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The Book of Terms

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The Book of TermsThe WJI Book of Wire & Cable Terms: an interactive experience of learning and sharing
This book, written by industry volunteers and containing more than 5,000 entries, is an asset for newcomers to wire and cable.

At the same time, it also represents an opportunity for industry veterans to give back by either updating or adding to the more than 5,000 entries. This is an honor system process. Entries/updates must be non-commercial, and any deemed not to be so will be removed. Share your expertise as part of this legacy project to help those who will follow. Purchase a printed copy here.

   

 

0-9   A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Caustic Potash

Potassium hydroxide.

Caustic Soda

Another name for sodium hydroxide. Used hot for the removal of grease and lubricant residue from wire.

Caustic Stain

A superficial etching of the surface by a caustic substance.

Caustic/Potassium Permanganate Descaling

Potassium Permanganate is a strong oxidizing agent that can be used to oxidize scale to allow reducing-type acids to pickle more effectively as well as a pretreatment method to overcome problems of heat scale and smut during pickling. It also helps with stainless and alloy steels so that they can be pickled in hydrochloric or sulfuric acids instead of nitric/hydrofluoric acids. It can eliminate the need for molten salt treatment. Typical solutions of 80 g/l of caustic and 80 g/l of potassium permanganate at about 80°C are used.

Cazzaniga Process

A hot-dip galvanizing process. Wire is led into a single degreasing/pickling tank that contains sodium hydroxide solution. Separate compartments for each reel of wire have a winding reel connected to the power supply, the electric circuit being completed through the wire to the zinc bath. The current heats the wire and the electric field surrounding the wire assists the pickling. The wire then goes into the molten zinc, followed by wiping and water quenching.

CB

Designation for rubber-insulated brewery cord, with weatherproof braid on each conductor. Twisted, no overall covering.

CBO

Designation for rubber-insulated brewery cord for use in damp locations.

CC, cc

French for DC.

CCTV

Designation for Closed-Circuit Television.

CDM

Designation for Combined Drawing Machine. This type of unit consists of several components that convert coiled bar stock into straight length bars. See Draw Bench.

Cellular Insulation

Material in foamed or sponge form with the cells closed or interconnected.

Cellular Plastics

Expanded or foam, consists of individual closed cells of inert gas suspended in a plastic medium, resulting in a desirable reduction of the dielectric constant.

Cellular Polyethylene

A system of small, unconnected gas cells distributed throughout polyethylene that can be used as a dielectric material for cables. It has a permittivity inter­mediate between that of the gas and of polyethylene, ranging from 1.4 to 2.3 depending on the ratio of polyethylene to gas. The tensile strength and elongation at break is from one-third to one-half that of solid polyethylene, but is fully adequate for cable use.

Cellulose

A carbohydrate found in plants.

Cellulose Acetate

One of the first plastic films to be used in electrical insulating tape.

Cellulose Acetobutyrate

A plastic used for coating wirework by a dip process in a tank of fluidized powder. Used where a high-gloss finish is required with good impact strength.

Cellulose Lacquer

Coating for magnet wire based on cellulose acetate.

Cellulose Triacetate

A thermoplastic film used for insulation. It has good resistance to heat distortion, and has been used for insulation of range wire and lead wire.

Celsius Temperature Scale

Designated by “C,” this temperature scale is based upon the freezing point of water being defined as 0 degrees and the boiling point defined as 100 degrees. It often is cross-indexed with the scale for Fahrenheit, designated by “F,” where water freezes at 32 degrees and boils at 212 degrees. Celsius is used interchangeably with Centigrade.

Cementation

A process for obtaining a metal from a solution of one of its compounds through displacement by a more electropositive element.
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