Fire-resistant cable technology to improve safety

Cable manufacturer Olex, in partnership with CSIRO, has developed a new technology for making fire-resistant electrical cables.

An Australian-developed plastic cable coating material that transforms into fireproof ceramic in a blaze has the potential to be a genuine lifesaver. Ceramifying polymers have a host of potential applications in fire prevention in buildings, ships, vehicles and industrial and defence equipment. The story began when Olex Australia challenged the multidisciplinary CRC for Polymers team to design a revolutionary fire-resistant electrical cable that could keep electricity flowing in a fire at temperatures above 1000˚C.

Conventional polymers (a type of plastic), which cover electrical wiring, typically melt between 100 and 200°C and disintegrate completely at about 300°C.

The solution was to combine the properties of a polymer with those of a ceramic, allowing the standard operation of the system under normal conditions, while transforming to a ceramic in the event of a fire. As the polymer melts and disintegrates in the heat, at the same time the ceramic forms a solid protective insulating layer, preventing short circuits and enabling circuit integrity. During a fire, the cable’s ceramic insulation maintains the integrity and continuity of circuits for building safety systems such as emergency lighting, alarms, pumps and fans that are vital for safe evacuation and firefighting.

In the event of a fire, this unique technology will significantly improve safety. The cables’ ceramic shield maintains the integrity and continuity of circuits for essential services such as alarms, pumps and fans that are vital for safe evacuation and firefighting.

When these cables are exposed to fire, the polymer melts. But instead of disintegrating, additives within the plastic react during combustion and solidify to form a ceramic layer over underlying electrical wires.