IEC 60811-402:2012

IEC 60811-402 ®
Edition 1.0 2012-03
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 402: Miscellaneous tests – Water absorption tests

Câbles électriques et à fibres optiques – Méthodes d’essai pour les matériaux
non-métalliques –
Partie 402: Essais divers – Essais d’absorption d'eau

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IEC 60811-402 ®
Edition 1.0 2012-03
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –

Part 402: Miscellaneous tests – Water absorption tests

Câbles électriques et à fibres optiques – Méthodes d’essai pour les matériaux

non-métalliques –
Partie 402: Essais divers – Essais d’absorption d'eau

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
PRICE CODE
INTERNATIONALE
CODE PRIX K
ICS 29.035.01; 29.060.20 ISBN 978-2-88912-962-1

– 2 – 60811-402  IEC:2012
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 3
INTRODUCTION . 5
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 6
4 Test method . 6
4.1 General . 6
4.2 Pre-conditioning . 6
4.3 Electrical water absorption test . 6
4.3.1 Apparatus . 6
4.3.2 Preparation of test pieces . 7
4.3.3 Test procedure . 7
4.3.4 Evaluation of results . 7
4.4 Gravimetric water absorption test . 7
4.4.1 Preparation of test piece . 7
4.4.2 Testing procedure. 8
4.4.3 Expression of results . 9
5 Test report. 9
Bibliography . 10

Table 1 – d.c. test voltages . 7

60811-402  IEC:2012 – 3 –
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
ELECTRIC AND OPTICAL FIBRE CABLES –
TEST METHODS FOR NON-METALLIC MATERIALS –

Part 402: Miscellaneous tests –
Water absorption tests
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote
international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
this end and in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications,
Technical Reports, Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as “IEC
Publication(s)”). Their preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested
in the subject dealt with may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-
governmental organizations liaising with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely
with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by
agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
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4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
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between any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in
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5) IEC itself does not provide any attestation of conformity. Independent certification bodies provide conformity
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6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or
other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and
expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC
Publications.
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of
patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
International Standard IEC 60811-402 has been prepared by IEC technical committee 20:
Electric cables.
This Part 402 of IEC 60811 cancels and replaces Clause 9 of IEC 60811-1-3:1993, which is
withdrawn. Full details of the replacements are shown in Annex A of IEC 60811-100:2012.
There are no specific technical changes with respect to the previous edition, but see the
Foreword to IEC 60811-100:2012.

– 4 – 60811-402  IEC:2012
The text of this standard is based on the following documents:
FDIS Report on voting
20/1286/FDIS 20/1335/RVD
Full information on the voting for the approval of this standard can be found in the report on
voting indicated in the above table.
This publication has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
This part of IEC 60811 shall be used in conjunction with IEC 60811-100.
A list of all the parts in the IEC 60811 series, published under the general title Electric and
optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials, can be found on the IEC
website.
The committee has decided that the contents of this publication will remain unchanged until
the stability date indicated on the IEC web site under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data
related to the specific publication. At this date, the publication will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
60811-402  IEC:2012 – 5 –
INTRODUCTION
The IEC 60811 series specifies the test methods to be used for testing non-metallic materials
of all types of cables. These test methods are intended to be referenced in standards for
cable construction and for cable materials.
NOTE 1 Non-metallic materials are typically used for insulating, sheathing, bedding, filling or taping within cables.
NOTE 2 These test methods are accepted as basic and fundamental and have been developed and used over
many years principally for the materials in all energy cables. They have also been widely accepted and used for
other cables, in particular optical fibre cables, communication and control cables and cables for ships and offshore
applications.
– 6 – 60811-402  IEC:2012
ELECTRIC AND OPTICAL FIBRE CABLES –
TEST METHODS FOR NON-METALLIC MATERIALS –

Part 402: Miscellaneous tests –
Water absorption tests
1 Scope
This Part 402 of IEC 60811 describes water absorption tests which typically apply to cross-
linked and thermoplastic compounds used for insulating and sheathing materials.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and
are indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
IEC 60811-100:2012, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic
materials – Part 100: General
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in IEC 60811-100 apply.
4 Test method
4.1 General
This part of IEC 60811 shall be used in conjunction with IEC 60811-100.
Unless otherwise specified, tests shall be carried out at room temperature.
4.2 Pre-conditioning
All the tests shall be carried out not less than 16 h after the extrusion or cross-linking, if any,
of the insulating or sheathing compounds.
If the test is carried out at room temperature, the test pieces shall be kept for at least 3 h at a
temperature of (23 ±5) °C.
4.3 Electrical water absorption test
4.3.1 Apparatus
The following apparatus shall be used:
a) a.c and d.c voltage sources;
b) voltmeter;
c) water bath with heating equipment.

60811-402  IEC:2012 – 7 –
4.3.2 Preparation of test pieces
The cores to be tested shall be removed from a sample of finished cable approximately 3 m
long. Care shall be taken to avoid damage to the insulation during removal of the cores.
4.3.3 Test procedure
a) Pre-test
The cores shall be immersed in a water bath in which the water has been heated to the
temperature specified in the standard for the type of cable.
The ends of the cores shall protrude sufficiently above the water level to prevent damage
due to leakage current along the surface of the cores when the required voltage is applied
between the conductors and the water.
After the cores have been immersed in the water for 1 h, an a.c. voltage of 4 kV shall be
applied between the conductors and the water for 5 min. If any sample of core breaks
down, it shall be removed from the water bath and not used in the main test specified in
item b) below. However, the test shall be repeated not more than twice, by taking another
sample of the same core, which shall be subjected to the same pre-test.
The object of the pre-test is to ensure that only undamaged cores are used for the main
test.
b) Main test
Cores which are satisfactory on the pre-test shall remain in the water bath with the water
still maintained at the temperature specified in the relevant standard.
A d.c. voltage in accordance with Table 1 below shall be applied between the conductors
and the water for the time specified in the standard for the type of cable, the negative pole
being connected to the conductor of each test piece.
Table 1 – DC test voltages
Thickness, t, of insulation
specified DC voltage
Mean value V
mm
0,8 and 0,9 800
1,0 and 1,2 1 000
1,2 1,6 2,0 4.3.4 Evaluation of results
No breakdown shall occur.
4.4 Gravimetric water absorption test
4.4.1 Preparation of test piece
a) For cables with conductors of nominal cross-sectional area equal to or less than 25 mm
and rated voltage up to and including 0,6/1 kV:
Each test piece shall be a piece of core approximately 300 mm in length.
b) For all other cables:
Slices of 0,6 mm to 0,9 mm thickness shall be ground or cut with surfaces approximately
parallel and free from roughness.

– 8 – 60811-402  IEC:2012
Test pieces 80 mm to 100 mm long and 4 mm to 5 mm wide shall be punched out of the
slices.
c) Two test pieces shall be prepared from each core to be tested.
4.4.2 Testing procedure
a) For test pieces as in item a) of 4.4.1:
Clean the surface of the test piece by rubbing with a filter paper moistened with water.
Allow the test piece to dry at (70 ±2) °C to constant weight. It may also be allowed to dry
by placing it for 24 h in a low-pressure oven at not more than 6,6 mbar and (70 ±2) °C.
Cool the sample in a desiccator.
Weigh the test piece to within 0,1 mg. Let M1 be the mass in milligrams.
Wind the test piece around a mandrel, whose diameter is between six and eight times that
of the test piece, so as to bend it to a U shape and force the ends through apertures bored
in the cover of a suitable glass vessel. Only the two test pieces of the same core should
be in the glass vessel.
Adjust the position of the test piece such that 250 mm of its length is immersed when the
vessel is filled with water up to the edge of the fitted cover.
Use preboiled distilled or deionized water.
Allow the test piece to remain at the temperature and for the time specified in the product
standard. If the time is not specified, it shall be 14 days for specified thicknesses up to
1,0 mm, 21 days for thicknesses between 1,1 mm and 1,5 mm, and 28 days for
thicknesses above 1,5 mm. If the temperature is not specified, it shall be 5 K below the
maximum conductor temperature, but not exceeding 90 °C. The water level shall be
maintained up to the inside surface of the cover.
The water is then allowed to cool to ambient temperature. Remove the test piece and
shake off any drops of water adhering to it, wipe lightly with a filter paper and weigh to the
nearest milligram within 2 min to 3 min of its being removed from the water. Let M2 be the
new mass in milligrams.
Finally, dry out the test piece under the same conditions as were used before immersion,
i.e. using whichever of the two alternative methods described above had been used before
the first weighing. Let M3 be the final mass in milligrams.
b) For test pieces as in item b) of 4.4.1:
The test pieces, with thoroughly cleaned surfaces, shall be heated at (70 ±2) °C under
vacuum (residual pressure close to 1 mbar) for 72 h. Materials of substantially different
compositions shall not be treated in the same cell or oven at the same time.
After this treatment, the test pieces shall be cooled for 1 h in a desiccator and weighed to
the nearest 0,1 mg (mass M1).
The test pieces shall then be immersed in deionized (or distilled) water at the temperature
and for the time specified in the standard for the type of cable. If the temperature is not
specified, it shall be 5 K below the maximum conductor temperature, but not greater than
90 °C. Each test piece shall be completely immersed in a separate glass to be equipped
with a condenser, or in a beaker covered with a glass lid.
If a condenser is used, its upper part shall be covered with aluminium foil to prevent any
contamination.
A
...