What are the design parameters of fire-resistant cables

What are the design parameters of fire-resistant cables?

In this age and time, we have come a long way from the first bulb being lit up by Edison, to innovative ways of charging a smartphone without wires! We are now at a stage where almost everything is possible. And for everything to be possible, there are systems in place today that take care of all the intricate needs.  One such example is, fire resistant appliances. There are situations where appliances and wires need to be so sturdy and resistive, to uphold the functionality, even in extremely high temperatures. 


In this age and time, we have come a long way from the first bulb being lit up by Edison, to innovative ways of charging a smartphone without wires! We are now at a stage where almost everything is possible. And for everything to be possible, there are systems in place today that take care of all the intricate needs. 
One such example is, fire resistant appliances. There are situations where appliances and wires need to be so sturdy and resistive, to uphold the functionality, even in extremely high temperatures. 

This is where FR wires come in. Now the interesting thing is, FR stands for 2 similar meaning abbreviations, Fire Resistant and Flame Retardant. Each has a slightly different function. Fire Resistant prevents the fire to even ignite in the wire. On the other hand, Flame Retardant Cables can function without any hiccups in the fire too!

These wires are designed to sustain in such extreme conditions because they have intricate applications in the emergency devices like phones, alarms, emergency lights, lifts, etc. For this sole reason of being able to work in such extreme conditions, these cables have to be very reliable, and thus their parameters are extensive as well.

For Fire retardant cables, a lot of parameters have to be kept in mind while determining what materials go into their making. For this, lets first explore what happens when a wire burns. Harmful gases are released, toxic fumes may be generated from the smoke that arises, And sometimes if the temperature goes too high, it may even damage the structural integrity of the space it’s enclosed in! For this, we have to make sure, first, that the wire should resist high temperatures. Now the wire can itself resist, temperature, the main issue here is with the insulation. Insulation, even after burning, should not release toxic fumes, especially halogen acid gas, which the wires generally release on burning.

For best results, Oxygen barrier is created between the wire and the insulation. Now this the most ingenious way of fire retarding, if there is no oxygen, it will not burn! Simple, isn’t it? Not so much, the laying and maintenance of such cables is very expensive and difficult, hence it doesn’t have a wide consumer acceptance. What we can do for the masses is, use stronger, lighter materials and use partial oxygen barriers. This way, we can be tension-free, without breaking the bank!

In India, the use of such cables is very limited due to lack of awareness among people. Now companies like Prime Cable Industries, have a wide range of FR cables, both Flame Retardant Cables and Fire Rated Cables, and they have been core suppliers for various prestigious Government Divisions like BHEL, GAIL, MAHA Genco, etc.

They have a commendable track record of on-time delivery and excellent reliability, and that is what makes them perfect for the upcoming “smart-city” infrastructure. Established in 1997, PrimeCab has been on the rise ever since. So if you’re looking for a future proof solution that is compatible with the upcoming standards for Smart and connected infrastructure, look no further. PrimeCab India is the way to go!

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