Non-Halogenated Wire and Cable Compounds Meet UL and IEC Requirements for Risers

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A new series of low-smoke, non-halogenated compounds meets the flammability requirements of the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 1666 riser cable flame test and the International Electrical Code (IEC) 332-3 Category C test for riser applications and provides property advantages over conventional products, it was announced today by Teknor Apex Company, which is introducing the produ cts to the U.S. market at Wire Expo 1998.

At the same event, affiliate Teknor Color Company is unveiling a line of color concentrates for use with these compounds in fiber optic applications. Details on the colors appear in a news release being distributed at the show by Teknor Color.

Called FireGUARD (trademark) LSNH the new compound series encompasses eight grades for insulating and jacketing fiber optic cable and copper data and communications wire. According to Industry Manager Donald G. Ouellette, the compounds exhibit low acid g as emission; good flame retardant behavior, including minimal smoke generation during combustion; and outstanding elastomeric properties over a wide temperature range.

"The result of extensive R&D, FireGUARD LSNH compounds are proprietary formulations that, in many direct comparisons, provide properties superior to those of existing non-halogenated compounds while being priced competitively," said Ouellette. He pointed to Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI) values up to 53%, elongation at break as high as 320%, and brittle points as low as -46 °C.

In passing the IEC 332-3 Category C tests, cables with buffers and jackets of FireGUARD LSNH 1001 exhibited a maximum char height of 0.813 m for a Duplex construction and 1.020 m for a 6-fiber Mac/Distribution construction. The same compound was used for the buffers and jackets of cables in the UL 1666 flame test: maximum flame heights were 4.0 and 6.5 ft. (1.22 and 1.98 m), respectively, for the same two constructions; maximum temperatures were 398 and 438 oF. (203 and 226 oC).

Initial trials by wire and cable producers confirm the processability of LSNH compounds under commercial-scale conditions, according to Ouellette. "As a result, we anticipate that these novel products will provide a competitive edge in a range of copper and fiber optic applications, including tightly buffered products," he said.