The permanent records made by a wire manufacturer of the tests performed on a batch of wire to a specification.

Alternating Current (a.c.). An electric current which periodically reverses direction, in contrast to direct current (DC) which flows only in one direction. The abbreviations AC and DC are often used to mean simply alternating and direct, as when they modify current or voltage.

A measure of ability of a wire, wire covering or material to resist surface wear or damage by mechanical means.

A test that attempts to duplicate long-time environmental aging in comparatively short time sans.

A chemical additive used to initiate the chemical reaction in a specific chemical mixture.

Cables bonded by adding an adhesive coating to the surface of the cable components, then joining and curing the adhesive to form a cable. See Bonded Cables.

The measure of the ease with which an alternative current flows in a circuit. The reciprocal of impedance.

The change in properties of a material with time under specific conditions.

Acronym for Aluminum Mylar. A laminated aluminum and polyester tape used for shielding wires.

A metal formed by combining two or more different metals to obtain desirable properties.

Electric current that continually reverses its direction. It is expressed in cycles per second (Hertz or HZ).

The temperature of a medium (gas or liquid) surrounding an object.

The standard system used for designating wire diameter. The lower the AWG number, the larger the diameter. Also called the Brown and Sharpe (B&S) Wire Gauge.

The maximum current an insulated wire or cable can safely carry without exceeding either the insulation or jacket material limitations.

A unit of current; one ampere is the current flowing through one ohm of resistance at one volt potential.

The magnetic intensity at any point near a current-carrying conductor can be computed on the assumption that each infinitesimal length of the conductor produces at the point of an infinitesimal magnetic density. The resulting magnetic intensity at the point is the vector sum of the contributions of all the elements of the conductor.

Transmission data densities by continuously variable quantities.

The process of controlled heating and cooling of a metal. In a wire and cable products, copper and aluminum are annealed to increase flexibility while maintaining adequate strength.

American National standards Institute.

A substance which prevents or slows down oxidation of material exposed to air.

A substance which prevents or slows down material degradation due to ozone reaction.

A classification covering insulated wire and cable for internal wiring of appliances and equipment.

The time required for an arc to establish a conductive path in a material.

The outer-most layer of a cable applied for mechanical protection usually consisting of layer(s) of metallic tape, braid, or served wires.

American Standards Association; former name of ANSI.

American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

United Kingdom approval agency.

The American Society for Testing and Materials, a non-profit industry-wide organization which publishes standards, methods of test, recommended practices, definitions and other related material.

Power loss in an electrical system. In cables, generally expressed in db per unit length, usually 100 ft.

The range of frequencies audible to the human ear. Usually 20-20,000 Hz.

American Wire Gauge. The standard system used for designating wire diameter. Also referred to as the Brown and Sharpe (B&S) wire gauge.

Underwriters Laboratories designation for Appliance Wiring Material.