®

Today’s aluminum building wire is both safe and reliable. However, the issues of the past continue to tarnish the reputation of aluminum building wire and hinder widespread acceptance of what is, in some ways, a superior product to copper. In today’s market, this misunderstanding is negatively impacting profits for contractors and owners.

Standards and requirements were put in place over 30 years ago, yes you read it correctly, over 30 years ago by the electrical industry. Governing boards of the industry took the appropriate steps that require and thus provide for safe and reliable aluminum building wire installations. Surely there are those reading this and thinking “it may be safe and reliable, but not as safe and reliable as copper.” The fact is that aluminum is just as safe and just as reliable as copper, and it actually provides certain advantages over copper.

A New Aluminum…

In 1968 Southwire® Company led the way in aluminum building wire technology with the advent of triple e® aluminum alloy, resulting in the very first AA-8000 series aluminum alloy. This change resulted in the higher aluminum standards that are still observed today. Starting with a clean slate, metallurgists developed an aluminum alloy that possessed the characteristics desirable in an aluminum building wire. In 1972, and for the first time, aluminum building wire was manufactured with its own metal, not a poor fitting hand-me-down from electrical utility applications. One alloy does not fit all!

This new aluminum alloy, developed and patented by Southwire, bridged the gap in key metal characteristics between copper and aluminum. In AA-8000 series aluminum alloy characteristics such as elongation, thermal stability, compressive creep and flexibility were much closer to that of copper. In addition to a new aluminum alloy, aluminum building wire and devices were being tested and listed for compatibility. The use of compatible materials, proper testing and listing resulted in a reliable aluminum electrical wiring method. In 1987 NEC began requiring AA-8000 series aluminum conductors. This has remained unchanged and can be found in the 2008 NEC Section 310.14. AA-8000 series aluminum alloy conductors have properties that are significantly different from the old AA-1350 aluminum conductors. To confirm your cable has these conductors, look for the designation “AA-8176” on Southwire’s cable print legend.

Today, aluminum AA-8000 alloy is fully recognized by industry standards and is required in all aluminum building wire installed per the NEC. This new aluminum is compact stranded according to ASTM B-801. Compact stranding reduces the diameter of the conductor by 9–10%. Equal ampacity AA-8000 aluminum and copper conductors can usually be installed in the same size conduit because of the compact stranding. Annex C in the 2008 NEC includes tables for determining conduit fill when using compact stranded conductors. These tables can be used for both compact stranded aluminum and copper conductors.

INTroducTIoN

1

2

Faster, cleaner and safer

Aluminum XHHW AlumaFlex® SIMpull THHN® Cable

SIMpull THHN® cAble

Southwire’s SIMpull THHN® is speeding up installation time and lowering installation costs by removing the steps and eliminating the cost required to apply pulling lubricant. Southwire has now applied it’s patent pending Patented SIM Technology® to aluminum building wire. Lighter weight and easier to use, the product offers your customers an installation and material cost advantage. AlumaFlex® SIMpull THHN® benefits include:

less than 1/2 the weight

Sequential footage markers

rated for THHN and THWN-2

rated for Sunlight resistance in all colors

Ability to stop in the middle of a pull if needed to break for lunch or other job site situations

Ability to pull short lengths by hand

reduces horse-collaring for reduced risk of nylon tears

elimination of lube results in a safer work environment such as damage to fingers while applying lube to moving cable, or slipping on spilled lubricant

Available in parallels

Installation Performance Guaranteed (when SIMpull THHN® cable is installed without pulling lubricant)

Patented SIM Technology®

4

GuIde SPecIFIcATIoN

SIMpull THHN® Cable

RECOMMENDED SAMPLE SPECIFICATIONS: 26 05 19 Wire and Cable Type THHN PART 1 - GENERAL 1.1 - SPECIFICATION INCLuDES 1.1.1 Cable Type: Self-Lubricating Type THHN/THWN for use as services, feeders and branch circuits 1.1.2 General Applications: Type THHN/THWN cable may be used in the following general applications per the National Electrical Code®

1.2 - SubMITTALS 1.2.1 Product Data: Submit manufacturer’s product data confirming that materials comply with specified requirements and are suitable for the intended applications. 1.2.2 Installation Instructions: Manufacturer’s installation instructions shall be included in submittal. Industry guides may supplement the manufacturer’s instructions.

1.3 - REquIREMENTS 1.3.1 Underwriters Laboratories: Type THHN/THWN-2 cable shall meet the following Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standards and listings. 1.3.1.1 UL 83 Thermoplastics-Insulated Wire and Cables 1.3.1.2 UL listed sunlight resistance, 2 AWG and larger. 1.3.1.3 Sizes4through1AWGshallberatedVW-1.Sizes1/0AWGandlargerlistedforCTUse. PART 2 - PRODUCTS 2.1 - MANuFACTuRER 2.1.1 Southwire Company, One Southwire Drive, Carrollton, Georgia, 30119 2.1.2 Senator Wire & Cable, 102 City Hall Avenue, Carrollton, Georgia 30117 2.1.3 Manufacturer shall provide performance guarantee that the cable can be used without field applied lubricant.

2.2 - CAbLE CONSTRuCTION 2.2.1 Conductor: Conductors shall be AlumaFlex® AA-8000 series aluminum alloy. 2.2.2 Insulation: The insulation shall be high-heat and moisture resistant PVC. 2.2.3 Self-LubricatingJacket:Thejacketshallbeabrasion,moisture,gasolineandoilresistantnylonor listedequivalent.Jacketsonconductorsizes2andlargershallbeSIMpull® or equivalent having integrated self-lubrication such that the cable coefficient of friction is less than or equal to 0.17. 2.2.4 Phase conductors: The phase conductors shall be of a solid color to meet system voltage identification requirements 120/208Y and 277/480V.

PART 3 - INSTALLATION 3.1 - INSTALLATION 3.1.1 Manufacturer’s Instructions: Type THHN cable shall be installed per the manufacturer’s published installation instructions. Industry guides may supplement the manufacturer’s instructions. 3.1.2 Field Support: Manufacturer shall provide, when required, field engineering support for Type THHN cable installation. 3.1.3 Manufacturer: Type THHN cable for circuits, feeders and services shall be supplied from a single manufacturer. 3.2 - SPECIFIC uSES 3.2.1 Type THHN cable may be used in conduit, raceways and cable trays for services, feeders and branch circuits as specified in the applicable section of the NEC®. 3.3 - uSES NOT PERMITTED 3.2.1 Type THHN cable shall not be used in direct burial applications. 3.4 - AMPACITy 3.4.1 The ampacity of Type THHN cable shall be determined in accordance with Article 310.15 of the National Electrical Code®. The installation should not exceed the temperature ratings of the terminations and equipment.

5

reducING INSTAllATIoN coSTS WITH SIMpull THHN® cAble

Required items for a wire pull

Steps to install standardRegular black

Steps to install SIMpull black

Stepsto install SIMpull Colored

Stepsto install SIMpull Color/Parallel

Plan/Pull/Order Materials

5gal.bucketsoflube •

Hours x men x rate • •

Phase tape • •

Reel storage • • • 1/4

Transport reels to set up area • • • 1/4

Site Setup

Set up area • • • 1/4

Set up time • • • 1/4

Reeljacks • • • 1/4

Number of people • • • 1/4

Pulling equipment • • • •

Pulling equipment set up time • • • •

Phase tape wire • •

Makeuppullinghead • • •

Pull Cable

Slow pull speed •

Apply pulling lubricant •

break Down Site and Cleanup

Clean up time •

Clean up rags •

Return lube •

Returnphasetapeandjackstands • • • 1/4

Return empty reels • • • 1/4

Multiply your savings with aluminum SIMpull THHN® in colors on parallel reels.

Typical 100’ InstallationRaceway - EMT

Conductors - 400 amp 3 phase / 4 wire with ground

$0

$1,000

$2,000

$3,000

$4,000

$5,000

$6,000

Conductor Cost

Labor CostLabor Cost

500 CU THHN 750 AL SIMpull THHN®

6

coMPArISoN oF SIMpull THHN® ANd XHHW

THHN/THWN-2 XHHW-2

PVC

Nylon-SIMJacket® (SLIKQWIK® Infused Membrane)

CrossLinkPolyethylene Insulation

Cable Constructions

Some of the most stressful days for a contractor are the days when service and feeder conductors are pulled in on a job, becauseofheavyfinancialriskifdamageoccursduringinstallation.SIMpull THHN® cable with AlumaFlex® conductors provides outstanding performance over XHHW at the point it first matters, the installation of conductors in conduit. Installers state how it is more difficult to pull XHHW into conduit than THHN. With aluminum SIMpull THHN® cable the differenceisdramatic.Just,askanyonethathasinstalledSIMpull THHN® cable about their installation and they will tell you 100% of the time, that the pull exceeded their expectations. And all this without pulling lubricant.

In an effort to qualify the experience that contractors have in the field, we have subjected SIMpull THHN® cable with AlumaFlex®conductorsandaluminumXHHWtoindustryrecognizedteststodemonstratethedifferencebetweenSouthwire’saluminum SIMpull THHN® cable and XHHW. The following are the results of this comparison between SIMpull THHN®/THWN-2andXHHW-2cableconstructions.Alsoprovidedarecomparativeinsulation/jacketcharacteristics.Formoreinfor-mation, included is a full description of each test performed. Tests are based on ICEA P-81-570.

The Results: •SIMpull THHN®/THWN-2 and XHHW-2 cable outside diameters are virtually the same. •SIMpull THHN®/THWN-2 compared to XHHW cable found SIMpull THHN® cable to be a superior insulation based on the following. - Abrasion resistant test - SIMpull 360% better - Scoring resistance test - SIMpull 132% better - Sharp impact test - SIMpull 202% better - Blunt impact test - SIMpull 138% - Crush test - SIMpull 118% better - Puncture test - SIMpull 81% better

490 537 589 656 706 752 795 872 971 1035 1066 1139

489 536 588 653 703 749 792 869 976 1040 1071 1162

THHN/THWN-2

2/0 3/0 4/0 250 300 350 400 500 600 700 750 900

XHHW-2

Nominal Outside Diameter in Mils

57 57 57 68 68 68 68 68 79 79 79 79

55 55 55 65 65 65 65 65 85 85 85 85

THHN/THWN-2*

2/0 3/0 4/0 250 300 350 400 500 600 700 750 900

XHHW-2

Insulation Thickness in Mils

*PVCandNylonThickness

Size

Size

3

GuIde SPecIFIcATIoN

SIMpull THHN® Cable600 Volts, AlumaFlex® Aluminum (AA-8176) Conductor,

Thermoplastic Insulation/SIM Nylon Sheath,Heat, Moisture, Gasoline, and Oil Reistant1,Sunlight Resistant,

Also Rated THWN-2Patented SIM Technology® for Easier Pulling

APPLICATIONSouthwire SIMpull THHN® cable with AlumFlex® conductors are primarily used in conduit and cable trays for services, feeders, and branch circuits in commercial or industrial applications as specified in the National Electrical Code2. When used as Type THHN, or T90 Nylon conductor is suitable for use in dry locations at temperatures not to exceed 90°C. When used as Type THWN-2 or TWN75, conductor is suitable for use in wet or dry locations at temperatures not to exceed 90°C or not to exceed 75°C when exposed to oil or coolant. When used as Type MTW, conductor is suitable for use in wet locations or when exposed to oil or coolant at temperatures not to exceed 60°C or dry locations at temperatures not to exceed 90°C (with ampacity limited to that for 75°C conductor temperature per NFPA 79). Voltage for all applications is 600 volts. This cable should be installed without application of pulling lubricant.

SPECIFICATIONSSouthwire SIMpull THHN® cable with AlumaFlex® conductors meets or exceeds all applicable ASTM specifications, UL Standard 83, UL Standard 1063 (MTW), CSA, NOM-ANCE 90(D)C Federal Specification A-A-59544, and requirements of the National Electrical Code. •VW-1-Sizes4through1AWG •CT-Sizes1/0AWGandlargersizesratedforCTuse •FT1-Sizes4AWGthrough750kcmil •T90Nylon-Sizes4AWGthrough750kcmil •TWN75-Sizes4AWGthrough750kcmil •SunlightResistant-blackconductors,2AWGandlarger

CONSTRUCTIONSouthwire SIMpull THHN® cable conductors are AlumaFlex® AA-8000 series triple e® aluminum alloy compact stranded. Insulated with a tough, heat and moisture resistant polyvinyl chloride (PVC), over which a SIM (SLIKQWIK® Infused Mem-brane)nylon(polyamide)orUL-listedequaljacketisapplied.Phaseconductorsareavailablesizes1/0AWG-1000kcmilinblack,white,red,blue,orange,yellowandgray.Groundsavailablesizes4AWG-900kcmilingreen.Somecolorsstan-dard,somesubjecttoeconomicorderquantity.Conductorsizes2AWGandlargerlistedandmarkedsunlightresistantinblackonly.

1 Oil and gasoline resistant II as defined by Underwriters Laboratories.2 2008 Edition

One Southwire DriveCarrollton, GA 30119 USA

®

© Copyright 2008, Southwire Company.All Rights Reserved

Southwire, SIMpull THHN, NoLube AlumaFlex, SIM Technology, SLIKQWIK, SIMpull T-90, SIMJacket,tripleeareregisteredtrademarksof Southwire Company. Product Performance GuaranteeisatrademarkofSouthwireCompany.

Manufactured under U.S. Patent No. 7411129

7

INSulATIoN ANd jAckeT TeSTING

Abrasion and Scoring resistant Tests results

Abrasion Resistant Scoring Resistant

Abrasion Test Scoring Test

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

THHN/THWN-2 XHHW-2

Cycles to Failure

Cycles to Failure

0

5

10

15

20

25

THHN/THWN-2 XHHW-2

Cycles to Failure

Cycles to Failure

These tests are designed to measure the ability of the insulation to withstand the cutting and gouging action of rocks, debris or burrs which damage cable while being pulled through conduit. Both abrasion and scoring tests are conducted on a table where the samples are securely fastened. The abrasion and scoring table moves back and forth at a rate of 30 times per minute.

The abrasion tool has a hardened tooth 0.125 inches in height with a 90° angle and a 0.009 inch radius on the tip. The abrasion tool is positioned perpendicular to the test sample and weighs 25 pounds. Six samples are tested.

The scoring tool also has a hardened pointed cylindrical tip, cut at an 18° angle with a 0.009 inch radius on the end. The scoring tool weighs 2 pounds. Six samples are tested in each of four quadrants. The results are the average of 24 readings.

SIMpull THHN® cable 360% more abrasion resistant SIMpull THHN® cable 132% more scoring resistant

8

INSulATIoN ANd jAckeT TeSTING

Sharp and blunt Impact Test results

Sharp Impact blunt Impact

Sharp Impact Test Blunt Impact Test

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

THHN/THWN-2 XHHW-2

Pounds Force

Pounds Force

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

THHN/THWN-2 XHHW-2

Pounds Force

Pounds Force

These tests are designed to simulate the impact damage caused by rough handling in the field. The sample is held securely at the base of the apparatus at a 60° angle from horizontal. In the sharp impact the sample is struck by an impact tool with a 15° angle and a radius edge of 0.023 inches, whereas in the blunt impact the sample is truck by an impact tool with a 45° angle and a radius edge of 0.023 inches. The tool is attached to the end of a free swinging pendulum arm.

A breakthrough of the insulation is registered by an electronic circuit which detects contact between the impact tool and the sample conductor. The arc of the pendulum is gradually increased until a breakthrough occurs. The last passing value determines the performance of the five samples in this test. The test results are expressed in inch-pounds of force.

SIMpull THHN® cable 202% more sharp impact SIMpull THHN® cable 138% more blunt impact

10

THHN vS XHHW INSulATIoN ANd jAckeT

Rated Conductor temperatures by insulation type Thermoplastic Theromoset

Values Values

- Normal operating temp 90°C wet/dry 90°C wet/dry

- Emergency operating temp 105°C 130°C

- Short Circuit 150°C 250°C

Minimum installation temperature -10°C (14°F) -40°C (-40°F)

Contractorneeds/concerns THHN/THWN-2 XHHW-2

3) Design temperatures considerations

Durabilityofinsulation/jackettesting Test

SIMpull THHN® improvement over XHHW

Abrasion Resistant 144 cycles to failure 62 cycles to failure 360%

Scoring 23 cycles to failure 5 cycles to failure 132%

Sharp Impact 28.85 lb-force 9.55 lb-force 202%

Blunt Impact 107.47 lb-force 45.1 lb-force 138%

Crush Resistant 668 lb-force 307 lb-force 118%

Puncture Resistant 49 lb-force 27 lb-force 81%

1) Resistance to conductors being damaged during installation

Ratings

- Flame resistance (ability to limit fire propagation) 1/0 AWG and larger-rated for cable tray use

requires special order

- Chemical resistance - oil resistance good fair

- gasoline resistance good poor

- acid resistance poor good

-alkalineresistance good good

- hydraulic fluid good fair

- moisture resistance good excellent

- Sunlight Resistance yes-black2AWGandlarger colors 1/0 AWG

and larger

black2AWGand larger

- Flexibility good fair

- Environmental RoHS yes yes

- Ease of training conductor at point of termination yes stiffer

2) Insulation jacket ratings & properties

- Stripability excellent good

-Footagemarkers yes no

-Color(safer,virtuallyeliminatestheriskof crossing phases

yes-9colorsstocked blackonly

- Conductors can be removed at later date yes no

4) Desirable features

9

crush and Puncture resistant Testing results

These tests are designed to simulate a cable under a compressions load, such as being run over by equipment during and after installation. Both crush and puncture tests are conducted with a compression tester.

In the crush test, cable samples are positioned between 0.250 inch diameter steel rod and a flat metal plate. The rod is at right angles to the cable axis.

The puncture test is conducted in a similar manner to the crush test. A puncture tool is attached to the top metal block in the compression fixture. The puncture tool has a hardened cylindrical point cut at a 30° angle to the center line with a 0.009 inches radius point. The puncture tool is positioned directly over the sample, then a compression load is supplied.

Ten samples are then subjected to a compression load of one-half inch per minute. A failure occurs when the tool contacts the conductor. A failure is detected by an electronic DC voltage circuit. Results are measured in pounds.

Crush Resistant Puncture Resistant

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

THHN/THWN-2 XHHW-2

Pounds Force

Pounds Force

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

THHN/THWN-2 XHHW-2

Pounds Force

Pounds Force

Crush Test Puncture Test

SIMpull THHN® cable 118% more crush resistant SIMpull THHN® cable 81% more puncture resistant

INSulATIoN ANd jAckeT TeSTING

Printed in the USA, 2008

Product Performance Guarantee is a trademarks of Southwire Company. AlumaFlex, SIMpull THHN, SIMpull T-90, Patented SIM Technology, SIM Jacket , NoLube, SLIKQWIK , triple e and

Southwire are registered trademarks of Southwire Company.

National Electrical Code and NEC are registered trademarks of the National Fire Protection Association, Inc. Quincy, MA 02169

08/2008 © 2008 Southwire Company

SOUTHWIRE COMPANYONESOUTHWIREDRIVE•CARROLLTON,GEORGIA30119

888-NoLube 0 (888-665-8230)www.southwire.com

SIMpull THHN® with aluminumconductors is cable tray rated