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Flame Resistive Cables vs. Flame Retardant Cables

Fire is one of the biggest risks in factories and a majority of them occur due to electrical faults. It is no surprise then that progress has been made to curb the incidents of fire from the source. Electrical cables have come a long way in terms of their use and the advances in their properties have made tremendous leaps in the effort of safety.Flame resistive and flame retardant cables are being used increasingly due to their usefulness in the event of fire. However, though they both sound similar, they have vastly different uses and react differently in the event of a fire.A fire resistant cable will continue to function in the event of a fire and is also identified as a Circuit Integrity Cable. A flame retardant cable on the other hand will not propagate or convey a fire. A flame resistant cable in this manner would let the circuit stay in operation, allowing power to be transferred through it, while this would not be the case with a flame retardant cable.Fire resistant cables are used in critical electrical circuits, such as safety circuits and life support circuits which are required to function in the case of emergencies. Flame retardant cables on the other hand are used in all other circuits so if there’s a fire, they can curb its spread. A flame resistant cable will be passed as per IEC 60331 and are encased in a red outer sheathes. Flame retardant cables behavior under fire is predefined as per passing the IEC 60332 and are encased in a grey or black outer sheathe.Both flame retardant and flame resistant cables are used for the same eventuality but behave very differently in the event of a fire. Investing in these types of cables would greatly improve the safety provided for everyone involved. ( we can give an example of recent fire incident and connect the blog with the saying that if this kind of fire would have been used the situation could have been less hazardous)

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