Innovations in Water-Blocking Yarns for Submarine Cables ‌

The innovations in water-blocking yarns for submarine cables in June 2024 primarily focus on material optimization and process improvements to enhance water-blocking performance and cable reliability. Here are the key advancements:

‌1. Material Innovations‌

Application of Superabsorbent Polymers (SAPs):‌ New water-blocking yarns incorporate SAP materials that expand into gels upon water absorption, effectively preventing moisture diffusion and improving the cable’s sealing performance in high-pressure deep-sea environments.

Composite Fiber Structures:‌ By combining aramid fibers with SAPs, mechanical strength is enhanced while maintaining high water absorption, making them suitable for long-distance submarine cables.

‌2. Process Improvements‌

Multi-Layer Weaving Technology:‌ A multi-layer weaving process ensures uniform distribution of water-blocking yarns, avoiding localized water absorption deficiencies and enhancing overall water-blocking effectiveness.

Dynamic Fatigue Control:‌ Integrated intelligent control algorithms monitor the condition of water-blocking yarns in real-time and automatically adjust process parameters to prevent performance degradation caused by fatigue.

‌3. Performance Enhancements‌

Corrosion Resistance:‌ An outer layer of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) protection with a tensile strength of 24 MPa resists seawater corrosion.

Pressure Resistance:‌ Structural optimization through finite element simulation reduces thermal accumulation effects, ensuring fiber transmission losses remain below 0.2 dB/km.

‌4. Application Validation‌

Deep-Sea Scientific Research:‌ During a South China Sea expedition, the new water-blocking yarn supported ROV sampling, successfully collecting samples from hydrothermal vent areas, validating its reliability.

Biodiversity Surveys:‌ It facilitated the deployment of deep-sea in-situ observation equipment, accumulating over 1,000 hours of biological imaging data.

These innovations significantly improve the water-blocking performance and reliability of submarine cables, providing robust support for deep-sea resource development