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The Quality Connection

Fire Behaviour of Cables

(Detlef Uerlings)

Fire Behaviour of Cables

Contents

- Introduction
- Classification
- Tests
- Cable Types with CI-Properties

LEONI Kerpen GmbH, September 2014

Fire Behaviour of Cables

Introduction
In recent years we had various fire disasters worldwide with
human victims and high amount of damages.
We could find fires in the industry (e.g. Refineries, petrochemical plants, power plants, offshore platforms), public
buildings (e.g. airports, subways, tunnels) and vehicles (e.g.
ships, trains, coaches, planes).
The reasons for these fire disasters were different. The
accidents were caused by natural disasters, human failure
or technical defects.
Summarising we can say that precautions must be taken to
avoid fire catastrophes. But we must note too that blasts are not
preventable in all cases.

LEONI Kerpen GmbH, September 2014

Fire Behaviour of Cables

Introduction

In consequence of this recognition, we have to do all efforts to

protect human lives and material assets in case of fire.

What does it mean for

cables

?
LEONI Kerpen GmbH, September 2014

Fire Behaviour of Cables

Introduction

Cables, if they are installed professionally, are under normal

circumstances never the source of a fire!
But cables are very often involved in fires.

Due to this fact we have more and more requirements for cables
concerning the fire behaviour.

LEONI Kerpen GmbH, September 2014

Fire Behaviour of Cables

Classification

CI Circuit Integrity (Fire Resistant) (+ DIN 4102-12)

CI Circuit Integrity (Fire Resistant) (+ IEC 60331-)
LSZH Low Smoke Zero Halogen

(+ IEC 61034-1 & -2)

FRNC Flame Retardant Non Corrosive ( + IEC 60754-2)

HCL
FRLS
RP
FR

Halogen Content
Flame Retardant Low Smoke

(+ IEC 60754-1)
(+ ASTM D 2843)

Reduced Flame Propagation

(IEC 60332-3-)

Flame Retardant

(IEC 60332-1)

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

We must differentiate into:

- Material Tests

- Cable Tests

LEONI Kerpen GmbH, September 2014

Fire Behaviour of Cables

Material Tests

Halogen Acid Gas (HCL-Emission)

Degree of Acidity of Gases (Zero Halogen)
Toxicity
Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI)
Flammability Temperature (FT)
Flame Retardant Low Smoke (FRLS)

LEONI Kerpen GmbH, September 2014

Fire Behaviour of Cables

Cable Tests

Flame Retardancy
Reduced Flame Propagation
Smoke Density
Circuit Integrity (Fire Resistance)

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

Material Tests

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

IEC 60754-1
Determination of the Amount of Halogen Acid Gas (HCL-Emission)
Halogen acid gas contains mainly following elements:
Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine, Iodine, Astatine
0.5 1.0 g of a material is burnt at a test temperature of
800 C for 40 minutes (min. 20 minutes at max.
temperature)
Evaluation: Measured HCL-Emission in percentage
Not suitable for defining compounds described as
zero-halogen.
Furnace

Halogens

Comparable tests:
Gas Washing Bottles

EN 50267-2-1
DIN VDE 0472-267-2-1

Combustion boat
containing sample

Synth.
air
Thermo
Couple

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

IEC 60754-2
Determination of Degree of acidity of gases (Zero Halogen)
Halogen acid gas contains mainly following elements:
Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine, Iodine, Astatine
1.0 g of a material is burnt at a test temperature of
935 C for 30 minutes.
Limit values:
pH-value 4.3 / Conductivity 10 S/mm
Furnace

Halogens

Comparable tests:
Gas Washing Bottles

EN 50267-2-3
DIN VDE 0482-267-2-3

Combustion boat
containing sample

Synth.
air
Thermo
Couple

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

Defence Standard 02-713 (NES 713)
Determination of Toxicity Index of Materials
Analytical data of certain small molecular gaseous species arising when the
material is completely burnt at a flame temperature of 1150 C for 5 minutes,
are mathematically computed, using the exposure level (in ppm) of each gas
to produce fatality in 30 minutes as a base, to derive a combined toxicity
index.
The concentration of gas considered fatal to man for a 30 minute exposure
time.
Typical limit values for the Toxicity Index (T.I.) are for e.g.
- marine applications: 5 8
- railway applications: < 5
That means the smaller the value the better
Comparable tests:
NF C 20-454

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

ASTM D 2863 / ISO 4589
Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI)

The oxygen index describes the minimum concentration of oxygen,

expressed as volume percentage, in a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen that
will just support combustion of a material / plastic / compound.

For information: LOI 23 combustible

24.28 conditional flame retardant
29.35 flame retardant
36 extra flame retardant

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

ISO 4589-3 annex A
Flammability Temperature (F.T.)

The flammability temperature (F.T.) is the temperature at which combustion

of a material / plastic / compound is just supported in air under specified test
conditions.

For information:
F.T. of compounds are e.g. 200C up to 300C

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

ASTM D 2843
Max. Smoke Density Rating (Flame Retardant Low Smoke (FRLS))

This test covers a laboratory procedure for measuring the relative amounts
of smoke obscuration produced by the burning of plastics.
The measurements are made in terms of the loss of light transmittance
through a collected volume of smoke produced under standardized
conditions.
Typical value is a Smoke Density of max. 60%

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

Cable Tests

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

IEC 60332-1-2
Test on a single core or a single cable (Flame Retardancy)
The wire or cable shall pass the test, if the distance between the lower
edge of the top support and the onset of charring is greater than 50 mm.
Time of flame application:
cable diameter 25 mm: 60 s
cable diameter 25 < D 50 mm: 120 s
cable diameter 50 < D 75 mm: 240 s
cable diameter > 75 mm: 480 s

Comparable tests:
EN 60332-1-2
DIN VDE 0482-332-1-2

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

IEC 60332-3-
Test on bunched cables (Reduced Flame Propagation)
The cable shall pass the test, if the created flames are selfextinguishing and the maximum extent of the charred portion
measured on the sample shall not have reached a height
exceeding 2.5 m above the bottom edge of the burner.
Samples / Time for flame application:
No. of the samples (each 3.5 m long) is
calculated as follows:

-22 (cat. A):

-23 (cat. B):
-24 (cat. C):

7 l / m, Time > 40 Min.

3.5 l / m, Time > 40 Min.
1.5 l / m, Time > 20 Min.

(Total volume of non-metal material in ...litre / meter)

Comparable tests:
VDE 0482-332-3-
EN 60332-3-
ANSI/IEEE 1202 (IEEE 383)
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Fire Behaviour of Cables

Test diagram of an unsuccessfull flame test

IEC 60332-3-24 (cat. C)

max. height of the charred portion

NOTE: The tested sample will pass IEC 60332-1 only

Burner
switched on

LEONI Kerpen GmbH, September 2014

Burner
switched off

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

Test diagram of a successfull flame test

IEC 60332-3-24 (cat. C)

max. height of the charred portion

Burner
switched on

LEONI Kerpen GmbH, September 2014

Burner
switched off

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

IEC 61034-2
Measurement of Smoke Density of Cables
1 litre of alcohol will be ignited in a closed test chamber. The light intensity will
be measured between the light source and the photocell. The test is
considered as ended when there is no decrease in light transmittance for 5
minutes after the fire source has extinguished or when
the test duration reaches 40 minutes. The test will be
passed, if the recorded light transmittance is min. 60%
(IEC recommendation).

Comparable tests:
VDE 0482-1034-2
EN 61034-2

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

IEC 60331-21 (Uo/U 0.6/1 kV)
Tests for electric cables under fire conditions - Circuit integrity CI
Conductors are connected to a separate
phase of a transformer output with a 2 A
fuse with the nominal voltage Uo/U.
After the test duration of 90 minutes
(flame temperature 750 C) the burner will
be switched off, but the cable sample shall
remain energised for further 15 min. The
total test duration shall be the flame
application time together with the 15 min
cooling period. The test will be passed, if during the course of the test no fuse
fails and a conductor does not rupture, i.e. the lamp is not extinguished.
Comparable tests:
BS 6387 B (750 C / 3 hours)

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

IEC 60331-1 and -2 (Uo/U 0.6/1 kV)
Tests for electric cables under fire conditions - Circuit integrity CI
(with mechanical shock)
Conductors are connected to a separate phase of a transformer output with a
2 A fuse with the nominal voltage Uo/U.
Flame temperature min. 830 C.
Flame application time 30 min, 60 min, 90 min or 120 min.
(pH 30, pH 60, pH 90 or pH 120 Cables)
The shock-producing device shall impact the wall after 5 min from activation
and subsequently at 5 min intervals.
The cable possesses circuit integrity characteristics, if the voltage is maintained
and a conductor does not
rupture.
Comparable tests:
BS 6387 C Z (950 C / 3 hours)
EN 50 200
IEC 60331-1 ( > 20 mm)
IEC 60331-2 ( 20 mm)
IEC 60331-3 (met. enclosure)
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Fire Behaviour of Cables

DIN VDE 4102 part 12
Tests for electric cables under fire conditions - Circuit integrity CI
(complete cable system with installation material)
Cables will be tested together with
fitting accessories like cable clamps and
cable tray from a defined supplier.
Test chamber temperature of
950 -1000 C following a temperature
curve.
Test voltage Uo/U, e.g. 400 V for
LV-cables, 110 V for TelecommunicationCables
Test duration 30 / 60 / 90 min.
(E30 / E60 / E90 Cables)
The cable possesses circuit integrity
characteristics, if the voltage is maintained
and a conductor does not rupture.
Comparable tests:
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Fire Behaviour of Cables

Cable Types with CI-Properties

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

Cable Types with CI-Properties

All circuit integrity tests have one common ground:

Cables have to be checked for their electrical functionality!

All efforts concerning the cable construction have one common target:
to avoid a short circuit between the different cable elements.

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

Cable Types with CI-Properties

What are the methods to avoid these short circuits?

1.) Mineral insulated conductors in so-called MICC-Cables.

Mineral insulated cables are manufactured from completely inorganic
materials.
Solid copper conductors are inside of a sealed copper
tube packed with magnesium oxide as fireproof
insulator.
These kind of cables are very expensive and
only used for very special applications.

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

Cable Types with CI-Properties

What are the methods to avoid these short circuits?

2.) Mineral tapes, so-called MICA-tapes, which are
wrapped around the copper conductor
under halogen-free insulating
material.
The use of cables with MICA-Tape
wrapping is established since
many years in the market.

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

Cable Types with CI-Properties

What are the methods to avoid these short circuits?

3.) Silicone-rubber insulated conductors.

The special silicone-rubber does not
melt and forms a ceramic layer around
the conductor during fire.
This kind of insulating of CI-cables is the
latest compared to MICC-cables and
MICA-wrapped cables and can be called
as state-of-the-art.

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

Cable Types with CI-Properties
for common applications we find nowadays the cable versions with
MICA-Tape and with silicone-rubber.
In the overall view the CI-cable with silicone-rubber has the better
standing compared to a cable with MICA-wrapped conductors:
- silicone-rubber is suitable for +180 C
- thinner core diameter
- thinner cable diameter
- no additional wrapping of glass tape or similar over the twisted elements
necessary
- better performance profile in case of challenging fire tests
- better handling performance for installation
- lower smoke emission compared to standard PE and XLPE
- more economic than MICA-constructions (LEONI Kerpen)

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Fire Behaviour of Cables

Thank you very much for your attention!

Any further questions

?
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