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).[1] A cable with such a compound is called a filled cable. Cable compounds are formulated and manufactured to have very good electrical resistance properties to ensure good functioning of the filled cable.
Icky-pick is a common gel-type compound used in outdoor fiber-optic cables.