Technicalities Of PVC Insulated Electrical Wires

Flame Retardant / Flame Retardant Low Smoke (FRLS) Electrical Wires

Electricity is the most versatile form of energy. It can easily be transmitted and converted into other forms of energy. Electrical wires and cables are the vehicles used for the transmission of electricity. In todays modern world, the application of cables has deeply penetrated the lifestyle of people from all walks of life. Cables find varied use, right from domestic application, agriculture, transport and power, to automobiles, encompassing all types of industries. These cables are designed to suit specific needs, based on the application. The design of these cables differ in terms of the type of raw material used and its constructional requirement, based on the operating conditions, safety requirements and economics. Electrical wires which are normally used in domestic installations, are copper wires insulated with ordinary PVC and are popular due to their electrical, mechanical and thermal properties. However, ordinary PVC insulated wires prove ineffective in case of fire due to short circuits. Wires insulated with ordinary PVC emit large amounts of toxic fumes of hydrochloric acid gas and thick black smoke. This makes evacuation very difficult, especially in high-rise buildings and places with a high density of people. The wires insulated with other insulating materials like polyethelene, rubber, etc. do not fight fire, but support the burning instead. Finolex Cables Limited has therefore identified this critical area and has addressed the need for safety. Through its continuous research and development, FINOLEX developed and introduced, for the first time in India, FLAMEGARD the electrical wires which not only emit low smoke and toxic fumes, but also retard the spread of fire.
Smoke Density Test (Light Transmission Test) Exhibit No. 2

Flammability Test Exhibit No. 1

The concept of FRLS (Flame Retardant Low Smoke) material was hitherto restricted to sheathing and jacketing in Power Cables, where the insulating or dielectric properties of the sheath (or jacket) are relatively unimportant. At FINOLEX, the R & D 1

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efforts were directed towards developing PVC compounds with FR/FRLS formulation. This insulation is perfectly suited to retard the spread of fire and meets all the mechanical, thermal and dielectric properties. At FINOLEX, we follow excellent quality control practices, from Vendor selection to Raw Material testing, In-process testing and testing the Finished Product. All this ensures that the products manufactured by FINOLEX are of international standards. FINOLEX Flamegard wires carry the ISI mark which also testifies to its quality. The wires are approved as per TAC (Tariff Advisory Committee) and FIA (Fire Insurance Approval) standards. FINOLEX also has IS/ ISO 9002 accreditation. We can now examine in detail, the Quality Control measures that are undertaken in FINOLEX during the manufacture of multistrand copper conductors and FRLS PVC compound, for Flamegard electrical wires.

Also Electrical wires offered in 270 / 180 M SPECIAL PROJECT PACKAGING

The need of the day is new circuitry and additional points to accommodate modern gadgets. Add to this, large scale projects undertaken nowadays. Since the size of constructions is not only larger but also more widespread, there is a surge in the need for electrical wires of longer lengths. Finolex is a major supplier of electrical wires to such big construction projects. Finolex electrical wires enjoy approvals from architects, electrical contractors, consultants and builders, for whom the quality of electrical wires is of utmost importance. Finolex now introduces two new lengths - 270 metres coils( triple coils for sizes 1.0 , 1.5 and 2.5 sq.mm ) and 180 metres coils ( double coils for sizes 4.0 and 6.0 sq.mm) to suit the requirement of big housing projects. Housegard with longer lengths has many advantages. ECONOMICAL This longer length is more economical as less leftover pieces are generated from each coil after wiring thereby reducing scrap. The inventory of leftover coil length is also reduced to a great extent. SAFE In case of bigger construction projects, longer connections are required. With Housegard, due to the longer length, the number of joints in electrical conduits are reduced, ensuring safe and jointless wiring in electrical installations. Hence additional safety in wiring is ensured. STORAGE SPACE SAVING Since each coil is of longer length and more compact, more wires can be accommodated in the same storage area, thus making optimum use of available storage space. These longer length coils are manufactured on high precision computerised coiling machine which ensures exact length and compactness. They are further poly-wrapped and packed in specially designed sturdy master cartons.

RAW MATERIAL :
A. COPPER : Copper is one of the most important materials which is popularly used in electrical wires due to its excellent thermal, electrical and mechanical properties. Heating of the wire takes place due to the wires resistance to the current which passes through the conductor. In order to limit the heating of the cable to its rated capacity, copper should be of good quality. Copper used for this application is Electrolytic Grade Tough Pitch (ETP) type. This ETP copper is normally available in rod form and is manufactured by the continuous cast process, with an average diameter of 8.00 mm. Purity of this copper is more than 99.97% and the balance 0.03% contains Fe, Ni, Sn, Pb, Bi, Sb, As, S, Ag, etc. Softness of the wire rod is another important property which has a direct bearing on the workability, i.e. the rods ability for fine wire drawing, during which the copper becomes hard. The 8 mm wire rod is checked for elongation, which should be ideally minimum 40%, so that fine wire drawing from this rod is possible. Over and above this elongation value, the conductivity of copper should be more than 100%. Also, the oxygen content should be limited to 200 to 300 ppm level, so that the ductility level is 2

CONCLUSION
Since FINOLEX PVC electrical wires are designed and manufactured with stringent quality control at various stages of raw material, in process and Final Testing, these FINOLEX FR/ FRLS insulated electrical wires perform better in their application in critical locations like high-rise buildings, airports, hospitals, schools, hotels, factories, petrochemical industries, complexes, etc. thus attaining highest safety standards. vvv 15

COMPARISON
MULTISTRAND v/s SOLID STRAND ELECTRICAL WIRES
FEATURE SOLID STRAND WIRES MULTISTRAND WIRES FROM FINOLEX Electrolytic grade 99.97% pure copper with more than 100% conductivity is used. Higher than the equivalent size of solid strand wires Even if 1 or 2 strands break there is no significant increase in resistance at that point Lower due to use of pure electrolytic grade copper

maintained. These properties ensure that continuous fine wire drawing is possible at high speed without the wire breaking. The surface condition of the wire rod is also of vital importance. This has a direct connection to the reliability and workability during the fine wire drawing process. The rod should be free from slivers, splits, cracks and other defects. In addition, the rod should have no internal defects like blow holes, etc. Hence the copper used in electrical wires(a bunch of fine wires) should ideally have all the characteristics mentioned above. B. FR & FRLS PVC COMPOUNDS : FRLS PVC which is used for insulating the copper conductor, is enriched with fire and smoke supressing agents. The PVC compound basically is a mix of various ingredients like PVC Resin, Stabilizer, Lubricant, Flame Retardant Filler, Antioxidants, Smoke Supressors, etc. and is formulated in the right proportion so as to balance the mechanical, thermal, electrical, Fire Retarding and Smoke suppressing properties. Each of these ingredients is carefully selected and designed to meet the desired properties. A special grade of PVC resin manufactured by the group company FINOLEX Industries Limited, gives the final insulating compound a unique advantage. One of the important ingredients of the compound is the PVC resin, which determines the electrical and mechanical properties of the wire. It is essential to check the molecular weight, particle size and fish eye count (which determines the gelled particles present). The porosity in the resin particle is also important. The plasticizers normally used in the formulation of FR/FRLS PVC consist mainly of phthalates trimelitates or their mixtures. They are normally used to give the desired flexibility in the compound. The flame retardant ingredients mixed for the FR/FRLS PVC compound are usually in the form of metallic hydroxides. The particle size and moisture content of such ingredients play a very important role. The stabilizer is added to give thermal as well as oxidative stability to the FR/FRLS PVC compound. Antioxidants are also 3

Quality of copper required Poor quality copper can be used for manufacturing Rated current carrying capacity Wire breakage Lower than the equivalent size of multistrand wires If a strand breaks, the resistance increases greatly at that point

Electrical consumption due Generally high due to poor to copper quality copper Ease of conduit wiring

Difficult. Chances of breakage Very easy due to high flexibility. and / or elongation of conductor Also saves time and labour and damage to insulation Short, in view of many disadvantages Point contact at termination & hence less surface area of conductor High resulting in localised heating in socket Heating causes insulation to degrade faster Considerably longer than that of solid strand wires Line contact due to higher surface area of conductors Low hence no localised heating Less chances of current leakage and short circuits

Life of wiring Type of contact at socket

Contact resistance Safety factor

Size (sq. mm.) 1.0 1.5 2.5 4.0 6.0

Recommended Applications

Lights and Fans TV / VCR / Cooler / Iron / Mixer / Vacuum Cleaner Fridge / Microwave / Washing Machine / Geyser A.C. / Pump Motor Distribution Board Wiring

These are general recommended applications only. Exact load of appliances should be checked for current requirement and appropriate wire size should be accordingly chosen.

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added in the compound. These chemicals prevent the deterioration of the PVC compound. The lubricant additives give improved workability, facilitating ease of extrusion. Smoke supressors are added to the compound in the right proportion to supress smoke generation during a fire. The FR/ FRLS PVC formulation is balanced with right proportion of the ingredients mentioned above to get the desired properties. These are not only flame retardant properties, but also acid gas fumes and smoke generation suppressing properties in case of a fire breakout. In Finolex, these ingredients are mixed / kneaded in the latest state-of-the-art mixers for thorough mixing and granulation. The compound processing is done in a dust-free climate for contamination-free compound and is automatically conveyed for storage. This is done so as to ensure that all the required properties of the insulating compound are maintained. I. MANUFACTURING : The performance of cables depends on the consistency in the conductor and insulation quality. The conductor for electrical wires is manufactured from finely drawn, annealed and bunched copper wires. The number of wires are chosen according to the desired cross sectional area. The quality of conductor is consistently maintained on state-ofthe-art machines where multiple wires are drawn to the required size, annealed and bunched in one single operation. The conductors are insulated with a specially formulated PVC compound on new modern automatic extruders fitted with PLC controls for parameters such as on-line tension, temperature, pressure and diameter. This too ensures that quality standards are consistently met. During the extrusion process, the line speed of the extruder is high and the process parameters are carefully controlled and maintained, to obtain the desired quality of cable. The special extruders ensure easy flow of compound. They are fitted with self-centering cross-head and toolings which give the necessary uniformity of thickness of insulation and concentricity. Pin-holes in the insulation if any, are detected online with the help of High Voltage spark testers, where continuous high voltage is applied between the conductor and insulation. 4 13

1050C Flame Retardant PVC Insulated Electrical Wires

Due to rapid industrialisation, the requirement of power has gone up. This has resulted in non-uniform distribution of power. Hence voltage fluctuations are often found at various cities & towns. As a result of this, the voltage is reduced when the sudden load is put in the electric systems. In such situations, due to low voltage, the current drawn by the wire is heavy for short duration. With the increase in current, the temperature also increases, resulting in total temperature going above the specified limit of the wire and there is a chance of short circuit. This results in electrical fire or shocks to personnel working. To counter this, wires with a suitable PVC insulation are now developed. These wires, once installed, are suitable for a limited degree of movement at a minimum ambient temperature of -150C. They are suitable for use where the conductor temperature does not exceed 900C, but not in direct contact with objects having temperature higher than 850C. However, adjacent to high temperature zones, these wires, when not subjected to flexing or other mechanical stress, and maintaining the direct contact limit of 850C, are suitable for 15000 hours of cumulative operation at a temperature of 1050C. The insulation additionally meets the requirement of BS 6231:1990, type CK, for high heat resistance properties and also offers flame retardant properties. The high oxygen and temperature index means that the cable offers extra protection against electrical shocks, short circuits and fire.

II. FINAL TESTING : These cables conform to the Indian Standard IS 694:1990, and therefore meet all electrical, mechanical and thermal tests mentioned therein. The additional critical FR/ FRLS properties are met over and above the tests mentioned in IS 694. The tests to confirm these additional properties are given below : i) Flammability Test as per Specification IEC 332-1 (Please see exhibit No. 1) OBJECTIVE : To determine the fire retarding properties of the insulating material used in cable. This test is conducted to determine the ignition resistance and resistance to flame propagation of cables under the specified conditions. In this test, a sample of length 600 +/- 25 mm of the FR/FRLS Insulated cable is ignited with the help of gas burner which has the flame intensity as required by the specification. The flame is applied at an angle of 45 degrees to the sample cable and the cable is allowed to burn for a period depending on the diameter of the cable. After burning for a specified time, the flame source is removed and the fire caught by the sample should extinguish on its own. That is, as soon as the flame source is removed, the fire should self-extinguish within a few seconds and the length of the unburnt portion should be at least 50 mm from the top. The cables withstand this test better than the ordinary PVC insulated wires. ii) Smoke Density Test as per ASTM D 2843/77 : (Please see exhibit No. 2) OBJECTIVE : To determine the percentage of light transmission, visibility and the amount of smoke produced in terms of smoke density under fire of the FRLS cables. This test is done on a moulded block of 25 X 25 X 6.2 mm, made from FRLS PVC compound removed from the cable. This block is subjected to burning in a smoke chamber fitted with a light source and photometer as per ASTM specification. When the sample is burnt, the smoke produced obstructs the light beam and percentage of light absorbed by the smoke is measured with the help of a photometer fitted on the equipment. The test is conducted for 4 minutes and the percentage of light absorption reading is monitored and noted after every 15 seconds. A graph is plotted for % of light absorption value against time, in

HOTGARD
Finolex has now introduced these 1050C FR PVC Insulated electrical wires under the brand name Hotgard.

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seconds. The smoke density (highest point on the curve) reading is then found out. Also, the curve gives the total smoke produced (area under the curve) by the sample under burning condition and then the percentage of light transmission values can be found out from the graph. A typical graph is as per the figure given below. Fig. 1 : LIGHT ABSORPTION VERSUS TIME GRAPH

In case of fire, where ordinary PVC Insulated wires are used, thick black smoke is emitted during the burning, affects visibility completely, thereby causing difficulty in locating the exit way to save lives. FRLS insulated wires help to reduce this risk to a great extent. The minimum average light transmission value for the insulation of FRLS wires is 40% while the typical value for ordinary PVC insulation is 10-15% only. iii) Critical Oxygen Index & Temperature Index Tests as per ASTM-D 2863 (Please see exhibit No. 3) OBJECTIVE : To determine the percentage of oxygen required to just support burning of the cable at room temperature and to determine the critical temperature, at which air oxygen content of 21% just supports the combustion of the cable. Fire is supported by oxygen. For any material to keep on burning, certain amount of oxygen is required at a given temperature. Since the atmosphere contains about 21 % oxygen, if the oxygen index for a material is below this level, it will catch fire and keep burning easily at room temperature. Similarly, the 6 11

One implication of these tests is that in case of fire, FR/ FRLS PVC Insulated wires will self-extinguish in normal atmospheric conditions, as the minimum critical Oxygen Index is 29%. Another implication is that during a fire, when the temperature surrounding the cable reaches this critical Temperature Index Value, the cable supports burning in normal atmosphere. For FINOLEX FR/FRLS wires, the value of the Temperature Index is more than 2500C. Also, in case of fire not caused by a short circuit, these PVC insulated cables withstand flames more effectively because of better Temperature Index values. iv) Acid Gas Generation Test As Per Specification IEC 754-I : (Please see exhibit No. 4) OBJECTIVE : To ascertain the amount of Hydrochloric Acid Gas evolved from insulation of cable under fire. This test is conducted as per IEC 754 I. The purpose of this test is to determine the amount of Hydrochloric Acid gas (which is injurious to human health) generated by the cable under fire. A small quantity of the insulation is carefully weighed and placed in a special muffle furnace, where it is subjected to a very high temperature. All the hydrochloric acid gas thus evolved is collected and chemically analysed to determine its weight. In case of FINOLEX FLAMEGARD wires, the maximum value of Hydrochloric Acid gas generated is 20% by weight. In ordinary PVC compound, this value may be as high as 50% by weight.

FLAMEGARD
For the first time in India, Finolex brings Flamegard - Flame Retardant Low Smoke (FRLS) electrical wires that has special flame retardant, low smoke emitting and toxic fumes suppressing properties, in addition to the properties required by IS 694 : 1990

Flame Retardant (FR) PVC Insulated Electrical Wires

The need is now felt to upgrade electrical wires by adding Flame Retardant (FR) properties. FR property means that the PVC insulation of the cable has a higher oxygen and temperature index. Due to this property the cable does not catch fire unless the surrounding temperature of the cable reaches a higher value, namely, the value of the temperature index. Higher oxygen index means that atleast 29% of oxygen is required in the cable surroundings for the cable to support burning. The normal atmospheric air has about 21% of oxygen.The insulation properties are so designed as to meet the teperature index of more than 2500C. This means that the insulation can catch fire or support burning only if the surrounding temperature goes above 2500C (with a normal air oxygen of 21%) These cables exhibit higher safety and can last longer under adverse operating conditions. The insulating material is tested for oxygen index and temperature index as per the procedure given in this booklet.

temperature at which atmospheric oxygen (21%) supports free combustion is known as the Temperature Index of that material. The critical Oxygen index and Temperature Index test is conducted as per ASTM D 2863. This test is done in a specially constructed burning chamber with special equipment, where the cable insulation sample is put. A mixture of oxygen and nitrogen gases in the desired proportion is allowed to flow in the burning chamber as per a specified flow rate. On adjusting the desired level of oxygen to a particular value and balance percentage of nitrogen in the burning chamber, the flame is applied to the sample of cable. The critical Oxygen Index value is taken as the adjusted value of Oxygen (%) when the sample catches fire and continues to burn without self-extinguishing inside the chamber. This reading can be found out after trying to burn the sample for various adjustments of percentage oxygen till the atmostphere in the chamber just supports burning. In Temperature Index Test, the burning chamber of the equipment is heated with the help of surrounding heaters and the Oxygen Index is determined at various temperatures after each of the set temperatures is stabilised. A graph is then plotted for Percent of Oxygen (Oxygen Index) Vs. Temperature (Temperature Index). This is a straight line graph. The extrapolated value of the Temperature Index can be found out at the corresponding value of Oxygen Index of 21% (air oxygen value) from the graph. Such a typical graph is as shown below. Fig. 2 : Percentage of oxygen vs. Temperature graph

HOUSEGARD
Finolex has now upgraded its existing range of PVC insulated electrical wires by adding FR properties under the brand name Housegard.

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Safe Safe families, families, safe homes.

Critical Oxygen Index & Temperature Index Test Exhibit No. 3.

Acid Gas Generation Test Exhibit No. 4.

THE SAFEST NAME IN ELECTRICAL WIRES

Notes : All information given herein is in good faith. Finolex shall not be liable for any damages arising out of incorrect use or interpretation. The Company reserves the right to change any of the above specifications without any prior notice.

TOT AL CABLES SOLUTIONS TOTAL

Technicalities Of PVC Insulated Electrical Wires.

THE FINOLEX CABLES PRODUCT RANGE

l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Electrical Wires Housegard & Hotgard Flame Retardant Low Smoke Electrical Wires Single & Multi Core Flexible Cables Single Core Flexible Cables for UPS Cabling PVC Winding Wires & 3-Core Flat Cables Trunk & Distribution CATV Cables Branch & Drop Co-axial Cables 1050C Temperature Resistant Auto Cables Cat 5, Cat 5 E, Cat 5 E+ & Cat 6 LAN Cables & Components Telephone & Switchboard Cables Power & Control Cables Jelly Filled Telephone Cables Optic Fibre Cables PVC Sheets

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