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Flame-Retardant Aspects of XLPE

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Crosslinkable Polyethylene

Part of the book series: Materials Horizons: From Nature to Nanomaterials ((MHFNN))

Abstract

Crosslinking of polyethylene is used to improve mechanical properties, thermo-mechanical performance and chemical resistance of polyethylene. Many applications of crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) require some level of flame resistance, especially those applications that require the XLPE to be used in and around enclosed spaces, such as automobiles, ships, buildings and tunnels. In such applications, flame-retardant additives are introduced in a fully formulated composition. Common applications requiring flame-retardant (FR) XLPE include building and construction, military, shipboard and other transportation, electronics and appliances. Fabricated articles made of FR XLPE used in such applications include those in the forms of foams, wires and cables. Flame-retardant technologies exist to accommodate all of the leading crosslinking methods for XLPE, including peroxide/free radical, silane-based moisture cure and irradiation-based methods. To sustain a fire, all three elements of the fire triangle—fuel, oxygen, heat—must be present. Flame-retardant approaches typically involve one or more of the following methods to attack one or more elements of the fire triangle: bromine or chlorine-containing additives that release fire-retarding halogen radicals to decrease the rate of heat generation; hydroxides of metals such as aluminum and magnesium, which decompose endothermically to absorb heat and dilute fuel vapor; intumescent systems, typically based on nitrogen and phosphorus-containing molecules, which form a porous char during combustion to slow the rate of heat transfer and fuel release; and various synergistic or cooperative additives to further enhance performance of the flame-retardant additive package. There is a steady long-term trend toward halogen-free flame-retardant (HFFR) approaches, due especially in part to the propensity for HFFR to produce lower levels of hazardous smoke during combustion. This chapter provides an overview of key applications requiring FR XLPE as well as typical FR approaches and considerations for each of the most common crosslinking methods. In addition, relevant combustion and FR mechanisms are reviewed. A high-level discussion of standards, regulations and trends is also provided.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Dow Chemical Company, Collegeville, PA, USA

    Jeffrey M. Cogen, Bharat I. Chaudhary, Abhijit Ghosh-Dastidar & Scott H. Wasserman

  2. The Dow Chemical Company, Shanghai, China

    Yabin Sun

Authors
  1. Jeffrey M. Cogen
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  2. Bharat I. Chaudhary
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  3. Abhijit Ghosh-Dastidar
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  4. Yabin Sun
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  5. Scott H. Wasserman
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Correspondence to Jeffrey M. Cogen .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Research and Post Graduate Department of Chemistry, St. Berchmans’ College, Changanassery, Kerala, India

    Jince Thomas

  2. School of Energy Materials and International and Inter University Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India

    Sabu Thomas

  3. Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Shah Alam, Malaysia

    Zakiah Ahmad

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Cogen, J.M., Chaudhary, B.I., Ghosh-Dastidar, A., Sun, Y., Wasserman, S.H. (2021). Flame-Retardant Aspects of XLPE. In: Thomas, J., Thomas, S., Ahmad, Z. (eds) Crosslinkable Polyethylene. Materials Horizons: From Nature to Nanomaterials. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0514-7_9

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