When purchasing industrial equipment wires and cables, many engineers and project managers will recommend choosing low smoke zero halogen cables. Do you know why? What are the benefits of industrial-grade low smoke zero halogen cables? The first step of industrial production and construction often involves the construction of infrastructure, among which the layout of strong and weak current systems is crucial. The success of this link directly affects the progress of subsequent projects and even the safety and efficiency of factory operation. In order to lay a good power system, you must first choose good materials, especially the materials of wires and cables. Next, TST cables will show you why LSOH “low smoke zero halogen” cables are so widely used.
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According to relevant statistics, there are an average of 40,000 fires in my country each year, and the number of deaths caused by fires is about 2,000.
Imagine that in an emergency, such as a fire, ordinary cables may become “smoke bombs”, releasing a lot of smoke and toxic gases, turning the scene into a “smoke maze”. But low-smoke halogen-free cables are like a calm and composed fire hero. Even in the sea of fire, they can remain calm, only release a small amount of smoke, and never produce those troublesome halogenated hydrogen gases. This means that in times of crisis, it can help people find an exit faster, ensure life safety, and reduce damage to the environment. It can be called the “safety guard” of the industrial world.
According to research, most people who died in fires fell under the thick smoke before the fire was completely burned. Low-smoke halogen-free cables do not contain halogens, do not produce any toxic gases when burning, and the smoke is very small, which does not affect visibility, making it easier for people to escape from the fire. More importantly, low-smoke halogen-free wires have the function of self-extinguishing when away from the fire, which can reduce the probability of electrical damage when a small area of fire occurs. Therefore, when replacing and upgrading equipment cables, for the safety of life and property, most people will choose low-smoke halogen-free cables.
At present, cables are basically used in buildings and public facilities in many places, which requires cables to be non-toxic or low-toxic. That is to say, when producing cables, the formulas and ingredients used should be non-toxic, and many countries have made relevant restrictions on some production raw materials, such as asbestos, biphenyls and their ethers, polybrominated phenols, polychlorinated biphenyls, short-chain (C10~C13) chlorinated paraffins, etc. These raw materials are extremely harmful to human health, so people prefer to use green and environmentally friendly cables, and low-smoke halogen-free cables are such healthy and environmentally friendly cables.
Ordinary cables contain a large amount of harmful heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury, and almost no brominated flame retardants and halogens. The flame retardant properties of ordinary cables are mostly poor. Once burned, toxic gases and smoke will be produced, and the maintenance of cables in the later stage is also more troublesome. Low-smoke halogen-free cables do not contain halogens, lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury and other substances. They do not produce any toxic gases when burned. They have the function of self-extinguishing when away from the fire, which can reduce the probability of damage to electrical appliances when a small area of fire occurs, and the later maintenance and replacement are also relatively simple. Therefore, the cost of low-smoke halogen-free cables is lower than that of ordinary cables.
Features and advantages of “low smoke zero halogen” cables
The main reasons for using LSOH (Low Smoke Zero Halogen) “low smoke zero halogen” cables and other halogen-free products are focused on safety, health and environmental protection.
Low smoke emissions:
Under fire conditions, low smoke zero halogen cables produce less smoke than ordinary cables, which helps improve visibility, facilitates personnel evacuation and firefighters to carry out rescue operations.
Halogen-free:
It does not contain halogens (such as chlorine, bromine, iodine, etc.), avoiding the production of toxic hydrogen halide gases such as hydrogen chloride (HCl) during combustion. These gases are extremely harmful to the human respiratory system and can react with moisture in the air to produce acidic substances, aggravating the corrosion of buildings and equipment.
Environmentally friendly materials:
Use environmentally friendly materials such as polyolefins (PE, PP), polyester elastomers (TPE), etc. as insulation and sheath materials, which have less impact on the environment during production, use and disposal.
TST cables summarizes the following key points to explain why these low smoke zero halogen cable products are becoming increasingly popular in various industry applications.
Safety and fire safety:
Low smoke zero halogen (LSOH) cables produce significantly less smoke when burning than traditional cables, which is critical in fire situations because thick smoke is the main cause of obstructed vision and inhalation of toxic gases.
Halogen-free materials do not contain halogens, which means that they do not produce toxic hydrogen halide gases such as hydrogen chloride when burned, which can be fatal in fires.
Environmental protection:
Halogen compounds can generate persistent organic pollutants such as dioxins when burned, which cause long-term harm to the environment.
LS OH cables have less impact on the environment during the production and disposal phases because they generally use more environmentally friendly materials and reduce reliance on hazardous substances such as asbestos, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
Health considerations:
Halogen-free products reduce the emission of hazardous substances, which not only protects people’s health in the event of a fire, but also reduces health risks during cable production and disposal.
Regulatory compliance:
Many countries and regions have implemented strict regulations that restrict or prohibit the use of halogen-containing materials in certain applications, especially in crowded areas such as public buildings, transportation systems and data centers.
Low smoke halogen-free cables also have the ability to comply with the EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances. (RoHS) Directive. Some cables may have “EN” “UL” “CE” “BS” “GB” “ISO” and other marks, indicating that the manufacturer has complied with EU safety, environmental protection and health standards. These products are also subject to rigorous testing, including but not limited to smoke density tests (such as IEC ), vertical burning tests (such as IEC ) and material composition testing to ensure that they meet international and regional safety standards.
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Long-term cost-effectiveness: Although the initial cost of halogen-free products may be slightly higher, they tend to have better aging and environmental resistance, which can extend the service life of the product and reduce the frequency of replacement, thereby reducing the total cost of ownership.
Sustainability: Halogen-free products are in line with the concept of green building and sustainable development. They are easier to recycle and dispose of at the end of their life cycle, and they have less burden on the environment.
Brand image and social responsibility: For enterprises, the use of low-smoke halogen-free cables and other halogen-free products can demonstrate their responsible attitude towards employees, customers and society, and help to establish a positive brand image.
The use of low-smoke halogen-free cables and other halogen-free products is the result of a comprehensive consideration of safety, health, environmental impact and laws and regulations. They play an increasingly important role in modern buildings and industrial facilities.
The above is an explanation of why many people choose low-smoke halogen-free cables. I hope everyone can understand the design concept of low-smoke halogen-free products. The use of low-smoke halogen-free flame-retardant cables is to maximize the safety of equipment and people’s electricity use. Finally, TST cables would like to remind everyone that when purchasing wires and cables, you must identify regular manufacturers and check the quality clearly. Don’t buy some unqualified wires because of the low price to avoid accidents and cause losses to personnel and property.
TST cables is a manufacturer of wires and cables that integrates cable design, research and development, production and sales. The high-temperature, low-smoke, halogen-free and flame-retardant wires and cables produced by the company meet the requirements of the International Electrotechnical Commission and national standards. The leading products include: high-temperature cables, cross-linked power cables, polyvinyl chloride insulated power cables, control cables, computer cables, mineral insulated cables, electrical equipment wires and cables and other types of cables. Special cables can also be customized according to user needs. If you have any needs for low-smoke halogen-free cables, please feel free to or call our engineers and get free samples.
Low smoke zero halogen or low smoke free of halogen (LSZH or LSOH or LS0H or LSFH or OHLS or ZHFR) is a material classification typically used for cable jacketing in the wire and cable industry. LSZH cable jacketing is composed of thermoplastic or thermoset compounds that emit limited smoke and no halogen when exposed to high sources of heat.[1]
In the industry, it has many names, summarized in the following table:[2]
LSZH Conduit Industy Abbreviations List Abbreviation Meaning LSZH Low smoke, zero halogen LSF Low smoke, fume LSOH (LS0H) Low smoke, zero (0) halogen LSHF (LSFH) Low smoke, halogen-free(free halogen) LSNH Low smoke, non-halogen NHFR Non-halogen, flame retardant HFFR Halogen-free, flame retardant ZHFR Zero Halogen, Flame Retardant OHLS Zero Halogen, Flame Retardant HFT Halogen Free and Flame Retardant, Temperature Resistant RKHF RK means wall thickness, Halogen FreeThe first commercial thermoplastic LSZH material for cable jacketing was invented by Richard Skipper in and patented by Raychem Corporation.[3] This invention resolved the challenge of incorporating sufficient inorganic filler, aluminium trihydrate (ALTH), into an appropriate thermoplastic matrix to suppress the fire and allow a char to be formed, which reduced emission of poisonous carbon gases and also smoke and carbon particles, whilst maintaining electrical insulation properties and physical properties required by the end application. The preferred inorganic filler to achieve flame retardation continues to be aluminium trihydrate (ALTH). In the event of a fire this material undergoes an endothermic chemical reaction
2Al(OH)3 → Al2O3 + 3H2O (180 °C)
that absorbs heat energy and releases steam when the compound reaches a certain temperature. It is critical that the decomposition of the polymer(s) used to carry the filler happens at approximately the same temperature. The steam disrupts combustion of the evolved gases and helps form a char layer that protects the remaining material and traps particulates. The high level of filler required (≈ 60%) also replaces the base polymer reducing the total amount of fuel available for combustion.
Low smoke zero halogen cable considerably reduces the amount of toxic and corrosive gas emitted during combustion. When burned, a low-smoke zero halogen cable emits a less optically dense smoke that releases at a lower rate. During a fire, a low-smoke cable is desirable because it reduces the amount and density of the smoke, which makes exiting a space easier for occupants as well as increases the safety of firefighting operations. This type of material is typically used in poorly ventilated areas such as aircraft, rail carriages, tanks, subsea and offshore installations, submarines or ships. It is also used extensively in the rail industry, wherever high voltage or track signal wires must be run into and through tunnel systems. The nuclear industry is another area where LSZH cables have been and will be used in the future. Major cable manufacturers have been producing LSZH cables for nuclear facilities since the early s. Construction of new nuclear plants will almost certainly involve extensive use of LSZH cable. This will reduce the chance of toxic gases accumulating in those areas where personnel are working and the lack of corrosive gases where there are computer controlled systems will reduce the possibility of wires being damaged by fire resulting in a short circuit fault.
Since the s, the wire and cable industry has been using low-smoke, low-halogen materials in a number of applications. The introduction of a thermoplastic LSZH extended its use to accessories such as heat shrink tubing, labelling and fixtures. The objective was to create a wire and cable jacketing system that was not only flame retardant but also did not generate dense, obscuring smoke and less toxic or corrosive gases. In the military field its introduction was accelerated after following the dense black smoke emitted from HMS Sheffield after being hit by an Exocet missile in the Falklands War. Several fires, such as the King's Cross fire in London that killed 31 people in London's underground in , increased the awareness of the contribution that wire and cable jacketing makes in a fire. As a result, there has been an increased use of LSZH cables. With an increase in the amount of cable found in residential, commercial and industrial applications in recent years, there is a greater fuel load in the event of a fire and LSZH systems have a major role to play in protecting the public.
Several standards describe the processes used for measuring smoke output during combustion. For military applications Def Stan 02–711 in the UK and ASTM E662 in the US which are both based on an ASTM STP No. 422 pages 166–204, modified by AMTE, Portsmouth in the UK[4] and superseded by E662 in the US. During these tests a specified material sample is standardised and then exposed to a radiant heat source; the optical density of the smoke given off is photometrically measured.[clarification needed] There are various means of measuring optical density: peak smoke release rate, total smoke released, and smoke density at various points and durations during the test. Results must be below a certain value and the material must pass the burn test in order for the material to be labelled as low smoke.
These tests are conducted under laboratory conditions and cannot claim to replicate the range of conditions expected in a real fire scenario. However they do provide a measure by which the potential smoke emission of materials can be assessed and dangerous materials identified before proceeding to further testing of preferred materials, if deemed necessary.
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