GEON® Plenstar® PVC compounds for use in Plenum Applications Go Non-Antimony

Challenge

Over the past 40 years, antimony has been used in PVC compounds formulated for plenum (CMP) applications to help suppress flame propagation and to meet UL 910 and NFPA 262 requirements. Antimony is commonly used in wire and cable applications because it is considered the most effective flame retardant additive available and has synergy with other components that are used in these formulations. However, antimony, a heavy metal, is listed on California’s Proposition 65 list of chemicals published and updated annually, which may subject OEM Wire & Cable Manufacturers to certain requirements under the Proposition 65 legislation. 

GEON® was tasked to develop a PVC formulation that meets the following Critical to Quality (CTQ) requirements:

• Non-antimony formulation 
• Meet UL 444/UL910 and NFPA 262 requirements for plenum category communication cables
• Applicable in both shielded and unshielded cable designs
• Process at adequate line speed 
• Meet/Exceed all existing performance requirements (physical/mechanical) for current plenum grades 

Solutions

GEON’s Innovation Team developed a solution that provided excellent flame resistance and low smoke generation while without the use of antimony. This resulted in the development of GEON Plenstar™ Flex WJJP622, a non-antimony PVC plenum compound for use as a jacketing material in category communication cables.

Impact

GEON Plenstar™ Flex WJJP622 flame retardant compound enables manufacturers to pass UL910 flame and smoke specifications with a non-antimony solution in both shielded and unshielded plenum cable designs. In addition, the formulations allow them to keep pace with a growing demand for riser and plenum products, and the desire to proactively move toward more sustainable material designs in accordance with California’s Proposition 65*. This grade further expands GEON’s exceptional PVC compound portfolio for communication riser and plenum applications such as UL 444 category data cables, RG coaxial cables, optical fiber distribution cables and breakout cables.