FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE: SHOULD YOUR CABLES BE FLAME RETARDANT OR FIRE RESISTANT?
You would be forgiven for thinking the terms “flame retardant” and “fire resistant” mean the same thing. However, with regard to cables, there is an important distinction to make between these two properties. When it comes to preserving circuits in situations where human life or valuable property is exposed to a high risk of fire, or when facilitating a safe and immediate plant shutdown, this distinction is absolutely critical.
To put it briefly, flame-retardant materials are designed to slow down the spread of a conflagration. A good flame-retardant cable can lie in a fire without igniting and, if the flames do burn long and intensely enough to set it alight, the cable will self-extinguish as soon as the external source of the flame is removed. Fire-resistant or fire-rated cables, meanwhile, are designed to maintain circuit integrity even in the centre of a blaze. In other words, they will continue to function as normal for a specified period of time even while a fire rages around them.
You can imagine the standard of insulation required to make cables fire resistant. To that end, phlogopite mica tape is one of the best insulating materials available on the market. It is composed of high-quality phlogopite mica paper, a mineral compound of potassium, magnesium and iron, reinforced with fibreglass or polymer film and bonded with silicone resin. It does not contain any halogens or noxious gases and does not generate any toxic products, so it does not require any personal protective equipment when it is being handled. The result is an extremely flexible product that can easily be deployed on high-speed cable wrapping machines.
Cables International’s manufacturing partners use fibreglass-backed mica tape for fire-resistant power and instrumentation cables that meet IEC 60331-21 and IEC 60331-1/2 standards, i.e., maintaining circuit integrity when exposed to a temperature of at least 750°C for 90 minutes and withstanding fire with mechanical shock at a temperature of at least 830°C, respectively.
Oil and gas platforms are just one example of the kind of hazardous location where cables have to be fire resistant. Cables International can supply a wide range of fully compliant fire-rated cables that cover fire detection, alarm systems, emergency lighting and other vital features, and our partners have modern and comprehensive fire-testing facilities onsite to ensure cable integrity. As a result, Cables International is confident in offering cables that meet the highest standards set by multiple nations around the world.
Contact us at +65 6265 0588 or email [email protected] to discuss your requirements.
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