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Flame Retardance 4th Utility

July 22, 2025

Halguard®: Flame Retardance for the 4th Utility

As broadband becomes the Fourth Utility, the demands on cabling infrastructure have never been greater. Fiber and data cables are packed into dense racks, trays, and plenums—especially in data centers, smart buildings, and transit systems. In these environments, flame retardance isn’t optional. It’s mission-critical.

That’s where Halguard® comes in.

At Teknor Apex, we developed Halguard to deliver the flame retardance, low smoke, and halogen-free performance required by today’s most demanding applications—without compromising durability or flexibility.

What Makes Halguard® Different?

Halguard is a family of low-smoke, halogen-free flame-retardant (LS HFFR) compounds designed for cable jacketing and insulation in environments where both safety and performance are paramount.

It offers:

Compliance With a Broad Range of International Flame Tests (Riser, FT4, VW-1, CPR Class B/C)
Optimized Mechanical Performance
Softness for a More Flexible Cable
Ease of Extrusion Processing

These attributes make it a go-to choice for cable designers seeking a high-performance LS HFFR material.

Designed for Fiber Optics & Data Infrastructure

One of Halguard’s standout features is dimensional stability. In fiber optic cables, even small shrinkage during cooling can stress delicate fibers. Halguard® compounds are engineered to maintain jacket dimensions after extrusion, protecting sensitive fiber bundles and reducing risk of failure.

Halguard is used extensively in:

Fiber optic cable jacketing
Low-voltage and signal cables in commercial buildings
Mass transit and public safety systems

As smart infrastructure evolves, Halguard continues to meet new requirements for sustainability, safety, and scale.

Safer Materials for the 4th Utility

The Fourth Utility needs materials that do more. With Halguard, you get:

Compliance and confidence in tough fire safety specs
Durability to match high-performance network demands
Support from Teknor Apex materials application and technical experts to fine-tune your formulations

From custom cable designs to large-scale fiber deployments, Halguard delivers reliable protection where it matters most.

👉 Download the Halguard® brochure for more applications and specifications.

Halguard Product Guide Brochure

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Special Requirements for Low-Smoke, Halogen-Free, Flame-Retardant Compounds

While there is increasing demand for low-smoke, halogen-free, flame-retardant (LS HFFR) compounds in many cable applications, fiber optics present special requirements for these types of materials. Tight buffer compounds must be tough yet elastic to protect the optical fiber from mechanical damage and the signal losses caused by micro-bends. Jacket compounds must exhibit a low degree of post-extrusion shrinkage, which can impose stress on the sensitive fibers during post-extrusion temperature cycling and over time during end use.

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