What Is Type G Cable?
Type G cable is a flexible three- or four-core medium- to heavy-duty portable power cord for industrial and mining use. The cable has a 2,000-volt AC rating with three or four green insulated ground conductors. Type G cable uses a rope lay construction for strength and has a circular shape achieved through the use of fillers and reinforcement. It has an outer jacket made from chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) synthetic rubber that's resistant to deformation, abrasion, and abuse. Allied Wire and Cable (AWC) Type G cables have UL approval and MSHA listing.
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Type G Cable Construction
Conductors
Each conductor has multiple strands of pure annealed bare copper wire. Strand sizes vary from 20 American Wire Gauge (AWG) for large diameter wires to 28 AWG on smaller conductors.
Insulation
Type G cables use cross-linked synthetic ethylene, propylene, and diene comonomer (EPDM) rubber insulation. This material has excellent resistance to heat, cold, ozone, acids, alkalis, rain, and snow. The insulation retains its flexibility at low temperatures and has good abrasion resistance.
Ground wires
Type G cables have the same number of ground wires as primary conductors. The cross-sectional area of the ground wires is relatively large, and in total equates to roughly the same cross-sectional area as that of the primary conductors. Multiple ground wires reduce the possibility of ground wire failure in critical applications. Ground wires have green EPDM insulation.
Jacket
The jacket is chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) with fillers and reinforcement to ensure the cable has a circular profile. CPE rubber resists chemical, oil, acid, alkali, and alcohol attack and has excellent weathering properties. It's flame-resistant and waterproof.
Type G Cable Applications
You can use this cable as a portable power supply cable for three- and four-wire AC power supplies that require grounding. It's suitable for industrial and mining use and has Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) listing. Specific applications include use as a temporary power supply and for powering portable heavy-duty mining equipment including conveyors, cranes, mobile equipment, electromagnets, and oil drilling equipment.
Difference Between Type G, Type G-GC, and Type GC Cables
Type G cable is one of several types of three-phase AC heavy-duty mining and industrial portable power cords available from AWC. While also classified as portable power cables, type G-GC cables only have 2 ground wires and 2 ground checks as well as 3 conductors. Type GC cable is almost identical to type G cables, except that a yellow ground-check conductor replaces one of the ground wires. You wire the ground check conductor to a supervisory circuit that trips power to the cable if the ground check conductor breaks or goes open circuit.
Type G Cable Specifications
| Cable Type (UL Style): | Type G |
| Voltage Rating: | 2000 volts |
| Usable Temperature Range: | -40°C to +90°C |
| Conductors: | Three to four pure stranded copper (red, white, black, and orange) |
| Ground Wires: | Three or four (green) |
| Stranding: | Rope-lay stranding |
| Insulation: | EPDM |
| Jacket Material: | CPE |
| Sizes: | 8 AWG to 500 MCM |
| Impact and Abrasion Resistance: | Good |
| Chemical Resistance: | Good |
| Weather Resistance: | Excellent |
Type G Cable Approvals
- MSHA P-122-MSHA flame-resistanced
- UL 1581 vertical tray flame test
- UL 1650 Portable Power Cable
- CSA approved
- MSHA listed
- Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliant