As of today, in Europe, about a quarter of residential fires can be ascribed to electrical problems. Thus, the fire resistance of cables is pivotal to contribute to the safety of buildings. The implementation of flame retardant bedding compounds in the design of cables is a cost-effective strategy which allows to increase considerably the fire resistance. Following this direction, over the last decades, we developed and marketed bedding grades covering all the needs in terms of flame retardancy, building a product portfolio characterized by a LOI spanning from 26% to 60%.
New bedding compounds for the highest standard of fire resistance
Nevertheless, in the continuous effort to provide the best technical solution to our customers allowing them to produce safe cables, Mixer S.p.A. developed a series of new bedding compounds, specifically designed for the highest standard of fire resistance. Like our standard bedding products, those new grades are halogen free, RoHS compliant and are suitable for HFFR cables. They are formulated with a high content of flame-retardant fillers, such as ATH and MDH, ensuring the best level of flame resistance. As a result, when used in combination with suitable insulation and sheathing, it is possible to reach the strictest CPR standards.
EKOPREN® 3RP981
The first of these new bedding compounds, EKOPREN® 3RP981 completes the series of the well-known family EKOPREN® 3RP9x1, starting from LOI 35% with EKOPREN® 3RP921, up to LOI 52% with EKOPREN® 3RP961. To obtain an increased flame retardancy, EKOPREN® 3RP981 is formulated with TPO polymer and ATH as predominant filler. As a result, the LOI is as high as 70%.
EKOPREN® 3RP58H
Similarly, EKOPREN® 3RP58H expands the series of the EKOPREN® 3RP5xH bedding grades, which up to now was having LOI ranging from the 35% of EKOPREN® 3RP52H, up to the 60% of EKOPREN® 3RP57H. Carefully balancing the ATH and MDH fillers and attentively selecting TPO and rubber polymers, we were able to increase the LOI up to 80%, maintaining the most appreciated peculiarities of the EKOPREN® 3RP5xH family: easy processing and flexibility.
EKOPREN® 3RP781
Lastly, EKOPREN® 3RP781 is a new concept of bedding, specifically developed for the most challenging standards of flame retardancy. It is based on EVA polymer and features MDH as primary filler, leading to a LOI of 85%. In addition to that, EKOPREN® 3RP781 is easy processable and flexible, due to its low viscosity and hardness.
These new developments, once again, show our commitment in offering the best solution to our customers. Fire-resistance cable are today of a paramount importance for the safety of constructions and we are on the front line to allow cable producers to reach the best quality, performance and efficiency.
