A new engineering approach for cable in fire situations using halogenated polymers

All organic materials will burn and give off combustion products. Toxicity and corrosion are not inherent properties of a material; they depend upon the combustability of a material and the conditions and dynamics of a fire. Therefore, those properties which permit moderation or elimination of the fire itself should be identified and controlled. Recently, undifferentiated toxicity and corrosion concerns have developed about halogenated polymers as a generic class. This paper reviews fire science and toxicology consideration affecting materials selection and cable design options. It also examines the merits of performance specifications combined with a hazard analysis and materials engineering approach. The objective is to identify the fire hazards associated with all materials and end products. The methodology ranks the risks as they occur in the fire sequence. The goal is to reduce the risk in the order and the magnitude of the threats imposed by the fire.