Method 4.8.18 performs physical tests on aged insulation and jacket materials to determine by means of tension measurements whether various insulating and jacketing materials have been properly processed. This test makes provision for making tension measurements both before and after these materials have been artificially aged.
Each specimen consists of a single piece of insulation or jacketing of sufficient length for use in the tensile test (per method 4.8.29). Specimens are subjected to controlled aging conditions and then tensile strength and elongation are measured.
The comparison of pre-aging and post-aging physical properties provides critical data on the long-term reliability of cable insulation and jacket materials in the demanding shipboard environment.