Environmentally Responsible and Low Fire-hazard Polymer Composites for the Cable Insulations

About the Project

The EnFiCab project focuses on developing cable insulation that is safer in the event of a fire while also being more environmentally friendly.

The project aims to develop a new polyethylene-based composite material with the addition of naturally derived flame retardants, such as metal hydroxides and clays, introduced during production. These substances are non-hazardous to health and act by releasing water from their internal structure at different temperatures, thereby helping to suppress flame spread and reduce the rate of heat release.

The project partners are the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (UWB) from the Czech Republic, the Polymer Institute Slovak Academy of Sciences (PISAS) from Slovakia, and Milan Vidmar Electric Power Research Institute (EIMV) from Slovenia. These partners combine their expertise in materials research, electrical engineering, and their applications, thereby creating a solid foundation for the development of innovative technologies and their practical applications.

Main Project Goals

Design a sustainable flame-retardant system combining metal hydroxides and halloysite nanotubes.
Optimise the release of structural water to cover a broad temperature range (220–550 °C) for better fire resistance.
Develop a polyethylene composite that meets both dielectric and mechanical requirements for cable core insulation.
Improve extrusion conditions to achieve uniform filler dispersion within the polymer matrix.
Verify the long-term stability of the developed material under accelerated ageing.
Produce and test a demonstration low fire hazard cable sample according to IEC 60331-1 fire standards.
Ensure that the developed polyethylene composite not only combines fire safety and electrical reliability, but is also environmentally friendly.