Wire and Cable

Mass transit, automotive, and low/medium voltage power, data, and appliances are are some of the important end-use applications for wire and cable. Because of the increased emphasis on fire safety in many of these industries, flame retardancy is an important consideration in wire and cable construction and design.

A wide variety of polymers are used in wire and cable applications, such as insulation over conductors or sheathing (jacketing) over multi-wire systems. PVC and polyolefins are the dominant polymers used in insulation and jacketing, while nylon, fluoropolymers, and elastomers are used for more specialized applications.

Great Lakes offers a wide range of flame retardants and smoke suppressants for the wire and cable industry. In PVC cable compounds that require increased fire protection, our phosphate ester flame retardant plasticizers and antimony trioxide are widely used. Low-smoke PVC formulations are produced with our wide range of smoke suppressants. Great Lakes DP-45™ flame retardant is used in conjunction with smoke suppressants and other flame retardant synergists in specialist PVC plenum-rated cable applications that meet the most stringent UL910 fire spread and low smoke requirements in the US .

We offer cost-effective solutions for many wire and cable applications through our many choices of brominated flame retardants for polyolefin cable compounds.

Product Brochure

Wire and Cable

Contact our Technical Service team for expert advice on which product will best meet your needs, or see our Product Guide below.

• Plastic conduit used to be primarily rigid PVC, but in response to increasing concerns on acid corrosion and toxic gases during a fire, there are now halogen-free alternatives. Modified PPE, PC and Polyolefins are used in halogen-free solutions.

• FEP used in both insulation and jacket compounds due to its superior signal transmission characteristics; whereas, PVC most widely used only in jacket compounds. Limited combustibility ratings push the market back towards FEP based solutions.

• Japan and Europe are more active in halogen-free solutions for automotive cables.

• An increasing amount of data cable is now installed in residential as well as office buildings.

• PVC being replaced by Polyolefins and Fluoropolymers.
• Voltage wire switch to fiber optics.

• In public areas such as hospitals and other public buildings, more specifiers are moving towards low smoke and fume products.

• Possible future move towards limited combustible compounds for plenum cable which will restrict the materials used to FEP/PVDF solutions.

• Increasing pressure for greater fire safety of aircraft wiring systems.

• PVC cable compound reformulation may be required due to regulatory controls on Lead stabilizers and ATO in some regions.
• Increased focus on ATO and Deca by EU Risk Assessment Process.