What are the materials of flame retardant wires and cables?

Flame-retardant wire refers to wires that are fireproof and flame-retardant. Generally, under test conditions, after the wire is burned, if the power is cut off, the fire will be controlled within a certain range and will not spread. It has the performance of flame retardancy and suppression of toxic smoke. As an important part of electrical safety, the selection of materials for flame-retardant wires is crucial. At present, the commonly used flame-retardant wire materials on the market include PVC, XLPE, silicone rubber, and mineral insulation materials.

Material selection of flame-retardant wires and cables

The higher the oxygen index of the material used for flame-retardant cables, the better the flame-retardant performance, but as the oxygen index increases, some other properties will be lost. If the physical properties and process properties of the material are reduced, the operation is difficult, and the material cost is increased, so the oxygen index should be reasonably and appropriately selected. Generally, if the oxygen index of the insulating material reaches 30, the product can pass the test requirements of Class C in the standard. If the sheath material and the filling material are both flame-retardant materials, the product can meet the requirements of Class B and Class A. Materials for flame-retardant wires and cables are mainly divided into halogen-containing flame-retardant materials and halogen-free flame-retardant materials;

1. Halogen-containing flame-retardant materials decompose and release hydrogen halides when heated during combustion. Hydrogen halides can capture active free radicals HO roots, thereby delaying or extinguishing the combustion of the material and achieving the purpose of flame retardancy. Commonly used materials include polyvinyl chloride, chloroprene rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, ethylene propylene rubber, etc.

1) Flame-retardant polyvinyl chloride (PVC): Due to its low price, good insulation, and flame retardancy, polyvinyl chloride is widely used in ordinary flame-retardant wires and cables. To improve the flame retardancy of PVC, halogen flame retardants (decabromodiphenyl ether), chlorinated paraffin, and synergistic flame retardants are often added to the formula to improve the flame retardancy of polyvinyl chloride; Ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM): It is a non-polar hydrocarbon with excellent electrical properties, high insulation resistance and low dielectric loss, but EPDM is a flammable material. It is necessary to reduce the degree of cross-linking of EPDM and reduce the low molecular weight substances produced by molecular chain disconnection to improve the flame retardancy of the material;
2) Low smoke and low halogen flame retardant materials are mainly for polyvinyl chloride and chlorosulfonated polyethylene. Add CaCO3 and A(lOH)3 to the formula of polyvinyl chloride. Zinc borate and MoO3 can reduce the HCL release and smoke of flame-retardant polyvinyl chloride, thereby improving the flame retardancy of the material and reducing the emission of halogen, acid mist and smoke, but may slightly reduce the oxygen index.

2. Halogen-free flame retardant materials

Polyolefin is a halogen-free material composed of hydrocarbons. It decomposes carbon dioxide and water when burned, and does not produce obvious smoke and harmful gases. Polyolefins mainly include polyethylene (PE) and ethylene-vinyl acetate (E-VA). These materials themselves are not flame retardants, and inorganic flame retardants and phosphorus series flame retardants need to be added to be processed into practical halogen-free flame retardant materials; however, due to the lack of polar groups on the molecular chain of non-polar substances, they are hydrophobic and have poor affinity with inorganic flame retardants, making it difficult to combine firmly. To improve the surface activity of polyolefins, surfactants can be added to the formula; or polymers containing polar groups can be mixed into polyolefins for blending, thereby increasing the amount of flame retardant fillers, improving the mechanical properties and processing properties of the material, and obtaining better flame retardancy. It can be seen that flame-retardant wires and cables are still very advantageous and are very environmentally friendly to use.