-weight ratio.
•
Multi-Element Core – No single point of failure, unlike monolithic constructs.
•
Flexible and Robust – Installs like traditional conductor without the need for special
training and equipment.
•
Celanese Engineered Material – The only all-thermoplastic composite core in the world,
backed by 50-plus years of material innovation and know-how, with high-temperature
performance (180 to 225 degrees Celsius).
•
Multiple Conductor Designs – Tailored for installation requirements, from light-to-heavy
ice loads, normal-to-long spans, and numerous conductor constructions.
•
Use of Conventional Connectors – Traditional, crew-friendly, two-piece compression
fittings.
The Southwire C7 Overhead Conductor – with high-performance carbon-fiber reinforced
thermoplastic composites for a service life expectancy in excess of 40 years in demanding
applications – delivers superior thermal performance that cuts costs and improves performance
both for new line or reconductoring installations.
“Celanese is excited to work closely with Southwire in this technology breakthrough for electricity
transmission,” said Phil McDivitt, vice president and general manager of Celanese’s engineered
materials business. “This development reflects the combined strengths of Celanese thermoplastic
composites with the Southwire focus of bringing step-change technology to the power industry.”
Celstran® CFR-TPR and Celstran® CFR-TP (continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic tapes) are
produced using a patented pultrusion process that provides the highest quality impregnation and
optimal wetting of the reinforcement fibers. By using various matrix materials (PPS, PEEK, PVDF,
PBT/PET, PP, HDPE, PAA/PPA, POM, TPU and others) and imbedding various glass-, carbonand aramid-fibers together with additives, Celstran® CFR-TPR and CFR-TP composites can be
tailored to meet many specific application requirements.
About Celanese
Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry
solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. With
sales almost equally divided between North America, Europe and Asia, the company uses the full
breadth of its global chemistry, technology and business expertise to create value for customers
and the corporation. Celanese partners with customers to solve their most critical needs while
making a positive impact on its communities and the world. Based in Dallas, Texas, Celanese
employs approximately 7,400 employees worldwide and had 2013 net sales of $6.5 billion. For
more information about Celanese Corporation and its product offerings, visit www.celanese.com or
our blog at www.celaneseblog.com.
All registered trademarks are owned by Celanese International Corporation or its affiliates.
Fortron is a registered trademark of Fortron Industries LLC.
Celanese
engineered
materials media
contacts:
Media Relations Americas
Media Relations Europe
(Germany)
Media Relations Asia
(Shanghai)
Stephen Cushard
Henning Küell
Amber Zhao
+1-859-372-3164
+49-69-45009-1797
+86-21-3861-9222
Stephen.Cushard@celanese.com
Henning.Kuell@celanese.com
Tong.Zhao@celanese.com
About Southwire Company LLC
A leader in technology and innovation, Southwire Company LLC is one of North America’s
largest wire and cable producers. Southwire and its subsidiaries manufacture building wire
and cable, metal-clad (MC) cable, FlatWire Ready® products, cord products (including
Tappan™ sound, security, and communication cables through Tappan Wire & Cable Inc.),
utility cable products, industrial power cable, OEM wire products, SCR ® copper and aluminum
rod, and continuous casting technology. Southwire also supplies MAXIS ® wire and cable
installation tools to the commercial, industrial and utility construction markets. To learn more
about Southwire’s products, community involvement, and its vision for a sustainable
Southwire, please visit Southwire on the web at www.southwire.com.
C7 is a trademark of Southwire Company LLC.
Multi-Stranded Composite Core: Developed by Celanese Corporation and Southwire Company
LLC, the C7TM Overhead Conductor uses a multi-stranded composite core of Celstran® continuous
fiber-reinforced thermoplastic rods (CFR-TPR) to achieve greater flexibility, reliability and
ruggedness.