Abstract: Cross linked polyethylene (XLPE) is a widely used insulating material for power cables at present. However, it is difficult to recycle after retirement of thermosetting plastic, and it can only be burned or buried, which will cause environmental problems that cannot be ignored. It is particularly important to develop thermoplastic polypropylene insulated power cables. In order to promote the development of polypropylene cable insulating materials, it is necessary to systematically review the research status of polypropylene materials. This paper summarizes the research hotspots of polypropylene insulated cable in recent years, including the relationship between the structure and performance of polypropylene cable insulation, the comparison of performance improvement between mechanical mixing and industrial synthesis. It is believed that the environment-friendly cable based on polypropylene has a great application prospect, however, a lot of research work is needed to realize industrial application, of which chemical synthesis is an important means of developing polypropylene insulated cable. At the same time, the composite technology is also needed to supplement. Finally, from the perspective of engineering practice, this paper summarizes the technical problems and directions that thermoplastic polypropylene cable materials need to break through: processing, matching and stability. In the future, the material aging evaluation research should focus on improving the reliability of the new power cables.