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The Book of Terms

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The Book of TermsThe WJI Book of Wire & Cable Terms: an interactive experience of learning and sharing
This book, written by industry volunteers and containing more than 5,000 entries, is an asset for newcomers to wire and cable.

At the same time, it also represents an opportunity for industry veterans to give back by either updating or adding to the more than 5,000 entries. This is an honor system process. Entries/updates must be non-commercial, and any deemed not to be so will be removed. Share your expertise as part of this legacy project to help those who will follow. Purchase a printed copy here.

   

 

0-9   A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Migration

1) The movement of the non-resinous plasticizer in vinyl that takes place at elevated or lowered temperatures. The migrating plasticizer from the jacket contaminates the polyethylene core of the coaxial cable and thus changes its electrical characteristics. 2) Movement of a material from one point to another. Often the movement is unwanted such as migration of contaminants around a seal in a filter.

Migration of Plasticizer

Loss of plasticizer from an elastomeric plastic compound. It is subsequently absorbed by an adjacent medium of lower plasticizer concentration.

Mike Cable

See Microphone Cable.

Mil

Designation for one thousandth of an inch. Used, among other things, in measuring diameter of a wire or thickness of insulation over a conductor.

Mild Drawn Wire

Wire drawn with a reduction in area of about 10 percent or less from the rod or annealed base.

Mild Steel

Carbon steel containing approximately 0.12 to 0.25 percent carbon.

Mill Lengths

Lengths that can be most economically handled by the mill. Upper and lower limits are set by equipment limitations in the mill.

Mill Products

Any product in which a working of the metal has been involved. Includes wire, extrusions, sheets, plates and forgings.

Mill Scale

The heavy oxide layer formed during hot fabrication or heat treatment of metals.

Milli

Prefix denoting one thousandth.

Milli-second

One thousandth of a second (10^-3 second).

Milliampere

One thousandth of an ampere.

Milliken Construction

A method of stranding the cores of AC power cables whereby the skin and prox­imity effects are reduced. In a stranded cable, the skin effect results in each outer wire carrying more current than each inner wire. The proximity effect causes the current to flow more readily to one side of the conductor.

Millimeter

One thousandth of a meter.

Millivolt

One thousandth of a volt.

Min Wall

See Minimum Wall Thickness.

Mineral Insulated

Designation for cable and thermocouple wire consisting of one or more conductors surrounded by magnesium oxide insulation and enclosed in a liquid- and gas-tight metallic sheathing. Because the construction is completely inorganic, the cable is very heat-resistant and inert to most conditions.

Mineral Oil

A form of lubricant used mainly in aluminum wire manufacturing to reduce friction and heat and protect the surfaces of the machine and product.

Mineral-Insulated Cable

Manufactured by inserting from one to 19 conduc­tors into a solid drawn metal tube. It is smaller than equivalent cables, is non-aging, has great mechanical strength and is water-, oil- and fireproof. It has a high current carrying capacity, can operate over a wide temperature range and is ideal for flameproof applications.

Miniature Wire

Insulated conductors of approximately 20 to 34 AWG with small overall diameters.
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