Question: Why are low fire hazard materials important?
Answer: The value of low fire hazard materials is increasingly recognized not only because of the potential fire hazards to personnel from toxic smoke and poor visibility, but also the corrosion damage by halogenated materials to equipment. The cost of corrosion damage to the equipment often exceeds the cost of direct fire damage.
As a result, low fire hazard cables and accessories are now specified in an increasing range of environments such as mass transport, oil and gas production, petrochemical plants, power stations, airports, ships, hospitals and public buildings.
The choice of suitable materials for electrical systems is an important factor in preventive fire safety measures. In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the fire risks associated with cable insulation polymers.
Question: Is TE's Raychem ZCSM Heat Shrink Tubing flame-retardant?
Answer: Yes. As primary insulation and over sheath replacement, we have developed a heat-shrinkable material, Thick-wall Heat Shrink Tubing, that is halogen-free and flame-retardant. A range of established tests, such as flammability tests, limiting oxygen index and temperature index, have been carried out to assess the flame retardancy of this material.
The results show that the performance of the ZCSM tubing compares favorably with that of modern flame retardant cable materials.
Question: Can TE's Raychem ZCSM Tubing be used in applications with low smoke requirements?
Answer: The reduction in visibility caused by rapid smoke evolution in fire conditions represents a serious hazard to both escaping personnel and fire-fighting teams. The optical smoke density produced by our Raychem ZCSM Heat Shrink Tubing in fire conditions has been measured in accordance with typical methods such as the 3m3 Cube Test (IEC 60134) and has proven its applicability.