ABC CABLE

ABC Cable (4 Core) NF C 33-209

ABC Cable (4 Core) to NF C 33-209 is a 0.6/1 kV aerial bundled cable made of four insulated aluminium conductors of the same section, three phases and one neutral, twisted together without a messenger. All conductors carry black cross-linked polyethylene insulation. The TDS lists 7 sizes from 4×16 to 4×120 mm².

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NF C 33-209 applies to bundled insulated conductors for overhead power systems with a rated voltage of 0.6/1 kV. A bundle may include public lighting conductors and pilot conductors besides the phase and neutral conductors (NF C 33-209 Clause 1). This cable has three phases and a neutral conductor for three-phase service connections.

Cable Construction

Conductors: Circular stranded aluminium wires, compacted, of purity at least equal to aluminium 1350 of NF C 31-122; welds in the wires are allowed (NF C 33-209 Clause 3.1)
Wire strength: The aluminium wires of the phase conductors have a tensile strength of at least 120 MPa before stranding (NF C 33-209 Clause 4.1.1)
Insulation: Black cross-linked polyethylene applied by extrusion and easy to remove; a separator tape may be used, in which case it is coloured throughout and is the same for all conductors of one nominal section (NF C 33-209 Clause 3.2)
Bundling: The insulated conductors are twisted together with a right-hand lay, within the maximum lay lengths of Table 4 (NF C 33-209 Clause 4.4.1)
Core identification: The phase conductors carry the figures 1, 2 and 3; the neutral carries the producer’s UTE code, the standard number and any production code (NF C 33-209 Clause 5 a))

Conductor Data

Conductor	Nominal Section (mm²)	No. of Wires	Max. D.C. Resistance at 20 °C (Ω/km)	Conductor Diameter (mm)	Min. Breaking Load (kN)
Phase and neutral	16	7	1.91	4.6 to 5.1	1.9
Phase and neutral	25	7	1.20	5.8 to 6.3	3.0
Phase and neutral	35	7	0.868	6.8 to 7.3	—
Phase and neutral	50	7	0.641	7.9 to 8.4	—
Phase and neutral	70	12	0.443	9.7 to 10.2	—
Phase and neutral	95	19	0.320	11.0 to 12.0	—
Phase and neutral	120	19	0.253	12.0 to 13.1	—

Values from Table 1 of NF C 33-209. The breaking load is a minimum value; a dash means that the standard gives no value.

Typical Applications

Overhead low voltage service lines fixed on poles outdoors
Service connections run on poles or along building facades
Street lighting and outdoor lighting supplies
Temporary power supply on building and construction sites

The cable is not laid in the ground or under water and is not used in underground systems (Annex E of NF C 33-209).

ABC Cable (4 Core) NF C 33-209 is an aerial bundled cable built from four insulated aluminium conductors of the same section, three phases and one neutral, twisted together without a messenger. The table below gives the main design values; the dimensions, resistances and weights of each size are in the TDS tab.

Technical Characteristics

Applicable Standard	NF C 33-209
Standard Scope	Bundled conductors with cross-linked polyethylene insulation for overhead power systems of rated voltage 0.6/1 kV
Rated Voltage	U₀/U (U_m) 0.6/1 (1.2) kV; in d.c. systems, not more than 0.9 kV to earth
Bundle Structure	4 cores: 3 phases and 1 neutral of the same section; no messenger
Conductors	Round stranded aluminium, compacted, of purity not lower than aluminium 1350 to NF C 31-122; 16 mm² to 120 mm²
Wire Tensile Strength	At least 120 MPa for the aluminium wires before stranding
Insulation	Black extruded cross-linked polyethylene, easy to strip, weather and UV resistant
Breaking Load	16 mm² at least 1.9 kN; 25 mm² at least 3.0 kN (Table 1)
Bundle Lay	Right-hand; maximum lay 40 cm, 45 cm, 50 cm and 55 cm for 16, 25, 35 and 50 mm² (Table 4)
Max. Conductor Temperature	90 °C
Overall Diameter	17.4 mm to 39.7 mm
Minimum Bending Radius	18 D, D being the diameter of the largest insulated conductor; half this value for controlled bending at 15 °C or above

Ordering Information

Please state the cable type and size as listed in the TDS, for example 4×16 mm², the total length and the length per drum, the drum type, and any marking required in addition to the standard marking.

No. of Cores and Section	No. of Wires	Nominal Insulation Thickness	Approx. Diameter of Cable	Max. D.C. Resistance at 20 °C	Approx. Weight
No. × mm²	No.	mm	mm	Ω/km	kg/km
4×16	7	1.2	17.4	1.91	262
4×25	7	1.4	21.3	1.20	399
4×35	7	1.6	24.7	0.868	547
4×50	7	1.6	27.3	0.641	699
4×70	12	1.8	32.4	0.443	990
4×95	19	1.8	36.8	0.320	1311
4×120	19	1.8	39.7	0.253	1597

Conductor Tests

In accordance with NF C 33-209 Clauses 4.1.3 and 6.1, the conductor breaking load is tested on the insulated conductor over a length of 2 m to 10 m at 1 cm/min to 5 cm/min and meets Table 1; 1 m lengths may be used, but 2 m in case of doubt.
In accordance with NF C 33-209 Clause 4.1.3 and Annex B, the construction, dimensions, resistance and lay length of the conductors are checked as sample tests against Table 1.

Insulation Tests

In accordance with NF C 33-209 Clause 4.2.1, the insulation thickness is measured on three samples taken at least 1 m apart; the mean, rounded to one decimal, is not below the specified value, and the minimum may fall short of it by no more than 0.1 mm plus 10%.
In accordance with NF C 33-209 Clause 4.2.2 and Table 2, the insulation as delivered has a tensile strength of at least 14.5 MPa and an elongation at break of at least 200%, and after 240 h at 150 °C in an air oven both change by no more than 25%.
In accordance with NF C 33-209 Clause 4.2.3 and Table 2, in the hot set test at 200 °C under 0.3 MPa for 15 min the elongation under load is at most 100% and the permanent elongation after cooling at most 15%.
In accordance with NF C 33-209 Clause 6.2, weathering resistance is shown on three sets of six test pieces held at 20% elongation: the mean tensile strength and elongation of the set exposed longest differ by no more than 30% from those of the reference set and by no more than 15% from those of the set removed earlier.
In accordance with NF C 33-209 Clause 4.3.3 and Table 3, the shrinkage of the insulation after 1 h at 100 °C is not more than 4%.
In accordance with NF C 33-209 Clause 6.3, the insulation resistance of a 10 m conductor sample is measured after 2 h in water at 80 °C with a d.c. voltage of 80 V to 500 V, giving a constant K of at least 1000.
In accordance with NF C 33-209 Clause 6.4, 16 mm² and 25 mm² conductors pass the capillary water test: a 20 cm sample bent round a mandrel of six times its diameter shows no trace of water at the dry end after 8 h.
In accordance with NF C 33-209 Clause 6.9, the insulation puncture test on strips cut from the phase conductors gives a median time of not more than 5 s, or 10 s when tested with the separator.

Bundle Tests

In accordance with NF C 33-209 Clauses 4.4.2 and 6.6 and Table 5, a bundle sample of at least 20 m is kept in water at 20 °C for 24 h and withstands 10 kV a.c. for 30 min between each conductor and the water without breakdown.
In accordance with NF C 33-209 Clause 6.7, samples of about 3 m in water withstand five positive and five negative 1.2/50 µs impulses of 20 kV peak between conductor and water.

Routine Tests and Marking

In accordance with NF C 33-209 Clauses 4.3.1 and 4.3.2 and Annex B, the overall diameter and the conductor continuity are checked as routine tests on every production length.
In accordance with NF C 33-209 Annex B, Clause B.2 and Table B1, each length passes a routine dielectric test after 1 h in water at 4 kV a.c. or 10 kV d.c. for 15 min; after any repair the whole conductor is tested again.
In accordance with NF C 33-209 Clause 5, marking characters are at least 5 mm high and 2 mm wide, and successive marks are placed head to tail along the conductor.

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Selected Product: ABC Cable (4 Core) NF C 33-209