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FirePropertiesOfCables|EEP

FirePropertiesOfCables

KBS Cable Coating is a water based ablative (nonintumescent) fire protective cable coating that is a
tough, flexible, water and weather resistant that has been used worldwide since 1967 for interior and
exterior applications. (providede by Antec Engineering)

Standardsrelatingtofirepropertiesofcables
IEC,BSstandards
Thisisanareaofincreasingpublicandlegislativeconcern,andthereforeof
increasinginteresttoengineers.Therehavebeenmajoradvancesinthefire
performanceofcablesinrecentyears,andtablebelowlistssomeoftherelevant
standards.

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Standard

Description

IEC60331 Fireresistingcharacteristicsofelectriccables.
IEC60332 Testsonelectriccablesunderfireconditions.Testmethodsandflame
propagationofpowerandcontrol/communicationcables.Notethe
identicalEN60332andequivalentnationalstandardBSEN60332
supersedeEN50265andBS4066.
IEC60754 Testofgasesevolvedduringcombustionofelectriccables.
IEC61034 Measurementofsmokedensityofcablesburningunderdefined
conditions.IdenticalEN61034andnationalequivalentBSEN61034
supersedeEN50268andBS7622.
BS6387

Performancerequirementsforcablerequiredtomaintaincircuit
integrityunderfireconditions.

BS6724

Electriccables.Thermosettinginsulated,armouredcablesforvoltages
of600/1000Vand1900/3300V,havinglowemissionofsmokeand
corrosivegaseswhenaffectedbyfire.

BS7211

Electriccables.Thermosettinginsulated,nonarmouredcablesfor
voltagesuptoandincluding450/750V,forelectricpower,lighting
andinternalwiring,andhavinglowemissionofsmokeandcorrosive
gaseswhenaffectedbyfire.

BS7835

Specificationforcableswithcrosslinkedpolyethyleneorethylene
propylenerubberinsulationforratedvoltagesfrom3800/6600Vupto
19000/33000Vhavinglowemissionofsmokeandcorrosivegases
whenaffectedbyfire.

EN50267

Commontestmethodsforcablesunderfireconditions.Testson
gasesevolvedduringcombustionofmaterialsfromcables.Apparatus.
BSEN50267isidenticalandsupersedesBS6425.SimilarlyFrench
standardNFC20454issuperseded.

Toxicandcorrosivegases
Itisrecognizedthatconventionalflameretardantcableshavingsheathingbased
upon PVCtypematerials evolveconsiderablequantitiesofhalonacidgasessuch
ashydrogenchlorideuponburning.
Suchmaterialsarenotthereforesuitableforuseinconfinedspaceswherethe
publicarelikelytotravel,andmoreoverthefireintheENELpowerstationatLa
Speziain1967showedthatincertaincircumstancesPVCcableswillburn
completelyandcontributetothespreadofafire.

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Materialshavenowbeendevelopedforcableoversheathsandbedding
whicharenormallyfreeofhalogenbasedcompounds.Theyconsistof
amixtureofinorganicfillersuchasaluminiumhydroxideandpolymers
suchasethylenevinylacetate,acrylatesandethylenepropylenerubbers.

CablesmanufacturedwithsuchmaterialsareknownasLowSmokeandFume
(LSF)andhaveacidgasevolutionlessthan0.5%incomparisonto2530%for
PVCcompounds.
IEC607541specifiesamethodofdeterminingtheamountofhalogenacidgas,
otherthanhydrofluoricacid,evolvedduringcombustionofhalogenbased
compounds.Themethodessentiallymeasurestheexistenceofhalogenacid
greaterthan0.5%,theaccuracylimitforthetest.
Thereforecablestestedhavinglessthanthe0.5%limitaregenerallytermedzero
halogenorlowsmokezerohalogen(LS0H).

Smokeemission
Normalcablesheathingcompoundsalsogiveoffdensesmokewhenburnedand
thisisofparticularconcernin undergroundtransportsystem installations.The
generationoflargeamountsofsmokeobscuresvisionandreducestheeasewith
whichthefirebrigadeisabletobringmembersofthepublictosafetyintheevent
ofafire.LSFcablesthereforeplayanimportantpartinreducingthisdangertoa
minimum.

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LondonUndergroundLimited(LUL)have
developedatestofpracticalsignificance
whichhasbeendesignedtomeasurethe
densityofsmokeemissionfromcablesandit
hasnowbeenadoptedbyBritishandIEC
Standards.Thisdefinesthestandard
absorbanceproducedacrosstheopposite
facesofatestcubicleandispopularlyknown
asthe3mcubetest.

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SHARE

ParisMetro(RATP)adoptstheFrenchStandardUTEC20452onsmokeemission

whichdeterminesunderexperimentalconditionsthespecificopticaldensityof
smokeproducedbyburningmaterial.Thisslightlydifferentapproachisgenerally

knownastheNBSsmokechambertest.

Oxygenindexandtemperatureindex

Oxygenindexistheminimumconcentrationofoxygeninanoxygen/nitrogen
mixtureinwhichthematerialwillburn.Asaircontainsapproximately21%oxygenit
isstatedthatamaterialwithanoxygenindexgreaterthanabout26%willbeself
extinguishing.Ingeneral,aparticularoxygenindexvalueoffersnoguaranteeof
resistancetothespreadofflames.
Inpracticematerialshavingidenticaloxygenindicesmayhavewidelydifferent
burningpropertiesespeciallyifbasepolymersoradditivesareofdifferenttypes.

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Thetemperatureindexofamaterialisthe
minimumtemperatureatwhichthematerial
supportscombustioninaircontaining21%
oxygenwhentestedundercontrolled
conditions.Thetestisusefulforthe
comparisonofsimilarmaterialsbutno
correlationwithflammabilityunderotherfire
conditionsisimplied.
Oxygenandtemperatureindicesaretosome
extentinterrelated.

Theengineerspecifyingsuchcablerequirementsshouldnotpickout
themostfavourableparametersfromdifferentmanufacturersliterature
andexpectthemtocomply.

Forexample,ahighoxygenindexusingaparticularcombinationofmaterialsmay
resultinaslightlylessfavourabletemperatureindexrating.Insomecaseswhere
manufacturershavebeenrequestedtoprovidecableswithatemperatureindexof
280Corabovethisrequirementwasonlymetattheexpenseofotherimportant
parameterssuchastensilepropertiesandwaterpermeability.
Acceptablevaluesofoxygenindexandtemperatureindexrecommendedbyleading
manufacturersandspecifiedforLSFcompoundswouldbe:
Oxygenindexequaltoorgreaterthan30.
Temperatureindexequaltoorgreaterthan260C.

Flameretardance/flammability
1.Singlecorecables
FlameretardantcablesmeettherequirementsofIEC60332Part1.(ForEuropean
useEN60332isidenticaltotheIECstandard).Thesetestsdefinethecable
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performanceunderfireconditions.Thetestsarecarriedoutonasinglelengthof
cablesupportedverticallyinadraughtfreeenclosurewithaburnerappliedtothe
lowerendofthecable.
Afteraspecifiedtimetheheatsourceisremovedandthecableshouldnotcontinue
toburnafterastatedlengthoftime.Theextentofcharringatthetopofthecableis
alsodefined.

2.Cablesinbunchesorgroups
SinglecableswhichpassthetestmentionedinSectionabovemaynotnecessarily
passthetestwhengroupedtogetherinverticalracks,wherepropagationofthefire
takesplace.Propagationoffiredependsuponanumberoffactors,butisin
particularafunctionofthetotalvolumeofcombustiblematerialinthecablerun.
Thetestsinvolvedinthiscategoryattempttosimulategroupcablinginstallation
conditionsandaregenerallycoveredinIEC60332Part3.TheIECstandards
definethreecategoriesforgroupedcables,A,BandCwhicharerelatedtothe
volumeofcombustible(organic)materialpermetre.LSFpowercables
manufacturedbyleadingcompaniesshouldbecoveredbytheIECStandards
mentionedabove.

Animportantfeatureoftheconstructionofallofthecableswhichrelates
toflameretardanceisthecablearmour.Forexample,XLPEinsulation
asamaterialonitsownisnotflameretardant.Provisionofthecable
armourseparatestheinsulatedcoresfromairforcombustionevenafter
thesheathhasbeendestroyed.

Fireresistance
Fireresistance isthetermusedtodefinecableswhichcanmaintaincircuit
integrityforaspecifiedperiodoftimeduringafire.
Suchcableshavetoconformtoaseveretestinwhichthemiddleportionofa1200
mmlongsampleofcableissupportedbytwometalrings300mmapartand
exposedtoaflameofatubetypegasburner.Simultaneouslytheratedvoltageof
thecableisappliedthroughoutthetestperiod.Notlessthan12hoursafterthe
flamehasbeenextinguishedthecableisreenergizedandnofailuremustoccur.
Therearemayvariationsoftimeandtemperatureandalsoimpactteststosimulate
fallingdebrisandapplicationofawaterdelugeaftertheflamehasbeen
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extinguished.

Fireresistantcables//
Twotypicaltypesoffireresistantcablesaredescribedbelow:
1. Mineralinsulated(MICCorPyrotenex)cablescomplementedwithan
outerLSFcoveringandrated500/750voltage.IEC60702(EN60702in
Europe)coversmineralinsulatedcablesbuttestinginUKistoBS6387
(NFC32070CR1inFrance).TheouterLSFcoveringwouldbe
requiredtomeetBS6724(NFC32200)asfarasbehaviourinafireis
concerned.CabletypeBS6387CWZhasa3hourresistancetofire
upto950C.
.
2. Lappedmica/glasstapetobecoveredbyanextrudedcrosslinked
insulation,armoured,LSFsheathed.Ratedvoltage600/1000Vandto
meetBS6387typesCWZorlowertemperatureperformancestype
A/B/SWX.
Trendsinthedevelopmentofbuildingsafetyregulationsinvariouscountries
(e.g.theConstructionProductsDirective(CPD)inEurope)maymeanthat
useofcableswithadefinedleveloffireresistanceinallbuildingsmaybe
mandatedinthefuture.

Mechanicalproperties
Achievinggoodmechanicalqualitiesinacablematerialisfinelybalancedbythe
requirementofmaintaininggoodlowsmoke/toxicgasemissionandreduceflame
propagation.Allcablematerialsmustpossessreasonabletensilestrengthand
elongationpropertieswithgoodresistancetoabrasion,wheretheoversheath
shouldnotsuffercracksorsplitsduringinstallation.
LeadingmanufacturershavenowformulatedcompoundsforLSFcableswhichhave
similarpropertiestoexistingstandardsheathingmaterials.Cablesmustalsohave
acceptabletearresistantpropertiesandwhereusedforcablesheathingprovide
adequateprotectioninawetenvironment.
TestingrequirementsformechanicalpropertiesaredefinedinIEC60229(orEN
60811forEuropeancountriesBS6469992coversUKtestsnotcoveredin
60811).
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Reference//TransmissionandDistributionElectricalEngineeringBrianHardy

RecommendedEEstuff//
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AboutAuthor//

Edvard Csanyi
EdvardElectricalengineer,programmerandfounderof
EEP.HighlyspecializedfordesignofLVhighpowerbusbar
trunking(<6300A)inpowersubstations,buildingsand
industryfascilities.DesigningofLV/MV
switchgears.ProfessionalinAutoCADprogrammingand
webdesign.PresentonGoogle+

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