Development of Low Smoke Zero Halogen Green Polymer Compounds for Wire and Cable Industry

Currently halogen-based flame retardant is widely used as cable covering material in various industries including oil and gas, transit and industrial utilities. Studies have concluded that these materials will produce toxic gases and acidic fumes, and also persistent against degradation in landfill. These negative consequences resulted in a progressive regulatory restriction on use of halogen-based flame retardant. This project is a direct response to the increased regulation and pending Canadian ban banby developing new low smoke zero halogen (LSZH) flame retardant without the aforementioned problems. New LSZH additives developed by Shawcor will first be characterized to determine its flame retardancy and other properties. Next, innovative nano-additives will be studied and characterized. Possible interactions between multiple additives will then be investigated in order to further improve performance. Finally, the fabrication process will be optimized to make the new composite suitable for mass production. The outcome of this project will offer Shawcor a solution to replace halogen-based flame retardant in its product lineup in response to the increased regulation and pending Canadian ban.

Faculty Supervisor:

Hani Naguib

Student:

Partner:

Shawcor Ltd, dba Mattr Infratech

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Toronto

Program: