Kabelwerk EUPEN
Günter Beyer, Kabelwerk EUPEN, summarised challenges in ensuring fire safety of PVC cables. To pass UL910 (Steiner Tunnel, which simulates cables in a void with high air-flow), a combination of FR chemicals is needed in PVC including antimony, halogenated phthalates, inorganics, chlorinated paraffins.
Because antimony generates high smoke emissions, zinc or molybdenum compounds are added as smoke suppressors. The molybdenum additives in PVC generate aromatic carbon compounds in soot during fires.