Abstract: A flat cable includes a plurality of flat conductors each including a copper substrate, the flat conductors being aligned in a plane, and an insulating resin that covers the flat conductors. At least a terminal part of each of the flat conductors has a tin-copper alloy layer on the copper substrate, and a zinc-containing tin plating layer on the tin-copper alloy layers. The thickness of the tin-copper alloy layer is at least 0.2 ?m and not greater than 1.0 ?m. The thickness of the zinc-containing tin plating layer is at least 0.2 ?m and not greater than 1.5 ?m. The total thickness of the tin-copper alloy layer and the zinc-containing tin plating layers is at least 0.4 ?m and not greater than 1.7 ?m.

Abstract: A flat cable that forms highly reliable connections and that has terminal parts in which the formation of whiskers is inhibited is provided. The flat cable includes (1) a plurality of flat conductors each including a copper substrate, the flat conductors being aligned in a plane, and (2) an insulating resin that covers the flat conductors. At least a terminal part of each of the flat conductors has a tin-copper alloy layer on the copper substrate, and a zinc-containing tin-plating layer on the tin-copper alloy layers. The thickness of the tin-copper alloy layer is at least 0.2 ?m and not greater than 1.0 ?m. The thickness of the zinc-containing tin plating layer is at least 0.2 ?m and not greater than 1.5 ?m. The total thickness of the tin-copper alloy layer and the zinc-containing tin-plating layers is at least 0.4 ?m and not greater than 1.7 ?m.

Abstract: A foamed-polyolefin-insulated wire having a conductor diameter of 0.4 mm or less and an insulation thickness of 0.8 mm or less and satisfying, an equivalent dielectric constant less than 1.6, the fluctuation limits of the equivalent dielectric constant less than or equal to ±0.1, and conductor stripping force greater than or equal to 100 g/50 mm. Polyolefin including 10 weight % or more of an ionomer is used. Polyolefin having a swelling ratio of 55 % or more is extruded over the conductor to form a foamed insulation layer with a foaming degree of 50 % or more using a chemical foaming agent and/or an inert gas. The wire is suitable for high-speed data transmission.

Abstract: (1) A flame retardant resin composition comprising 100 parts by weight of thermoplastic resin, 100 to 250 parts by weight of metal hydroxide, and either 5 to 50 parts by weight of acetate or 5 to 80 parts by weight of calcium carbonate. (2) An insulated wire provided with an insulating layer made of the flame retardant resin composition. (3) A thin-wall high-strength insulated wire obtained by having a conductor with an outer diameter 1.0 mm or less covered with the flame retardant resin composition with a thickness from 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm. (4) An insulating tube and a heat-shrinkable tube obtained by molding the flame retardant resin composition into a tubular form. (5) A flat cable obtained by enclosing a plurality of conductors arranged in parallel in an insulating layer and the flat cable obtained by further laminating at least one face of the insulating layer with a film made of polymeric material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electric wire having a conductor and a covering layer covering the conductor. The electric wire is inserted under pressure between two contact portions of a terminal of an insulation displacement connector to electrically connect to the terminal. In the present invention, the covering layer is made of a covering material obtained by irradiating with ionizing radiation a resin composition containing an ethylene copolymer and a metal hydroxide surface-treated with a predetermined silane compound. The 100% tensile modulus of the covering material is 7.8 MPa or more. The 100% tensile modulus and elongation satisfy E1>270−8.5×10−6×Y (where E1 is the elongation and Y is the 100% tensile modulus).

Abstract: A flame-retardant resin composition comprising 100 parts by weight of a thermoplastic resin, from 10 to 80 parts by weight of a bis(halogenophenyl)terephthalamide, and from 5 to 40 parts by weight of antimony trioxide; an electric wire comprising a conductor having thereon an insulating layer comprising the resin composition; and a tube or a heat-shrinkable tube comprising the resin composition.

Abstract: A method of making a heat-resistant coated electrically conductive wire is provided. The method involves forming an insulating coating of one or more thermoplastic resins containing aromatic rings or complex rings which are not cross-linkable alone by electron beams. Exemplary resins are polyetheretherketone, polyamide, polyetherimide, polyallylate, polycarbonate and polysulfone. The method then involves subjecting the insulating coating to irradiation with an accelerated ion beam, which cross-links the resin or resins. The energy of the accelerated ion beam is in a range of 0.1 MeV to 50 MeV, and the dose of the accelerated ion beam is in a range of 1.times.10.sup.11 ions/cm.sup.2 to 1.times.10.sup.15 ions/cm.sup.2.

Abstract: A heat-resistant coated electrically conductive wire, comprising an electrically conductive wire coated with an insulating coating. The insulating coating is obtained by forming a coating of a thermoplastic resin containing aromatic rings or complex rings on the electrically conductive wire, and then by subjecting the insulating coating to irradiation with an accelerated ion beam having an energy at least 0.1 MeV, thereby cross-linking the resin.As the thermoplastic resins, polyetherimide, polysulfone, polyamide, polyallylate, polycarbonate, polyphenylene oxide, and the like can be used.

Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-layer foam heat-shrinkable tube comprising a hot-melt adhesive layer as the innermost layer, at least one non-foam layer and at least one foam layer provided on an outside surface of the hot-melt adhesive layer. The invention also relates to a method for producing a multi-layer foam heat-shrinkable tube comprising extruding a hot-melt adhesive layer as the inner most layer, at least one non-foam layer, and at least one foam layer to form a multi-layer foam tube, heating and expanding the inner diameter of the multi-layer foam tube, and cooling the expanded multi-layer tube while an inner diameter of the tube at the expanded state is maintained. The non-foam layers and foam layers can be provided in any number and any order.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a heat-shrinkable foam tube, wherein a two-layer tube, having a foaming agent outer layer and non-foaming inner layer, is extruded and heated simultaneously to activate the foaming agent. This process condenses the two steps of extruding and foaming into one step and results in a tube which can be manufactured to exact and consistent standards and be shrunk onto a pipe at a low temperature in a short period of time.