Why Should I Use Low Smoke Halogen Free Cables?


Have you ever been wondering whether you need low smoke halogen free cable for your applications? Here you will find out all of the key information surrounding low smoke zero halogen cables, their advantages, disadvantages and common uses.

First off, what are Halogens?

On the periodic table of elements, there are specific groups that several elements belong to, with halogens such as fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and astatine making up the group. Halogens are found in many of the products and applications that we come across in day to day life – for example; fluoride in almost all toothpaste, chlorine used in pools and iodine something commonly found in medicine cabinets.

Other Halogen Uses

Beyond our everyday contact with halogens, there are also numerous other ways in which halogens are used. Halogens are found in cable jackets as a flame retardant, which includes PVC (polyvinylchloride). Coincidently, this flame retardant chemical can cause some health problems for people - although halogen compounds keep from catching and spreading fire, they release hazardous gases if the cable does come into contact with flames. Carcinogenic substances such as Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Nitro Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and dioxins are all toxic chemicals that can be formed when these halogenated compounds are burned. These gaseous compounds are not only hazardous when they have burned and are in the air, after coming into contact with water they can condense into caustic acids.

A Safe Alternative

Low Smoke Low Halogen is a very good description of what these cables can actually do. These cables are much safer during a time where flame comes into direct contact to the cable jacketing, ensuring that very little smoke and no toxic gasses like a PVC cable would. Low smoke zero halogen cable is the safe choice for locations in which there is a fire potential and the potential for people to be near the fire. Low smoke halogen free cable also complies with the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive and similar North American safety and environmental standards.

For more information on LSZH cables, please consult: http://lapplimited.lappgroup.com/products/low-smoke-halogen-free-cable.html

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