Cable compounds are materials used to prevent the ingress of moisture into telecommunication and power transmission cables. The compound used varies depending upon the type of cable; generally, they are either soft waxy compounds (for use in copper-wire telecom cables), soft thixotropic gels with a consistency similar to that of hair gel (for use in optical fibre cables), or resin/polymer thickened oils (for use in paper insulated energy cables).
Cable compounds act as barriers against moisture in telecommunication and power transmission systems. The specific compound used depends on the cable type; typically, they are soft waxy materials (copper-wire telecom cables), thixotropic gels with a consistency like hair gel (optical fiber cables), or resin/polymer thickened oils (paper-insulated energy cables).