Glossary
INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS
AAR Association of American Railroads.
ABS American Bureau of Shipping.
AEIC Association of Edison Illuminating Companies.
ANSI American National Standards Institute.
AREMA American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association.
EEMAC Electrical Equipment Manufacturers Association of Canada.
ASTM stands for ASTM International, which was formerly known as the "American Society for Testing and Materials." It is a standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services.
ICEA Insulated Cable Engineers Association.
IEC International Electrotechnical Commission, an international standards organization for electrical, electronic and related technologies.
ISO International Organization for Standardization is an independent, non-governmental organization that develops and publishes global standards for quality, sustainability, and innovation.
IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
NEC National Electrical Code.
NEMA National Electrical Manufacturers Association.
NFPA National Fire Protection Association.
NUPIC Nuclear Procurement Issues Corporation.
UL Solutions Inc. (formerly Underwriters Laboratories).
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
RUS Rural Utility Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, formerly REA.
NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission
FAA Federal Aviation Administration
FRA Federal Railroad Administration
EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency
DOE Department of Energy
FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
OKONITE REGISTERED TRADE NAMES
C-L-X® Continuous-Lightweight-Exterior. Welded and corrugated, impervious metallic sheathed cables.
LOXARMOR® An interlocked “S” shaped armor cable covering, normally galvanized steel or aluminum.
OKOBON® A moisture resistant cable finish consisting of an aluminum/copolymer tape fused to itself and to an overall jacket.
OKOBUS® Fieldbus instrumentation cable.
OKOCLEAR® TP (TPPO) Thermoplastic Polyolefin low smoke/zero halogen jacket compound.
OKOCLEAR® TS Thermosetting Polyolefin low smoke/zero halogen jacket compound.
OKOGUARD® Okonite’s exclusive ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR) based, thermosetting insulation, with an optimum balance of electrical and physical properties unequaled in other solid dielectrics, used on power cables rated 600 V and above.
OKOLENE® Thermoplastic polyethylene based insulating or jacketing compound.
OKONITE® Okonite’s exclusive ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) based, thermo-setting insulation used up to 2000V.
OKONITE-FMR® Okonite’s exclusive flame and moisture resistant ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) insulation used up to 2000V.
OKOGUARD-OKOLON® Composite insulation system consisting of a layer of EPR and covered with a chlorinated thermoset compound.
OKOPACT® Okonite’s unique compact round conductor shape and design.
OKOSEAL® A PVC insulation or jacketing compound with excellent resistance to flame and most chemicals.
OKOSEAL-N® PVC insulated and nylon jacketed low voltage conductors, Type THHN, THWN-2 and TFN.
OKOLON® TP-CPE Thermoplastic chlorinated polyethylene base compound that is used for outer sheath.
OKOLON® TS-CPE Thermoset chlorinated polyethylene base compound that is used for outer sheath.
OKOTEMP® Thermoplastic rubber jacketing compound with excellent abrasion resistance combined with flexibility.
OKOTHERM® Heat resistant silicone rubber based insulation for use in high temperature locations.
OKOZEL® Okonite’s name for its ETFE based flame and radiation resistant insulating and jacketing compound.
P-30® Okolene-Okoseal insulated 600V multiple and single conductor control cable.
P-45® Okolene-Okoseal Insulated 1000V Multiple Conductor Control Cable.
URO-J® Underground Residential distribution - Okoguard (EPR) Insulation - Okolene Jacket employing a concentric neutral.
X-OLENE® Okonite's name for its XLPE insulation and jacket.
X-OLENE® FMR Flame and Moisture Resistant X-OLENE insulation for 600/1000V Power and Control cable.
STANDARD TERMS
AWG American Wire Gauge, based on the circular mil system where 1 mil equals 0.001 inch.
CIC Cable in Conduit for buried distribution systems.
CIC Circuit Integrity flame retardant cables
Class 1E Electrical cable designed for safety-critical systems in nuclear power plants.
C-L-X-M C-L-X Marine Shipboard Cable CPE Chlorinated Polyethylene jacketing material.
CSA Canadian Standards Association. An independent organization which implements and monitors the commercial and consumer electrical product standards. The CSA assures compliance to the various Canadian Electrical Code requirements.
CT Designation given to cables meeting UL requirements for cable tray use.
CTC Designation for Centralized Traffic Control Code Line cable.
CWCMC ULs designation for 600 Volt C-L-X marine shipboard cable - continuously welded corrugated MC cable.
DEL Diesel Electric Locomotive and car wiring with Okonite insulation and Okolon jacket.
EPR Ethylene Propylene Rubber is a type of synthetic rubber used as an insulating material in power cables. It is known for its excellent electrical properties, flexibility, and resistance to heat, ozone, and moisture.
ER Exposed Run, UL term designating cables approved for open wire applications.
ETFE Modified Ethylene Tetrofluoroethylene compound (Okozel) used for insulation and jackets.
FIELDBUS CABLE is a specialized type of cable used in industrial automation and process control systems to facilitate digital communication between field devices, such as sensors, actuators, and controllers. Unlike traditional analog signal wiring, Fieldbus cables allow multiple devices to share the same communication network, reducing wiring complexity and improving data accuracy.
FPL is a general-purpose Power-Limited Fire alarm cable (NEC Art. 760). This means that it is not rated plenum or riser. The cable cannot be used in plenum spaces, air ducts, risers, and other spaces with specifics related to the airflow. Despite this, FPL passes many required fire-resistance tests, such as UL 1424 and UL 1581.
HL Designation given to MC and ITC cables meeting NEC and UL requirements for use in Division 1 hazardous locations.
INSULATION LEVEL: ICEA defines three types of Insulation Levels:
100 Percent Level - Cable for use on grounded systems or where the system is provided with relay protection such that ground faults will be cleared as rapidly as possible or within one minute.
133 Percent Level - Cable for use on ungrounded or grounded systems or where the faulted section will be de-energized in a time not exceeding one hour.
173 Percent Level - Cable for use on systems where the time required to de-energize a grounded section is indefinite.
ITC Instrumentation Tray Cable for instrumentation & control circuits operating ~150V and ~5 amps., per NEC Article 727.
kcmil A unit of conductor area in thousands of circular mils. (Formerly MCM).
LOCA Loss of Coolant Accident, IEEE 383 defines test requirements.
LCS Longitudinal Corrugated Shield.
MC Metal-Clad cable. NEC type designation for power and control cables enclosed in a welded and corrugated metallic sheath (C-L-X), or an interlocking tape armor {Loxarmor). (Article 330)
MC-HL Metal-Clad cable listed for hazardous locations
mil 0.001 inch.
MV Medium Voltage cable. NEC designation for single & multiple conductor insulated cable rated 2001 to 35,000 volts. (NEC Article 328)
NPLF Non-Power Limited Fire Protective Signal Cable 600V rated (NEC Art. 760).
OKO-MARINE Okonite UL Listing for Type OKO-MARINE signal cables in accordance with UL 1309 for non-armored Marine Shipboard Cable.
PAPER Insulated Cables:
PILC Paper Insulated Lead Covered Power Cable.
BELTED Paper Insulated Cable - Used for low and medium voltages (up to 11kV).
Consists of multiple cores wrapped with impregnated paper insulation.
Suitable for moderate mechanical stress applications.
LPGF - Low Pressure Gas Filled.
MPGF - Medium Pressure Gas Filled.
HPGF - High Pressure Gas Filled.
HPFF - High Pressure Fluid Filled.
LPP - Laminated Paper Polypropylene.
Kraft Paper (MD Fourdrinier).
SCFF - Self-Contained Fluid-Filled.
LPFF - 1/C Low Pressure Hollow Core Fluid Filled and 3/C Low Pressure Fluid Filled.
MPFF - 1/C Medium Pressure Hollow Core Fluid Filled and 3/C Medium Pressure Fluid Filled.
PLTC Type designation for Power Limited Tray Cable for use in Class 2 or 3 power-limited circuits, instrumentation, supervisory control, and thermocouple extension.
P-NS Single pair or triad, Non Shielded, instrumentation or thermocouple extension cable.
P-OS Single or multi Pairs or Triads with Overall Shield, instrumentation or thermocouple extension cable.
POWER-LIMITED CIRCUIT A circuit either inherently limited requiring no overcurrent protection or limited by a combination of a power source and overcurrent protection.
PVC Polyvinyl Chloride insulating and jacketing material which is usually flame retardant and resistant to many chemicals.
RHH NEC conductor type designation for conductors with Heat resistant rubber or XLPE insulation, for use in dry locations.
RHW-2 NEC conductor type designation for conductors with Heat and Moisture resistant rubber or XLPE insulation, for use in 90°C wet or dry locations.
SSAC Self-Supporting Aerial Cables
SCREEN A semiconducting nonmetallic layer used under and over the insulation of power cables rated over 2kV to reduce electrical stresses and corona.
SEMICONDUCTING An extruded layer or tape of such resistance that when applied between two elements of a cable the adjacent surfaces of the two elements will maintain substantially the same potential. Semiconducting materials in power cables are typically used to create a layer that helps control the flow of electrical current, ensuring efficient operation and preventing issues like electrical discharge or power loss.
SHIELD A nonmagnetic, metallic material applied over an insulated conductor(s) to confine the electric field to the insulation.
SP-OS Multiple Shielded Pairs or Triads with Overall Shield, instrumentation or thermocouple extension cable.
SR Sunlight Resistant jacket means that the outer layer of the cable has been specially formulated to resist the damaging effects of UV radiation from the sun.
TC NEC type designation for power and control tray cable. (Article 336)
TC-ER Tray Cable – Exposed Run NEC type designation for power and control tray cable.
TFN NEC conductor type designation for PVC insulated nylon jacketed conductors in sizes #18 and 16 AWG for use in dry locations.
THERMOCOUPLE CABLE - A cable consisting of two dissimilar metals or alloys that, when electrically joined at one end can be used to measure temperature.
Thermocouple types:
Type K (Nickel-Chromium / Nickel-Alumel) – General-purpose, high-temperature use.
Type J (Iron / Constantan) – Suitable for lower temperatures and oxidizing environments.
Type T (Copper / Constantan) – Ideal for cryogenic and low-temperature applications.
Type E (Nickel-Chromium / Constantan) – Higher EMF output than K and J, good for cryogenic use.
Type N (Nicrosil / Nisil) – Improved stability and oxidation resistance.
THHN NEC conductor type designation for PVC insulated nylon jacketed conductors for use in dry locations.
THWN-2 NEC conductor type designation for PVC insulated nylon jacketed conductors for use in 90°C wet or dry locations.
TPPO Thermoplastic Polyolefin, a thermoplastic jacket material with low smoke characteristics and is free of halogens.
UL Underwriters Laboratories. An independent organization which examines, tests, lists and periodically inspects equipment to appropriate standards.
URD - Underground residential distribution cables
VERTICAL TRAY FLAME TEST Conducted per UL, IEEE or ICEA procedures to demonstrate that a single conductor (1/0 AWG and larger) or multi-conductor cable will not propagate a fire in the defined test.
VOLTAGE LEVELS
Power-Limited - 0-300 Volts
Low Voltage - 600-2000 Volts
Medium Voltage - 2400-46000 Volts
High Voltage - >46 to 345kV
VOLTAGE RATING V or kV, an industry convention to identify voltage levels, phase to phase voltage.
VW-1 Basic flammability test for single conductors; employs a Tirrill burner applied intermittently to a Vertical Wire.
XHHW-2 NEC conductor type designation for conductors with Heat and Moisture resistant thermoset insulation for use in 90°C wet or dry locations.
XLPE Cross-Linked Polyethylene insulating compound.
XLPO Cross Linked Polyolefin, a thermoset jacket material with low smoke characteristics and is free of halogens.
Z NEC conductor type designation for conductors with ETFE insulation for use in dry locations.
ZW NEC conductor type designation for conductors with ETFE insulation for use in wet or dry locations.
