Development of low smoke zero halogen green polymer compounds for wire and cable industry

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Polyolefin is a hydrocarbon based polymeric material and is typically used for shrinkable accessories in electrical industries as cable material. In the presence of fire, polyolefin could easily lead to fire spread and generation of gas. Traditionally, halogen-based FR halogen-based flame retardant (FR) chemically interfere with the radical chain mechanism in the vapor phase during combustion. Low energy halogen compounds such as hydrogen-bromide will compete in the combustion reaction against high energy radical species, therefore slowing down the rate of heat generation to a level that could not sustain further combustion. However, several studies have concluded that halogen-based FR will produce toxic gases and acidic fumes, and persistent against degradation in landfill. As a large supplier of FR heat shrinkable tubing material in Canada, Shawcor' s product lineup is facing a serious threat due to the global efforts to reduce the use of halogenated FR. This includes recently proposed legislation related to the ban of certain FR materials by the Canadian Government Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. This lineup must be upgraded using a novel, environmentally benign, zero-toxic, nil-leaching, and low-smoke halogen-free or zero halogen (LSHF or LSZH) FR composite.Currently available non-halogenated FR compounds must be used in higher filler loading concentrations to achieve similar flame performance as halogenated flame retardants. This leads to significantly reduced mechanical performance of compounds which contributes to reduced uptake of these materials by end users in the industry. Increasingly end users are required to specify non-halogenated options for both safety and regulatory reasons and are therefore being forced to accept lower performing products from a holistic performance perspective. It is therefore incumbent upon the industry to develop novel LSHF FR materials which can meet all requirements including statutory, regulatory and those of customer applications. Successful development of such technology will place Canada in an advantageous position on the global market as the existing market and supply chain is being disrupted by the global ban.